Blisters can be very painful. They are also annoying. There are more common on the feet and can show up due to different causes. Friction blisters are the most common types of blisters which appear due to ill fitting or restricting shoes. However, there are different ways to heal blisters faster and you will find 10 tips that will help you to heal such blisters faster.

1. Air

You need to let the blisters breathe. Expose it to as much air as possible, which will increase the speed of healing. Sometimes, you may need to bandage the blister to walk. In such situations, use the tenting technique so that the middle of the bandage is slightly raised up, which will allow airflow. If the blister is intact, then do not break it. The skin overlying the blister will save it from any further infection. Clean it thoroughly. Open blisters may cause more pain because the open nerve endings in such a blister may cause pain when they come in contact with other surfaces, dirt etc.

2. Topical cream

There are various topical creams available which will help you to heal your blisters faster. There antibacterial ointments available which you can smear on the blisters. Before you apply any such topical cream or ointment, you should thoroughly clean the blisters and drain out the existing fluid. Antiseptic creams will also help you to heal the blisters and offer you an immediate cooling effect. It is very important to keep the area clean and sanitized because otherwise there will be infection and such infection will spread to other areas. It will also speed up the healing process.

While using the antibiotic ointment or cream, be gentle with the blisters. Sterilization of the blisters is possible with the help of a hygienic wipe.

3. Bandage the blister

Keeping the blister clean is very important and so it may be necessary to use an adhesive bandage to keep the injury away from debris and infection. If there is skin attached to the blister, keep it because it will work as a protective layer. You can use a sterile gauze pad to remove any remaining fluid from the blister. Then apply an antibiotic ointment on the blisters and use a bandage to cover the blister and keep the antibiotic ointment intact.

4. Drain the blister

If you were suffering from extreme pain and discomfort due to a blister which is filled with fluid, then the only way to get rid of that is to pop it. But while doing that, you need to make sure that no infection takes place. Wipe the blister with antiseptic and water and take a needle sterilized in alcohol. Pierce the edge and drain the blister. While draining, keep the top skin because it will work as a protective layer and keep away the infection. Apply an antibiotic ointment after the blister has drained. Cover the area with a clean gauze pad or bandage.

Before you drain a blister, you should wash and sanitized your hands. To do that, use soap and water. Dry your hands completely and then clean the blister.

5. Keep your feet elevated

Keeping your feet elevated will help you to heal your blisters faster. Keeping elevation will also relieve inflammation and pressure on the injured area. That will help in reducing pain and discomfort. If you are not walking, stay in a clean environment because it will help you to stay away from any other infections. You can clean the area and then leave your blisters uncovered. The elevation will also reduce pain and will drain out the fluid from the blisters. Such elevation will also increase the flow of fresh blood to the area which will help in faster healing.

6. Make the area soft

To speed up the healing process, you can soak a blister in a saline solution. Do that few times a day. It is most useful when you pop and drain blisters. Before you pop a blister, you should soften it. Soaking a blister in warm and saline water will clean it, prevent infection and soften it. When you soften a blister, popping it with a sanitized needle will be easier. Once the blister is drained, softening it will speed up the healing process and reduce the pain.

7. Moisturize the area

Moisturising will help in speeding the healing process. You can use aloe vera because it is gentle and anti-inflammatory. Apply aloe vera gel after you clean the blister area. Let it dry before covering. You will feel a cool effect when you use aloe vera gel on the blisters.

8. Add more cushioning

If you are having a blister on the sole or heel, you may need some more padding so that you can walk comfortably. To do that, you can use sheets of foamy adhesive pads. To make the padding fit and cushion the injury, you may need to cut the pad in shape. You can also wear padded athletic socks to avoid any future blister problem. The same patch can be used to cover the areas which are prone to rubbing.

9. Avoid infection

You should always check and ensure that you are not catching any infection. If you are in a dirty area, keep the blisters covered using a bandage. If you pop a blister, make sure to follow the routine of cleaning, sanitizing and covering it so as to prevent infection. Apply antiseptic cream or ointment on the blister before and after popping it. As mentioned earlier, keep the skin covering the blister even after popping it. It will save you from infection.

Do not ignore blisters because they can quickly get infected if you do not clean and drain them. Do not stress out the parts of your body where blisters are there, because continuous rubbing may result in infection and possibly cause unhygienic blister ruptures. If by accident a blister bursts and infection happens, other types of skin problems like impetigo and secondary cellulitis may occur. If you keep a blister infected and then ignore it, bacterial infection can go into your bloodstream and cause sepsis.

10. Patience

You need to have patience with your blisters. It may take some time-few days to a week-for complete healing. You have to keep your patience for those many days. Take some time to drain the blisters, clean them and cover them with clean bandages. Do everything that you can for giving the right environment for the blisters to heal faster. If possible, leave the blisters open so that they can get more air, which causes faster healing. Keep the environment clean because it eliminates the possibility of infection and speeds up the healing process. Blisters form due to causes like continuous friction and moisture. So, it is important to know the causes, because then only you can try to eliminate them. Do not wear ill fitting shoes, do not wear shoes without socks and do not wear cotton socks because they generally collect moisture. Use synthetic socks, which can keep moisture away from your skin.

Use these tips to prevent blisters from forming and if they form, use the tips to heal your blisters faster.