The blisters that form on the palms of the hands are both painful and irritating. Blisters are small, fluid-filled bubbles that can be painful. Blisters on the palms of the hands usually occur as a result of doing work that causes excessive friction on the palms, such as taking care of the yard, such as gardening, cleaning fallen leaves with a leaf rake, or shoveling snow/soil. Fortunately, there are several methods that can be used to speed up the healing process of the blisters.
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Part 1 of 2: Treating Blisters
Step 1. Blisters should not be cracked, unless they are bothersome
If the blister is cracked, the skin will perforate. As a result, bacteria and dirt can enter through these holes and cause infection. The following treatments can be done to treat blisters:
- Gently wash the blisters with soap and warm water. This action is very important to reduce the amount of dirt and bacteria on the skin around the blister so that infection does not occur if the blister bursts and becomes an open sore.
- Cover the blister with plaster. The tape can protect the blister from friction as you work so that the pain is reduced.
Step 2. If it has to be cracked, it's a good idea to disinfect the blister first
The skin around the blister should be cleaned and disinfected before the blister is cracked to reduce the risk of infection. To disinfect the blisters:
- Gently wash the blisters with soap and warm water. The blisters should not be rubbed so as not to irritate them. Instead, gently wash the blister with running water to remove dirt, bacteria, and sweat.
- Use a clean cotton ball to apply iodine, hydrogen peroxide, or rubbing alcohol to the blister to kill bacteria.
Step 3. Drainage of the blister
Drainage of the blister to drain the fluid inside without causing an open wound that bacteria can enter. Use a sterile suture needle to drain the blister.
- Clean the needle with soap and water. Wipe the needle with a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol to kill bacteria. The alcohol that sticks to the needle will quickly evaporate.
- Carefully insert the needle into the edge of the blister. Insert the needle into the skin covering the liquid. The liquid will come out through the hole produced by the needle.
- Do not peel off the skin covering the blister. The skin helps protect the wound and irritated skin underneath.
Step 4. Disinfect and bandage the blister
After drainage, the blisters become hollow and allow dirt and bacteria to enter. Therefore, take the following measures to prevent infection:
- Wash your hands with warm running water and soap to remove any fluid that comes out of the blisters.
- Apply "Vaseline" or an antibiotic ointment, which can be purchased without a prescription at the pharmacy, on drained blisters.
- Cover the blister with a plaster. Do not allow the adhesive layer of the plaster to stick to the skin covering the blister. Otherwise, the skin may also peel off when the tape is removed.
- Look for tape with a layer of square gauze and tape on all sides, instead of long tape with adhesive only on both sides. Plaster with adhesive on all four sides will better protect the wound because all sides are tightly closed.
Step 5. Change the plaster daily
Carefully remove the old plaster. Apply an antibiotic ointment, then cover it again with a new bandage. After a few days, the blister will begin to heal and the layer of dead skin covering the wound can be peeled off (or cut with scissors sterilized with rubbing alcohol). Every time you change the plaster, check for blisters. Immediately consult a doctor if there are signs of infection such as the following:
- Over time, the blisters may become red, swollen, hot, or painful.
- The blisters ooze pus. The pus in question is not the fluid that previously came out of the blister after being pricked with a needle.
Step 6. Apply a cold compress to the blood-filled blister
Don't pop a blood-filled blister, even if it hurts. Allow the blisters to heal on their own to prevent infection. Relieve pain with a cold compress:
- Wrap an ice pack in a thin towel, then apply it to the blister for 20 minutes.
- If you don't have an ice pack, a bag of corn or frozen peas wrapped in a towel can also be applied to the blister.
Step 7. Consult a doctor if the blisters are caused by another, more serious condition
Blisters sometimes appear as a result of infection or an allergic reaction. Consult a doctor if you suspect the blisters are caused by any of the following conditions:
- Burns, for example from sunburn
- Allergic reactions to certain drugs
- Atopic dermatitis or eczema
- Infections, such as chickenpox, herpes zoster, herpes, impetigo, and others
Part 2 of 2: Preventing Blisters
Step 1. Wear gloves when working
Gloves reduce friction on the palms of the hands when doing chores around the house, such as:
- Cleaning fallen leaves with a leaf rake
- Cleaning snow with a shovel
- gardening
- Moving furniture or lifting heavy objects
Step 2. If a blister starts to form, cover it with a donut bandage
The donut bandage reduces the pressure on the skin that starts to get irritated due to friction. Get extra protection by wearing gloves.
- Use moleskin or other soft pads that can be purchased at the pharmacy.
- Fold the moleskin or pad in half.
- Cut out the moleskin fold in a semicircle, about the same size as the diameter of the skin that started to blister.
- Unfold; As a result, there is a small circular hole, about the same size as the skin that started to blister, in the center of the moleskin.
- Paste the moleskin on the palm. Position the moleskin so that the part of the skin that starts to blister is in the hole in the center of the moleskin. Moleskin around the skin that begins to blister serves as a cushion that effectively reduces pressure so that blisters do not form.
Step 3. Increase exercise duration gradually
If you like to do sports that can cause severe friction on your palms, increase the duration gradually (don't immediately exercise for long durations) so that callus can form. Callus is a layer of hard skin that protects the softer part of the skin underneath. If you feel blisters starting to form, stop exercising and rest your hands. If the pain has subsided, you can return to exercise. Examples of sports that tend to cause blisters on the palms:
- Paddle
- Gymnastics
- Weightlifting
- horse riding
- Rock climbing
