If you run or walk regularly, the chances that you have already dealt with blisters on your feet are very high. If this is not your case, consider yourself lucky since it is the most common injury among runners.
In fact, here is the percentage of runners who experienced this discomfort according to various running events:
- 16% during a 10-mile run;
- 16,7% during a 190 km race which took place over 3 days;
- 26,1% during a 219 km race which took place over 5 days;
- 39% of marathon runners;
- 70% during a 225 km race in full autonomy.
We can therefore understand the extent of a discomfort which may seem trivial at first glance, but which can sometimes have significant negative repercussions.
How are blisters formed?
Blisters occur when your skin is damaged by heat or friction and friction. When the skin is damaged, fluid forms between the upper layers of the skin and the lower layers to protect them from further injury.
Similar to an irritation on your body, a blister will form on your feet in no time due to your socks or shoes rubbing on your skin with every step.
Various situations cause the appearance of blisters when running or walking, here they are:
- friction of stockings with the feet: constitutes the number 1 cause of the appearance of blisters. Indeed, if your stockings do not fit your feet well, the excess fabric and the movement of your stockings in your sneakers will cause additional friction.
- poor choice of shoes: running shoes that are too small or not designed for your foot and your pronation will cause pressure on specific points of your feet, causing friction and therefore the formation of blisters.
- foot conditions: If your feet are too wet, the skin will soften, which will also make them more prone to blisters. Feet that are too dry could also lead to blisters.
How to prevent blisters?
1. Control the humidity level:
Keeping your skin dry is an effective way to stop blisters when you run. We therefore avoid cotton socks, since they tend to retain humidity and we can consider the use of products such as talcum powder, antiperspirant or another specialized product to dry the skin.
As mentioned earlier, feet that are too dry can also lead to the appearance of blisters. If this is your case, turn to moisturizing or lubricating products (vaseline for example).
2. Strengthen your feet gradually
The more you run, the more resistant your feet will be (through the formation of calluses for example). We therefore suggest that you try to gradually increase the distances you cover so that your feet naturally become more resistant to the various stresses subjected to them.
3. Don't remove your calluses
Your body will naturally accumulate calluses in particular places where your feet experience a lot of friction. Calluses, although visually unattractive, are your friends since they prevent blisters from appearing!
4. Protect your feet
If you feel that a blister is appearing before or during a walk or run, it would be wise to apply an adhesive strip (physio tape for example) to the area. This additional protection may prevent the occurrence of a painful blister.
I have a blister: what should I do?
The ideal would be to stop the activity in order to avoid making the situation worse and infecting the whole thing. On the other hand, we are aware that it is not always easy when you find yourself 10 km from home or in the middle of a competition.
If this is the case, consider bringing adhesive strips or dressings with you in case the situation arises, and react quickly.
If you are in an event, the majority of water stations have a small survival “kit” that could help you out.
Otherwise, the first choice for treating foot blisters after a workout is to leave them alone since the skin provides protection against infection. Small blisters may break and drain on their own or resolve within a few days.
Health professionals do not suggest draining the blister due to the risk of infections.
Also avoid subjecting your blister to friction: put aside the shoes you were wearing when the blisters appeared since the chances are very high that a pressure point will be placed directly on the painful blister.
So! Hoping that this unloved little bobo will get away from you in the coming years.
Good training!
There are plastic fabrics for blisters and for me it is very effective, it rarely happens but hey, something to have in your first aid kit...
Indeed, it seems that this type of dressing is very popular with runners! Thanks for the suggestion!