blisters

[suek]

need tips to prevent and treat. raised a painful blister between toes 1 and 2 in the space of one song last night...I swear! Same shoes as usual; only thing different I can think of is favoring other foot because of sprain.(?)

Popped the blister, squeezed out all liquid and went to bed (a good half hour before I wanted to). Hurt all night...better today.

Share your expertise with me please. Prevention for sure. Treatment for when the prevention works.

Best,
Sue

[SwinginBoo]

I've dealt with quite a few blisters. For me it's usually a case of shoes. But for you it wasn't. So here's my tip for when you have a blister, but still want to dance.

1. Don't pop it!!! I know it's what you want to do, but it will only make things worse if the skin peels off and leaves you with a layer of raw skin on your foot. It will pop on its own when it is ready.

2. But some moleskin or molefoam padding. It can be found in the foot section of any pharmacy. Cut out a hole that is approximately the size of the blister and stick it around. THis provides some cushioning, but also raises the "skin" around the blister making it such that the blister will not be irritated further or be too painful.

3. If you are wearing a pair of shoes that causes blisters...well don't wear them, but if they are shoes you wear only sometimes for certain outfits (aka vintage garb) then what I do is figure out what's causing the blisters. Then I use the above mentioned moleskin and wrap it around the toes or foot that is getting the blisters. This works very well.

Well I hope this helps. Good luck.

[Sagitta]

Hi Suek:

Check out the "Fixing blisters ASAP" thread, also in the General Dance Discussion forum. Never done a link to another thread before, and don't have the time now to figure it out, but I'm sure you can find it easily.

I agree with SwinginBoo about leaving it be. But sometimes you cannot afford to, and so I have done just what you did to. I myself have stayed away from contra dancing as it was at one contra dance that I suffered the ignominious fate of blisters all over my feet!! :oops: That's my prevention strategy, particularly as contra is nothing like all the other dances that I love. Don't miss it!

And moleskin works wonders. Whenever I start getting problems or want to avoid any out comes the moeskin to tackle troublesome spots on the feet! :)