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