Okay,
I got some blisters on the balls of my feet, about the size of a 50 cent piece. One has some fluid that I can move around. Should I stick a pin in it to get the fluid out or leave it alone. Which method heals faster?
I need to have them heal by sunday or the second half of the BSLT 70.3 run could hurt.
I don’t know if you’re supposed to pop them or not - but if you DO, or they pop on their own, get some Duoderm. You cut a piece of it large enough to cover the area and put it right over it - I had some blisters after a HIM a couple weeks ago that wouldn’t heal and this stuff made them go away rather quickly.
I always used to be the type to pop them, but then someone years ago told me to leave them. If you don’t pop them, there’s no way for germs to get into the blister, so it will heal better. I could be completely wrong though!!
I read an article by Cameron Chesnut (triathlete training to be a MD) who suggested draining the corner and leaving the skin intact so it would heal faster. If the skin of the blister is torn or removed then it take longer to heal. I am searching for the link to his article. I thought it was on XTri but i can’t find it. I will edit my post with the link if i find. But FWIW draining the corner has always worked for me.
unless it is under a solid callus - pierce it, get the fluid out, keep it clean - use antibacterial cream if you tend to get infections around broken skin, if the skin comes off - let it, don’t put anything (pad, protectors, ‘skins’) on it or around it (they are just as likely to cause more problems), soak it - then soak it some more whenever you can. figure out what caused it and fix that.
good luck
It will sound silly. But someone suggested to drain them, remove the skin, clean it well and apply super glue. I googled it and found many cases of people using this method. So I decided to take the risk andtried it in one of my two blisters. Don’t think it made it heel faster, but it allow two things: kept bacteria out and was easier to walk again.
Full disclosure: I am not a doctor so please take this in the same way I did just as a rather odd internet idea…
I always lance/drain my blisters. Never had a problem.
you have several options here. either way you need to get the fluid out though. first option is to pop it and peel back the skin all around the blister. then dump some hydrogen peroxide on it and cuss like a mofo for about 5 minutes. the second option (which i recommend) is to get a nail clipper or needle or really small scissors and put a whole in it and let the fluid drain out (push it ALL out). very important though to make the whole big enough so that when you sleep it doesnt seal back up and fill up with more fluid. then you should leave the skin intact because the body will use the old dead skin to help produce the new skin.
for your race. go to the store and buy one of many product used to cover up blisters depending on your circumstance. if you are doing a tri and needing something for the water. Band Aid brand makes a great waterproof band aid with a nice large covering for the blister. these DO NOT come off in the water and will keep you in good shape the whole race. if you dont need water proof i would recommend a type called “2nd skin” then use some atheletic tape to put it on.
When I get them I usually will sterily a swewing needle and once done, I will put a sewing thread trough it, then insert the needle and thread through the blister. As you pull the thread through it will make the blister drain. If you do not want to pull it through all the way, you can leave the thread going through the blister as this will help with drainage. I would apply neosporin or something similar after draining it.
When I get them I usually will sterily a swewing needle and once done, I will put a sewing thread trough it, then insert the needle and thread through the blister. As you pull the thread through it will make the blister drain. If you do not want to pull it through all the way, you can leave the thread going through the blister as this will help with drainage. I would apply neosporin or something similar after draining it.
i never thought of leaving a sterile sewing thread in there… does that work to keep it open to drain over 1-2 days or does the blister seal around the thread?
When I get them I usually will sterily a swewing needle and once done, I will put a sewing thread trough it, then insert the needle and thread through the blister. As you pull the thread through it will make the blister drain. If you do not want to pull it through all the way, you can leave the thread going through the blister as this will help with drainage. I would apply neosporin or something similar after draining it.
i never thought of leaving a sterile sewing thread in there… does that work to keep it open to drain over 1-2 days or does the blister seal around the thread?
You take the needle off in you want to leave the thread in there! I have found that just by slowly pulling an 8 to 12 inch of sewing thread through the blister it will drain most of it! The thread has never become seales in there because after an hour or so, the blister is completely drained if it’s a big one, and if its a small one 12 inches of thread will drain 99% off it out!
Cotton thread works best but I did have trouble finding it a few years back, but since I do not get too many blisters, I still have plenty of it left over.
Be a man, duct tape it and HTFU! 