Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey,
Speaker 1: brain Stuff, learn vogal bomb here. This one's a little
Speaker 1: gross or bodily frank anyway, but it's probably happened to
Speaker 1: all of us. Work in the yard without gloves or
Speaker 1: donne a stiff new pair of shoes, and you're likely
Speaker 1: to wind up with an unwanted bodily edition a blister.
Speaker 1: There are a bunch of ways that blisters are caused,
Speaker 1: including friction when something repeatedly rubs up against the skin,
Speaker 1: as well as allergies and exposure to heat, cold, or
Speaker 1: irritating chemicals. Blisters are annoying and unsightly bubbles of clear,
Speaker 1: watery fluid called serum. Ever wondered where all that fluid
Speaker 1: comes from anyway? Oh, when the skin is injured, nearby
Speaker 1: tissues react by leaking serum, which is intended to act
Speaker 1: as a natural protection for the skin. So a blister
Speaker 1: is technically part of your body's defense mechanism against damage,
Speaker 1: and they might look tempting to pop up, But considering that,
Speaker 1: is it a good idea to do it? For the article,
Speaker 1: this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke by
Speaker 1: email with dermatologist Dr Aram Ilius, who's based near Philadelphia.
Speaker 1: She says she gets that question from patients all the time.
Speaker 1: Quote the answer overall is yes. It is reasonable to
Speaker 1: pop a blister for one big reason. The soreness or
Speaker 1: tenderness that comes from blisters is from the pressure of
Speaker 1: the fluid in the blister. Until this pressure is released,
Speaker 1: it will not have a chance to heal. Also, if
Speaker 1: you don't pop the blister, it might burst on its
Speaker 1: own anyway from day to day activities. She said. If
Speaker 1: this happens in an uncontrolled setting, it may put you
Speaker 1: at a higher risk for infection. So how do you
Speaker 1: pop a blister? How stuff works? Also spoke by email
Speaker 1: with Dr Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skincare Institute in
Speaker 1: Thousand Oaks, California. He walked us through a few simple
Speaker 1: steps to achieve the safest outcome possible. First, wash the
Speaker 1: affected area with soap and water. Then, using a sterilized needle,
Speaker 1: safety PI or pair of medical scissors, gently poked the blister.
Speaker 1: Most of the fluid should leak out easily. If it doesn't,
Speaker 1: it's not ready to be popped. Next, apply soft pressure
Speaker 1: to ensure that all of the serum is released. Finally,
Speaker 1: dress the area with a pressure bandage to prevent fluid
Speaker 1: from reaccumulating in the blister. This also protects the skin
Speaker 1: and helps the area heal. Although some doctors recommend applying
Speaker 1: antibiotic cream, Pierre says to steer clear quote in fact,
Speaker 1: products like neosporin can irritate the area. Vasseline or aquifer
Speaker 1: with the bandage is sufficient to provide an environment conducive
Speaker 1: to rapid healing. It's important to note, though, that during
Speaker 1: the popping process and in the delicate days after, you
Speaker 1: shouldn't peel off the thin, outermost layer of skin that
Speaker 1: remains the hostuff works. Also spoke by email with Beverly
Speaker 1: Hills based dermatologist doctor Zebra Shanehouse with Skin Safe Dermatology
Speaker 1: and Skincare. She said, when you release the fluid underneath,
Speaker 1: the tense blister will def eight and the overlying blister
Speaker 1: skin will fall like a parachute into the eroded skin
Speaker 1: beneath and act as a natural bandage. A new epidurmal
Speaker 1: layer will grow and fill in underneath. For those of
Speaker 1: you not in the frame of mind to pop, she notes,
Speaker 1: the blisters often resolve on their own, provided you prevent
Speaker 1: further trauma to the area, a meaning, for instance, not
Speaker 1: wearing the shoes that caused the blister until it's healed,
Speaker 1: and being careful to pick shoes that won't irritate the
Speaker 1: blister while it heals. Padded bandages or adhesive pads like
Speaker 1: moleskin can help. Oh and another important note, This advice
Speaker 1: about popping blisters only applies to situations where you know
Speaker 1: what caused the blister in the first place. Hilius said,
Speaker 1: if you're developing blisters and you don't know why, it's
Speaker 1: important to see a dermatologist as there are a number
Speaker 1: of blistering skin diseases that are autoimmune in origin that
Speaker 1: may need to be managed with other medications to treat
Speaker 1: and prevent. Today's episode is based on the article should
Speaker 1: you Pop your Blisters? On house to works dot Com
Speaker 1: written by aleioh Hoyt. Brain Stuff is production of I
Speaker 1: Heart Radio in partnership with house toff works dot Com,
Speaker 1: and it's produced by Tyler Clay. For more podcasts from
Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.