Blister Problems

If there is one thing which strikes fear into the heart of almost any runner, one thing, no matter how good a runner is, which can make them afraid and nervous it is the humble blister.

According to Wikipedia a blister is a defence mechanism of the human body. When the outer layer of skin separates from the inner layer, a pool of fluid collects while the skin re-grows from underneath.

The skin irritation can be caused by a number of things including, ill fitting shoes and moisture or friction and the outcomes can be serious including major irritation and possibly infection.

With our shoe friendly western lifestyle, blisters are a frequent occurrence for most runners especially beginners– but what can we do to prevent them?

Take care with your toe nails, inspect them every week and cut if needed. (We can’t quite bring ourselves to do a video on how to do this, but we might…)

Look after your feet in general. Walk about in bare feet more; let the air get to your feet whenever you can. (This promotes healing after you have had a blister also.)

Be careful with the socks you wear – see our sock posting for more details.

Be careful choosing shoes – chose new shoes in the afternoon when your feet have swelled the most. Be careful – sizing’s can differ even between the same make and model of shoes.

Use a small amount of Vaseline or other jelly if you need to on danger areas.

If you have more than one pair of shoes, try to rotate them. Blisters go for the path of least resistance. You may be surprised that you have a “hotspot” and have difficulty even walking in one pair but can run OK in another.

If your shoes get wet or get sand in, be sure to dry and clean them thoroughly…

Be careful using plasters and other commercial products. By producing a blister, your body is trying to tell you something. Plasters are treating the symptom, not the cause.

To burst or not to burst?

Is a personal choice, personally, we burst using a sterilised needle and some soft tissue on standby to catch any blood or liquid that is spilled .

If you do burst, be very careful until the skin has healed as you are more likely to be prone to infection . Bursting a blister and the walking barefoot on the beach is probably not a good idea.

Finally, look after your feet, treat them to some TLC. Get some basic moisturiser and use it every night before you go to bed.

Whatever experience you have with blisters, learn from it and make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice…

Bike riding for runners