How to Prevent Blisters Difficulty: AverageTime Required: 5 minutes Here's How:
- Buy shoes with adequate room in the toe box and good fit in the heel.
- Wear wicking socks of CoolMax or polypropylene.
- Coat areas of foot prone to blister with a blister/chafing prevention agent such as BodyGlide, Runners Lube, petroleum jelly.
- Or use the cornstarch shake-and-bake method - put some cornstarch in a plastic bag and coat your dry foot with it before putting on your sock. The cornstarch both reduces friction and draws away moisture. Repeat each hour or two of walking.
- For areas already raw or very prone to blister, cover with a gel bandage containing Compeed or with moleskin.
- Stop whenever you feel a hot spot developing and cover the area with moleskin, sport tape, or a Compeed Band-Aid.
- Band-Aid Blister bandages with Compeed can be found in the foot care section, not the bandage section, of the drug store.
- Your walking shoes should be a size to a size and a half larger than your dress shoes.
- BodyGlide, Runners Lube and similar products can be found in running shoe and gear stores.
- Cornstarch is dirt cheap and can be found in the baking section of the supermarket.
- Socks of wicking fabric
- BodyGlide
- Blister bandages
- Sports tape
- Cornstarch
Treatment or Cure for Blisters:
If you already have a blister and it's not painful, just leave it alone, since the skin serves as protection. It will eventually break and the fluid will drain. If the blister is painful, then you should boil a needle for 5-10 minutes in water and once cool, carefully pierce the blister. Press the fluid out and use an antiseptic cream on it. Cover the area with a product such Band-Aid Blister Block or moleskin to protect against infection and provide cushioning.If you're running in a race, such as a marathon, and you develop a painful blister, stop at one of the medical stations. They'll be able to treat your blister and hopefully get you back in the race, running pain-free.
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