Content

• Steps
• Warning
• Advice

Blisters are often caused by friction on the skin, causing fluid to build up underneath the skin where it was rubbed. Many doctors advise against breaking the blister if you want to prevent scarring and infection and will advise you to break the blister, but if you really want to break it, follow these steps to make sure. safe.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Look before you break a blister

1. 

   Listen to your doctor's advice. Doctors often advise avoiding breaking blisters as it protects the damaged skin below and prevents bacteria. A ruptured blister will make the area more susceptible to infection.

2. 

   
   
   Assess situation. Ask yourself if you should break the blister at this point.
   • Where is the blister? It is safer to break a blister on your leg than it is to break a cold sore on the lips or inside of the mouth. Herpes sores and blisters inside the mouth should be checked by a doctor.
   • Are blisters infected? If there is yellow discharge, then it is infected and you should see your doctor.
   • Does the blister affect everyday life such as making it difficult to walk? If so then it's time you should safely break it.

3. 

   
   
   Do not break the blister from a sunburn or burn. If you have a sunburn blister, this is a second degree burn and you should see your doctor because this is a serious case. Do not break this type of blister as it is formed after a burn to protect the skin below. See your doctor to treat and protect the area from the sun while you wait for the skin to heal.
   • Second-degree burns that cause blisters should be treated gently with a prescription burn cream. See your doctor for the right prescription medications and how to take care of sunburn blisters.

4. 

   
   
   Do not treat blood blisters. A blood blister is a red-purple-black blood stain under the skin caused by a broken blood vessel below the skin epidermis. Friction in areas with protruding bones, such as behind the heels, will lead to blood vessel rupture and bleeding under the skin.
   • A blood blister is a sign of a deep wound. It can heal on its own, but many people mistake it for melanoma (melanoma). Therefore, if you are unsure, see your doctor for an examination.
   advertisement

Part 2 of 3: Preparing To Break Your Blister

1. 

   Hand washing. Use soap and warm water to rub your hands for 20 seconds before rinsing.
   • Use regular unscented soap to wash your hands. This prevents any chemical irritation and avoids spreading the bacteria from your hands to the delicate skin after the blister bursts.

2. 

   Wash the blister with soap and water, apply alcohol or an antiseptic.
   • Antiseptics such as betadine are available over the counter. However, you should be careful with betadine as it will stain skin, clothing and other surfaces.
   • Gently pour betadine or rubbing alcohol over the blister and surrounding skin. If washing with soap and water, use an odorless type. Use your hands to rub evenly, gently wash the affected area, but be careful not to press too hard so you don't break the blister, then rinse with water.

3. 

   Prepare the needle and the blade. Ideally, you should choose a disposable needle or blade, pre-packaged and sterilized, usually available at drug stores and medical materials stores.
   • If you choose to use a sewing needle at home, you will need to soak the needle in rubbing alcohol first.
   • Do not put the needle or the blade over a fire, as it will become contaminated with carbon molecules that can irritate the skin and possibly increase the chance of infection.
   advertisement

Part 3 of 3: Breaking a Blister

1. 

   Start at the edge of the blister. Inject 2 or 3 places on the blister to help drain fluid by gravity. You can inject them on each side, close to the bottom edge of the blister.
   • Do not use a needle to pierce the blister to dry the water. This method increases your risk of infection.

2. 

   Drainage. You can either let the blister drain with gravity or gently press down on the spot where the hole was injected and let the fluid drain.
   • Do not press too hard or tear the blister to drain. This leads to the risk of trauma to the skin below.

3. 

   Don't tear off the top layer of skin. Peeled off the dead skin of the blister can irritate the surrounding healthy skin and cause the skin to become inflamed. Simply wash the surrounding skin with soap and water or an antiseptic, then cover with a bandage.

4. 

   Apply antibiotic ointment and wound dressing with a medical gauze. This helps prevent bacteria from entering and reduces the pressure on the blistering area.
   • Apply the ointment a few more times and change the bandage daily until the skin heals. This usually takes about 1 week.

5. 

   Soak your body, legs, or arms several times after you break the blister. The epsom salt will help dry the blister water. For the next few days, mix half a cup of epsom salt in warm water and soak your feet or take an epsom salt bath for 20 minutes a day.

6. 

   Watch for signs of infection. Any signs of redness, swelling, pain, or discharge of pus are signs that the blister is inflamed, and you'll need to see your doctor for an antibiotic.
   • The skin becomes inflamed as the area around the blister becomes more red and swollen. In addition, body temperature is also higher than 37 ° C. If the skin hurts more and is accompanied by the above symptoms, then the wound may be infected.
   • Pus is a yellow fluid that flows from an infected wound. If the blister (has not broken or has ruptured) drains pus, see your doctor to avoid getting the infection worse.

7. 

   Prevent blistering. You need to remove pressure on the skin in the bony areas. You can use pressure pads with circular holes. When running, choose a pair of new shoes or socks that fit to reduce friction and be able to control moisture.
   • When boating, wear gloves specifically for water sports or tape over the handle of the paddle to reduce friction.
   advertisement

Warning

• Some blisters can be caused by medical conditions such as autoimmune bullous disease, or an infection such as bullous fever. If you have blisters that appear for no apparent reason, or a lot of blisters come back over and over again, you should see your doctor.

Advice

• Make sure everything (hands, needles, the skin around the wound, the blister) is disinfected to avoid infection.
• You can see your doctor, dermatologist or nurse to help drain the blister with a sterile needle. This is especially necessary to treat large blisters.