Walk or run a long way in new shoes and a blister appears on your heel. The NHS says blisters often heal on their own within a week, and says not to burst them yourself but to cover them with a soft plaster or padded dressing. If one bursts, don’t peel off the skin; let the fluid drain and then cover it. This sets out the NHS page “Blisters”.
1. Don’t burst it; cover it. A soft plaster or padded dressing.
2. Burst? Leave the skin on. Let it drain, cover it, and wash your hands before touching it.
3. Hot, with green or yellow pus, means infection. Don’t ignore it, the page says.
What blisters are and why they form — NHS
The NHS describes blisters as small pockets of clear fluid under a layer of skin that develop to protect damaged skin and help it heal. They can be painful while healing, but you will not usually need to see a GP. They are mostly caused by friction, burns and skin reactions such as an allergic reaction; when blood vessels in the skin are also damaged, a red or black blood blister forms. Conditions such as chickenpox and bullous impetigo, a bacterial skin infection, can also cause them.
Read together, “blisters protect damaged skin” and “don’t peel the skin off a burst blister” explain why the skin is left on (our reading).
Do and don’t — NHS
| Type | What the NHS says | Worth noting (our gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| Do | Keep the blister as clean as possible | — |
| Do | Cover it with a soft plaster or padded dressing | To reduce rubbing |
| Do | Wash your hands before touching a burst blister | — |
| Don’t | Burst a blister yourself | Large ones: see a GP (below) |
| Don’t | Peel the skin off a burst blister, or pick at the edges | The skin acts as a cover |
| Don’t | Wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused it until it heals | Pause the cause |
For a burst blister, let the fluid drain before covering it with a plaster or dressing. How to wash your hands is in handwashing for 20 seconds.
Prevention — NHS
- Comfortable, well-fitting shoes; break in new shoes gradually
- Thick, moisture-wicking socks for exercise; change socks often if your feet sweat
- Protective gloves for exercise or tools
Starting to walk or run? See Couch to 5K and brisk walking.
Signs of infection
The NHS says an infected blister may be hot and filled with green or yellow pus, and the skin around it may look red, though this can be harder to see on brown or black skin. Don’t ignore it — an infected blister can lead to a skin or blood infection.
Where to get help
| Where | What | When |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | A plaster or dressing to protect it while it heals | Most blisters |
| GP | Burst a large or painful blister with a sterilised needle · antibiotics if infected · treat blisters caused by a condition | Infection, large blisters |
| NHS 111 | Advice | Very painful or keeps coming back · an unusual place · no reason · a burn, scald, sunburn or allergic reaction |
NHS 111 is the UK’s advice line. Choosing care in Korea is in ER or local clinic.
Checklist
- ☐ Don’t burst it; cover with a soft plaster
- ☐ If burst, leave the skin, drain and cover
- ☐ Rest the shoes that caused it
- ☐ Hot with green or yellow pus? See a GP
- ☐ Break in new shoes gradually; thick socks
Questions that remain
Can I pop it with a needle?
The NHS says not to burst it yourself; a GP may burst a large or painful blister with a sterilised needle.
What about hydrocolloid plasters?
The NHS page read here only says “a soft plaster or padded dressing”, so we name no products.
The NHS also says to avoid tight, pointy shoes with an ingrown toenail — and to cut nails straight across, not too short (ingrown toenail).
Socks matter for athlete’s foot too — the NHS suggests clean cotton socks every day and drying between your toes (athlete’s foot).
Sources
- NHS — Blisters — original (page last reviewed 22 November 2023, next review due 22 November 2026; checked 12 October 2026). Within a week, clean, cover and wash hands, no bursting, peeling or using the shoes, drain and cover, three prevention steps, signs of infection, pharmacy, GP and 111.
- Not read. Korean agencies’ blister guidance; sources on hydrocolloid dressings.
- Added by us. The “worth noting” column.
Where to check further
- A pharmacy — plasters and dressings.
Written 12 October 2026. The content follows the NHS original; the glosses are ours.