Blisters

Blisters are caused by friction, usually from shoes or tools rubbing on the skin. They normally heal on their own in a week or so. The skin over a blister is the best protection against infection, so leave it on if you can. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, get a blister on your feet checked rather than treating it yourself.

Stop them before they start

• Wear in new boots before a long walk.
• Wear dry, well-fitting socks. Change them when they're wet.
• At the first sign of a hot or sore spot, stop and cover it with tape or a plaster. This is much easier than treating a full blister.
• Wear gloves for long jobs with tools.

An unbroken blister

1. Leave it alone if it isn't too painful.
2. Cover it with a plaster, padded dressing or blister plaster to protect it.
3. If it's on your foot, a ring of padding around it takes the pressure off.

Draining a painful blister

If a blister is large, painful or likely to burst anyway — and you have to keep walking — it can be safer to drain it carefully.

1. Wash your hands and the blister with soap and water.
2. Clean a needle or pin with alcohol, or hold it in a flame until red hot and let it cool.
3. Pierce the blister near its edge in one or two places.
4. Gently press out the fluid with a clean cloth.
5. Leave the roof of skin in place. Don't peel it off.
6. Cover it with a clean dressing or blister plaster.

A burst blister

1. Wash it gently with clean water.
2. Don't peel off the loose skin. Let it dry and fall off naturally.
3. Cover it with a clean, non-stick dressing and change it daily.

Signs of infection

Watch for increasing pain, swelling or redness, warmth, pus, red streaks spreading from the blister, or fever. These need medical care.

Blisters from burns

Blisters caused by burns, scalds or frostbite are treated differently — see those guides and leave the blisters intact.

This guide does not replace a first-aid course. A few hours of hands-on practice will make you far more confident when it matters.

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