Blisters are unattractive, unhealthy, not to mention often painful, which brings to question why the name “blister” is so popular in pop-culture.

There are a few different ways people get blisters, the most common being from friction, freezing, burning, and infection. You can also get blisters from being exposed to certain chemicals.

The yucky gooey stuff in the blister we always thought was pus is really blood serum.

Most blisters heal on their own, a new layer of skin grows underneath and the blood serum is soaked back into the body.

How to Heal a Blister:

First off, do not peel the skin away, this only makes it easier for infections to grow.

To stop blister pain, use clean hands and a clean, sanitized needle to stab a few holes in the blister so that the blood serum can drain a bit. It sounds harder than it is. Depending on where the blister is you should be able to do it yourself and you should only feel the needle piercing through the blistered skin – don’t poke the flesh of the foot that is forming as the new skin. You should only feel minimal pain when doing this. Afterwards soak the blister in warm water for 20 minutes to half an hour and bandage. Do this as much as needed until the blister heals.

If you have to move around, and the blisters are in an uncomfortable place (for example, on your feet) wear thick socks, or a double layer of socks to help cushion the feet and minimize further irritation on the blister.