Blisters are often annoying, painful, or uncomfortable. If you ever have unexplained blistering on your skin, you should see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Blisters can be caused by friction, infection, or, in rare cases, a skin condition. Here are 16 possible causes of blisters. Read full article on cold sores. Read full article on herpes simplex. Read full article on genital herpes. Read full article on contact dermatitis. Read full article on stomatitis. Read full article on shingles. Read full article on dyshidrotic eczema. Read full article on pemphigoid. Read full article on pemphigus vulgaris. Read full article on allergic eczema.
Read full article on chickenpox. Read full article on erysipelas. For example, you can: wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes help keep your feet dry with thicker socks or talcum powder wear gloves when handling chemicals use sunscreen Read more about preventing blisters. Causes of blisters Blisters are most often caused by skin being damaged by friction or heat. Friction Friction blisters are common in people who are very active, such as sports players and those in the military.
Skin reaction Blisters can appear when skin is exposed to excessive heat — for example, when you have sunburn. Medical conditions A number of medical conditions may cause blisters. The most common are: chickenpox — a childhood illness that causes itchy red spots cold sores — small blisters that develop on the lips or around the mouth, caused by a virus herpes — a sexually transmitted infection STI that most commonly affects the groin impetigo — a contagious bacterial skin infection pompholyx — a type of eczema scabies — a skin condition, caused by tiny mites, which may lead to blisters developing on young children's feet or palms of their hands hand, foot and mouth disease — a viral infection that usually affects young children Several rarer conditions can also cause blisters.
They are: bullous pemphigoid — a skin disease that causes large blisters and usually affects people over 60 years of age pemphigus vulgaris — a serious skin condition where blisters develop if pressure is applied to the skin; the blisters burst easily, leaving raw areas that can become infected dermatitis herpetiformis — a skin condition that causes intensely itchy blisters, usually on the elbows, knees, back and buttocks; blisters usually develop in patches of the same shape and size on both sides of the body epidermolysis bullosa — a group of rare inherited skin disorders that cause the skin to become very fragile; any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters chronic bullous dermatosis of childhood — a condition that causes clusters of blisters to develop on the face, mouth or genitals bullous ichthyosiform erythroderma — a type of icthyosis someone is born with, which causes inflamed, scaly skin with blisters.
Treating blisters Most blisters heal naturally and don't require medical attention. When to seek medical help See your GP if you have blisters that: you think are infected — an infected blister will be filled with yellow or green pus and may be painful, red and hot are very painful keep coming back are in unusual places, such as on your eyelids or inside your mouth are caused by severe sunburn, burns or scalds or an allergic reaction Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat an infected blister.
Friction blisters The unbroken skin over a blister provides a natural barrier to infection. Change the dressing daily and wash your hands before touching the blister to avoid infection. Burst blisters If a blister has burst, don't peel off the dead skin on top of the blister.
If the blister is on your foot, avoid wearing the shoes that caused it, at least until it heals. Blood blisters Blood blisters should be left to heal naturally. Preventing blisters There are several ways to prevent getting blisters from friction, sunburn or chemicals. Blisters caused by a medical condition often can't be prevented and need to be treated by a GP.
Friction Wearing comfortable, well-fitting shoes and clean socks helps prevent blisters. Heat and sunburn Be careful when dealing with heat such as steam, flames or boiling water. Moisturiser, aftersun or calamine lotion can help ease discomfort if you do get sunburnt.
Chemicals Always wear protective gloves when handling detergents, cleaning products, solvents and other chemicals. Tweet Click here to share this page on Twitter This will open a new window. Print Click here to print this page This will open your print options in a new window.
Source: NHS 24 - Opens in new browser window. Last updated:. How can we improve this page? Email Address e. Message Maximum of characters. In this article, we will discuss what blisters are, how they are caused and the best ways to prevent and treat them.
There are many activities and ailments that can induce blistering. Below are some of the more common ways that blisters can form. These blisters will usually appear on the hands or feet, as these are the areas that most often encounter repetitive abrasion, whether walking, running or playing the drums. Areas of skin with a thick horny layer, attached tightly to underlying structures such as palms of hands and soles of feet are more likely to generate blisters. Blisters occur more readily if the conditions are warm, for example, inside a shoe.
They also form more easily in damp conditions, compared with wet or dry environments. Blisters can lead to more serious medical issues such as ulceration and infection, although, under normal conditions, this is rare. The timing of blister formation helps categorize burns. Second-degree burns will blister immediately, but first-degree burns blister a couple of days after the incident.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, frostbite also produces blisters. In both cases, the blister is a defense mechanism deployed to protect lower levels of skin from temperature-related damage. Skin can occasionally blister because of certain chemicals. This is known as contact dermatitis. If a small blood vessel near the surface of the skin is ruptured, blood can leak into the gap between the layers of skin causing a blood blister to form. This is a blister filled with blood. Other types of blister are named after the condition they are linked to, such as chickenpox and shingles blisters and atopic eczema blisters.
The most common type of blister for most individuals is the friction blister. In their most basic form, they occur due to increased shear stress between the surface of the skin and the rest of the body.
The layer of the skin most susceptible to shear forces is the stratum spinosum. As this layer tears away from the tissues below, a plasma-like fluid leaks from the cells and begins to fill the gap that is created. This fluid encourages new growth and regeneration.
Ill-fitting shoes or friction can damage the skin, and a blister forms to cushion the area from further damage as it heals. If the blister is left unpopped, the body gradually absorbs the fluid as the underlying skin recovers. This can take around one week.
Depending on the cause and location, a blister can range from the size of a pinprick to three centimetres or more in diameter. A blood blister is usually caused by a severe pinch or bruise to the skin that breaks the tiny blood vessels capillaries. Blisters rarely need medical attention, unless they are severe, recurrent, caused by burns or are due to an underlying infection. When treating a blister, if possible, resist the temptation to burst it.
You could cause an infection or hinder your body's healing process. If this is not possible, the best way to burst a blister is to clean the area with soap or disinfectant and then prick the blister with a needle heated over a flame to sterilise it.
Allow the fluid to slowly escape and the roof of the blister to collapse down onto the blister base. The roof then acts as a dressing that can be further covered with a dressing or sticking plaster.
Do not remove the blister roof, as that will delay healing and increase the risk of infection. If the blister refills over the next day or so, you can repeat the process. If your blister requires treatment by a health professional, this may include depending on the cause of the blister :. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.
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