- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 60
Roy Harding said:Rip it apart and put salt on it
Not to sound argumentative, but just wanted to note. Its better to not peel off the top if you dont have to. Skin is the organ (yes organ) that keeps all the crawlies on the outside from getting in. Its the first line of defence. The fluid that is between the first and second layers of skin(epidermis & dermis) is chocked full of goodness. It is a saline/lymph/nutrient fluid. Its good for you if it is clear. If it is tinted red, it means you have a deep blister and it will be alot less fun if you crack it.
If it is hanging there, remove it (the skin is dead even if it is still soft), clean it and get something clean over it. If you want to be extra careful and have saline solution for your contact lenses use that rather than tap water. Straight water tends to be bad for the things inside your body. Causes some cells to pop since they soak it up too fast. Its not a big deal if you just use tap water though. Its not going to kill you.
But if it is still sealed and has fluid, and you are not doing anything abusive to your feet (like hike/march/run), then leave it to heal. The skin itself is there for a barrier to stop infection, and the fluid is full of good stuff. It will heal faster underneith if you leave soaking in your own immune/nutrient saturated solution. But the odds are that if you are hiking/marching/running it is going to open up on its own regardless if you keep hammering on it. I know its contrary to what you want to do, but if you crack it and let it dry out, it becomes a nice scab, its gonna keep cracking if you are lucky enough to get it high enough on the ankle. If you pop it, make sure to put some antibacterial sort of cream on it, polysporin or even vasaline to seal in your own fluids. (AVOID the stuff you GF/Mom might have, the stuff that smells nice is for the top of the skin, and the perfume component will probbably cause infection). Most of all make sure its clean and cover it.
I find though that if you get stuck in the middle of no where, and its popped and giving you trouble, give it a good clean, put some antistick gause on it if you have it in your first aid kit, I have seen some guys put 2 times the size of a gause on it than they need to, then cover the area in a few layers of duct tape (doubling the size stops you from removing most of your heel when you pull it off). THey say that it aids in letting the heel slip in the sock/boot and reducing fricton on the already agravated area.
But i cant say that i have tried it. Most i have done is clean, bandage, new sock.
But im not a doctor. And my advice is free... so its not worth much.