Do you know how to get rid of blisters on feet in the most effective way? Unfortunately, foot blister treatment is a skill a lot of people get wrong. They risk infection, delayed healing and simply making their blister more painful than it needs to be. In spite of this, it’s difficult to get some people to take blister treatment seriously. So, let me show you how to get rid of blisters so you can wear your favourite shoes and continue your activity without them hurting.
How To Get Foot Blister Treatment Right
Your Blister Roof
Take a look at your blister roof. Is it intact, torn or deroofed? Not sure what the difference is. Here is an example of each to help you decide.
Intact blister: The skin is sealed an holding in any blister fluid. Your main aim is to protect the blister roof. As long as is intact, it can’t get infected.
Torn blister: The blister is no longer sealed. Your main aim is to prevent infection now the blister is open.
Deroofed blister: The blister roof has rubbed right off. Your main aim is to get good skin healing whilst also preventing infection.
Here’s Why Your Blister Roof Matters
Watch this video to understand the aims of treating each blister stage.
Your First Priority: Preventing Infection
Your first foot blister treatment priority is to prevent infection. But it doesn’t stop there. Also monitor regularly for infection (every time you change your dressing). The signs of an infected blister include: pus; increasing pain, redness or heat around your blister; or red streaks extending from the blister. Here’s how to ensure your blister doesn’t get infected:
- Firstly, clean your hands – Apply antibacterial gel or soap and water to kill the germs on your hands.
- Secondly, clean your blister – If your blister is mucky with debris of any sort (dirt, drying blister fluid or blood) flush it with saline (salt water); or rinse it with soapy water or just water if that’s all you’ve got. This will physically remove some of the germs from your blister.
- Thirdly, disinfect your blister – Use and antiseptic or antibiotic to kill the remaining germs on your blister.
- Finally, cover your blister – This will keep any new germs out. It will provide protection to your blister, and provide a nice healing environment for your blister. However, don’t just use tape, because it may well rip your roof off. If in doubt, use an island dressing.
Choose The Right Foot Blister Breatment Dressing (There Are 2 Types)
There are two types of blister dressings you can use. If you really want to get rid of blisters on feet in the most effective way, it’s important to pick the right one for your blister.
1) Island Dressings
Island dressings consist of an island of non-stick absorbent material in the middle, surrounded by an “sea” of adhesive. The island both cushions your blister a little, and absorbs blister fluids. The adhesive secures the dressing to your skin and locks the germs out on all sides.
You might know island dressings better as blister bandages, blister bandaids or even sticking plasters. Whatever you want to call them, you can use an island dressing on ANY blister. If you had just one dressing to get rid of blisters on feet, make it island dressings.
2) Hydrocolloid Blister Plasters
Hydrocolloid plasters are special blister dressings that should only be used on deroofed blisters. As the raw skin heals, it weeps. As it does so, the fluid combines with the hydrocolloid material to form a white gel underneath. This provides a perfect healing environment for your deroofed blister to heal fast. It also prevents the plaster from sticking to the wound and disrupting valuable healed tissue when it’s removed. Read this to learn more about hydrocolloid dressings, and how to avoid the common mistakes.
Hydrocolloid blister plasters are for deroofed blisters only!
Now You’re Ready To Reduce Pressure and Friction Levels
Once you’ve got the basics of blister treatment down, you’re ready to start fixing the pressure and high friction levels that will help your blister hurt less and heal faster. Quite simply, the articles I link to below hold the most effective methods of how to get rid of blisters on feet. Here’s what you need to know:
In these articles, I explain the strategies you can use. However, if you want to know how to reduce pressure and friction levels from your particular blister, my best advice lies in the articles on specific blister anatomic location. Simply go to the search function and type in your blister location (eg: pinky toe, arch or ball of foot). In these, I go into great detail on how to implement the important strategies that will have the biggest impact. Here are a couple of products you’ll find handy for reducing pressure and friction levels (below):
Find out more
Grab Our Advanced Blister Kit
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Advanced Blister Kit
Advanced Blister Kit allows you to pack light while providing medical-grade blister protection. Give your blisters advanced first aid.
About The Author
Rebecca Rushton BSc(Pod)
Podiatrist, blister prone ex-hockey player, foot blister thought-leader, author and educator. Can’t cook. Loves test cricket.
Advanced Blister Kit
Advanced Blister Kit allows you to pack light while providing medical-grade blister protection. Give your blisters advanced first aid.
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I have blisters onthe bottom of my feet near ly little toe and it wont cool down its swollen and i cant stand any additional advice
Your blisters could be infected, Jasmine. I suggest you see your doctor to get specific advice on what to do next.
I’m on my feet walking about at work for at least 10 hours, I have 4 blisters on 1 foot, 2 on the ball of my foot and 1 each on my big and little toes, what is the best way to help these and prevent more?
I’ve written articles on each type of blister Mel:1) Big toe – http://www.blister-prevention.com/blister-blog/big-toe-blister2) Little toe – http://www.blister-prevention.com/blister-blog/blisters-on-my-pinky-toe3) Ball of foot – http://www.blister-prevention.com/blister-blog/blisters-under-the-ball-of-your-footBest of luck.
So I had some minor blisters and popped mosquito bites on ankles and feet this summer and I found that putting Desitin (baby butt cream, the white titanium dioxide stuff) greatly eliminated all pain and discomfort associated with them. Is that sanitary and safe? I assumed it was since they use it on baby butts. I put a light bandage over it to stop the desitin sticking to sicks etc and getting lint in the wound, and it was pretty much pain free.
I’m not sure about titanium dioxide being in Desitin – the tube of Desitin I’ve got has "40% zinc oxide in a soothing base of cod liver oil". As far as I’m aware, Desitin is intended for irritated yet intact skin, not so much on open or raw skin. Specifically, it works by (and I quote here):1) Forming a thick protective layer on the skin2) Blocking out wetness and irritants3) Protecting and soothing irritated skin, allowing it to heal naturally.I’m glad it helped Mike. Good call to put a dressing over it to keep it clean and prevent infection.
so, i have a blister along the inside of my left heel that has a bubble toward the back of my footmy issue is that i can’t afford to be off my feet for more than a 2 to 3 days at a time, as i work 12 hour shifts in a factorythe roof hasn’t torn, and it hasn’t really gotten better or worse, just changed shape slightly, slowly moving toward the bubbleis there anything i can do on my off time to make it go down faster, or am i simply stuck with a perma blister?
Sorry to hear about your blister John. Ideally, you’d see your podiatrist so they can help you figure out why it’s there. To get it to heal, you need to address its cause. If you’d like to try and figure this out for yourself, here are a few things that I think might help:1) http://www.blister-prevention.com/what-causes-blisters/2) http://www.blister-prevention.com/fast-blister-healing3) http://www.blister-prevention.com/blister-blog/edge-blisters-the-2-patch-techniqueAll the best.Rebecca
After many years of hiking , as a Scout leader and "private citizen", I can agree with much presented here. The prevention boils down to two things: Proper fitted shoes/boots and proper socks. Boots should allow some movement, and not bind your toes (wriggle?) or their outer edges. Tight across the instep, holding the heel in place. Women especially need to allow bigger shoes ("but my feet aren’t that big!") . I have never seen cotton socks "prevent" blisters. They are almost always the sock involved. They rub and chafe, and hold moisture in, thus adding to the heat in the shoe. 100% wool socks are almost always NOT involved. I think it has to do with the cushiony quality and the natural lubrication of the lanolin in the wool and the fact that wool wicks moisture away better than cotton, which tends to hold it. Even the synthetic blends try to copy wool’s qualities. Last year, after 700 km on the Camino de Santiago, 15-20km or more a day, 100% wool socks, I had no blisters. My buddy, had silk liners, and wool blend socks. He had no blisters up to the final three days, and developed a blister on his big toe. He decided it was the new insoles he had installed the previous week, that changed the geometry of his toe space. Along the Camino, we saw a interesting technique in treating big blisters: a podiatrist at a Albergue (hostel) used a sterilized needle to sew sterile thread THRU the blister, to allow the blister to drain and continue to drain until it healed over into a callous! We met many folks who said the technique worked if cared for properly, with a "donut" bandage to protect it. This allowed the victim to continue hiking. After the callous formed, the thread could be carefully pulled out. Antiseptic cream over all, naturally. And bigger boot!
I’m at my wits end. I had an ankle fracture of my calcanus almost 5 years ago. As a result I had fracture blisters. They healed but with friction I’ve been battling blisters on whole side of ankle. Can’t wear socks have to wear backless shoes. I’ve tried everything. I’ve been to Dermatoligist 3 times he just says its contact dermatitis. I’d give anything if someone would tell me how I can heal them. I’ve used steroid creams, antibiotic cream, silver dine cream, over the counter creams, home remedies etc. Please any help appreciated.
Hi Lola. I’m sorry to hear of your predicament. The blisters from contact dermatitis have a different cause to friction blisters. A dermatologist is a skin specialist and you’ll get the best diagnosis and treatment advice from him/her. So please follow all advice you are given by your dermatologist.
Having said that, blisters or weakened skin of any cause will not like high friction rubbing. Consider an ENGO Patch on the part of your shoe corresponding to your irritated skin – that should help a little. Or cover the blisters with an inert dressing, to protect the underlying skin. But if it’s contact dermatitis, the problem is intiated by contact with something your skin is sensitive to. That needs to be addressed first and foremost. I’m sure you’ve been given advice in this regard. All the best.
Rebecca-
Thank you for the information. I have a pretty painful blister on the ball of my left foot. I got it playing basketball. Unfortunately the roof is partially torn and bent inwards into the blister. So half is exposed and the other half has the roof that pushes into the blister when I out weight on it. I’ve been washing and putting neosporin on it. I’ve also kept it bandages. My question is what I should do about the roof? It’s kinda stuck and awkward.
Hi Travis. If the torn part of the blister roof is annoying the raw healing base, it would be worth cutting that off. This is best done with sterile equipment at your doctor or podiatrist. But if you are going to do it yourself, make sure your gear is not just clean, but at least disinfected (if not sterile). And then take precautions to prevent infection afterwards, until it has healed. If in doubt, see your medical practitioner. All the best!
Hello! Thankyou for all your helpful content.I have to say though, I was taken aback by the graphic nature of some of the images. Could you consider writing a warning or changing the images?Once again, thankyou.
Sorry to have offended, Elif.
I have a question, i have a finger tip sized blister. But my concern is the bloster has fluid and a few sediment type things floating in it. That are white and hard. What is that? Should i go ahead and pop it? If i let it heal thats still going to be there right? When i had my shoes on i though it was a piece of pepple of something in my shoe but no its actually something hard inside my blister
Sounds a bit weird Lucy – see a podiatrist or doctor and get it checked out.
I have a blister on the back of my foot where there are the little crinkles. I just got it and it hurts. Please give me help.
WOW !Your website is awsome !Thank you for the clear and concise information. I could not find it in a regular pharmacy so I had to order it from a medical supply store.
Great website !Thanks again,ChantalCanada
My wife had angioplasty with a stent put in her leg. The next day a blister formed on the top of her foot the size of a quarter. Within two days she went back to doctor for a follow-up and he said the blister will probably break tonight. Well, it’s been 5 days, the blister is now about 3 inches in diameter. Circulation is better in leg, however, much discomfort in foot and concern about blister.
I’m sorry I can’t help Rick. Your wife needs the ongoing assessment and care of her doctor.
Boiling water soaked through my shoe and now, 5 hours later, my second toe has a very large blister that is firm and appears to be filled with a translucent yellow liquid and is currently unruptured. Do you think I should drain it?
A blister caused by a burn is a bit deeper than a friction blister. That would be more reason to leave it intact Stephanie rather than pop it.
Great resource – thanks!
On average, how long do you find it takes for large deroofed heel blisters to heal with hydrocolloid dressings? Not completely, just enough to wear ski boots without severe pain…
You can be up and about doing whatever you like with a blister straight away, without it being painful Sean – if you do the right things to it. Selecting the right dressing is just one of five steps you have to take. Details here: https://blisterprevention.leadpages.co/blister-treatment-blueprint/
my son has returned from a camping trip with deep blisters on balls of feet with no roof, but also deep cracks within the blister areas – we have dressed and applied antiseptic, but clearly this is going to take a while to heal and I wondered why the deep cracks and best way to deal with them
I have a mallet toe, have never had any trouble but Today I wore some cheap runners and got a huge blister on the under side of my toe, i soaked it i Epsom salts and the applied anti biotic cream. Now what. Do I put a bandaid on it or leave it open?
Step 3 Audrey – your next step depends on the integrity of the blister roof.
I have a large blister on the front sole of my foot near my middle and second toe, I got it from walking in bad shoes for a while and it was rubbing, I didn’t get any notice though in order to prevent it. The skin has completely come off and I have been putting sports tape ontop when I go to school so that the red bare skin doesn’t rub.. any other suggestions? Getting things from the chemist isn’t really an option at the moment, so I kind of need some home remedies or something like that. :)
Thank you for this article!I have really weird feet and have never had a pair of shoes that did not give me blisters, even when spending a lot of money on individual fitted shoes. I do not leave the house without Compeed, when I have to wear shoes (in winter, or for work meetings). Recently I had a new pair of shoes, that were so pad that I rubbed a hole into the Compeed dressing. Is it okay to secure the compeed with sports tape (duct tape?!) or something similar?
Greetings from Wellington,Maja
Yes you can Maja.
Hey, I have a blood blister but it doesn’t hurt, and it’s not big, it’s Farley new, do I pop it or let it heal on its own? Cause I got school this week and I don’t know if I should pop it or leave it
Read these articles to help you make your decision:
– https://www.blister-prevention.com/should-you-pop-a-blister/
– https://www.blister-prevention.com/blood-blister-on-foot/