How to treat a blister (and when to leave it alone)
An intact blister is a sterile dressing your body made. The default is to protect it, not pop it.
The fluid inside a blister is doing a job: it cushions the damaged area and keeps it sterile. The roof of skin over it is the best possible cover. Opening it removes both.
Intact blisters
Leave them. Cover with a dressing large enough that the adhesive lands on undamaged skin well clear of the blister, and take the pressure off — change footwear, adjust the tool grip, whatever caused it. Most reabsorb within a few days.
If it is large, painful and in a spot you cannot rest
Sometimes draining is the pragmatic choice. Clean the skin, use a sterilised needle at the edge rather than the centre, let it drain, and leave the roof of skin in place as a natural cover. Then dress it. Never remove the roof.
Already burst
Rinse gently, leave any remaining skin flap lying flat, and cover with a non-adherent dressing so the new surface does not stick to the pad. Change daily and watch for the infection signs.
Preventing the next one
Blisters come from repeated friction plus moisture. Deal with the hotspot the moment you feel it — a strip of zinc oxide tape over the area before it blisters saves the whole problem. Keep feet dry, and break in footwear gradually.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.