Blisters

Blisters often heal on their own within a week. They can be painful while they heal, but you will not usually need to see a GP.

How you can treat a blister yourself

There are things you can do to protect a blister and help stop it getting infected.

Do

  • cover blisters with a soft plaster or padded dressing

  • wash your hands before touching a burst blister

  • allow the fluid in a burst blister to drain before covering it with a plaster or dressing

Don’t

  • do not burst a blister yourself

  • do not peel the skin off a burst blister

  • do not pick at the edges of the remaining skin

  • do not wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused your blister until it heals

A pharmacist can help with blisters

To protect your blister from becoming infected, a pharmacist can recommend a plaster or dressing to cover it while it heals.

A hydrocolloid dressing (a moist dressing) can protect the blister, help reduce pain and speed up healing.

Check if you have a blister

A round bump on the back of the heel filled with light green pus. The surface is dry and creased and the surrounding skin is red.
An infected blister can be hot and filled with green or yellow pus. The surrounding skin may look red, but this can be hard to see on darker skin tones.

Important

Do not ignore an infected blister. Without treatment it could lead to a skin or blood infection.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

  • a blister is very painful or keeps coming back
  • the skin looks infected – it's hot and the blister is filled with green or yellow pus
  • the skin around the blister looks red, but this can be harder to see on darker skin tones
  • a blister is in an unusual place – such as your eyelids, mouth or genitals
  • several blisters have appeared for no reason
  • a blister was caused by a burn or scald, sunburn, or an allergic reaction

Treatment from a GP

A GP might burst a large or painful blister using a sterilised needle. If your blister is infected, they may prescribe antibiotics.

They can also offer treatment and advice if blisters are caused by a medical condition.

Conditions that can cause blisters

How to prevent blisters

Blisters develop to protect damaged skin and help it heal. They're mostly caused by friction, burns and skin reactions, such as an allergic reaction.

Blood blisters appear when blood vessels in the skin have also been damaged. They're often more painful than a regular blister.

If you often get friction blisters on your feet or hands:

Page last reviewed: 4 January 2021
Next review due: 4 January 2024