View Full Version : Unique blister care?
I'm posting my first thread on WB (actually on any site for that matter!).
Has anyone ever heard of or tried this technique? My son's soccer coach advises his players with blisters on their feet to apply toothpaste to the blister, let it dry (takes about 1/2 hour) and then rinse it off. Allegedly, the blister will be gone along with any discomfort. According to my son, it works like a charm! He's done it about 6x with success each time. I haven't had a need to try it myself, so I'm not talking from first hand experience. The coach said that it doesn't matter what brand or type of toothpaste you use. Just passing it along to my fellow hikers for what its worth.
SGT Rock
08-28-2006, 13:53
Now that is an odd cure. Someone go get a blister and try this, then report back on how well it went.
Sounds all too easy, but I'd love to hear from someone who has tried this.
Creek Dancer
08-28-2006, 13:58
I wonder if you are supposed to pop the blister first.
I have a meeting tomorrow night with the coach... I'll gather additional info from the "blister guru" himself and will report back to you.
Just Jeff
08-28-2006, 14:25
I heard that putting toothpaste on a zit makes it swell up huge. Anybody have a spare teenager for a quick test?
Looking forward to hearing details on the blister thing.
Well, at least your feet will be minty fresh. But, is it worth the weight?
Well, at least your feet will be minty fresh. But, is it worth the weight?
Sure it's worth the weight...and when you're finished healing your blister, you can brush your teeth with your toes! Gotta love those double-use items!:D
I don't believe it.
Panzer (the doubter):-?
I spoke with my son's coach. He said it was a trick that he learned from his old time college coach a number of yrs ago (he played Div. I soccer). He said that putting toothpaste on a blister works only if the blister has not popped. So, Creek Dancer, if it is already popped, it's too late to try the toothpaste trick. The coach said he has always used just regular toothpaste but my son uses a gel-type toothpaste and swears by it. From a medical standpoint, he doesn't know why it works. But, hey what-the-heck, it's certainly worth a try. Worst case scenario, it may not cure your blister, but, as TDale already pointed, it will certainly leave your feet minty fresh! And IMHO carrying toothpaste on the trail is more than a luxury item.
Panzer (the doubter):-?, sorry that you're such a skeptic. I guess the world is still flat to some folks :( . As for me, I live by the motto, "nothing ventured, nothing gained." I'll certainly give the old toothpaste a try... if it works, hallelujah, if not, oh, well.
Somebody try it and tell us how it does! Surely there is a blister amongst all of us hiker folks somewhere ;-)
As for weight, if a smear or two wrapped in some plastic wrap might not be too heavy.
Mother's Finest
08-30-2006, 16:36
anytime you get a blister, it should be popped at the base with a sharp, sterile instrument. then it should be lightly dressed (or in a hikers case, a layer of duct tape is applied)
not too sure about the veracity of the toothpaste story....
peace
mf
Just Jeff
08-30-2006, 17:04
Every doctor I've known has said it's bad to pop blisters. And I've ignored them all and never gotten an infection. Maybe I'll try the toothpaste instead of popping them next time.
But I've been lucky - never had a blister while hiking...in my hiking shoes or military issue boots. Never even had a blister running in boots during basic. I've only gotten blisters during sports (cheap cleats) or while running in old shoes.
This comming Saturday I will be: Dancing, walking for about 8 hrs, & other stuff that will cause me to be on my feet way longer than I currently am used to, it is likely that I will develop a blister or 2. If I do, I will indeed try this 'remedy" & report back.
If it works, GREAT! If not, Oh Well, I got plenty of duct tape.
Doctari.
Alligator
08-30-2006, 17:13
This comming Saturday I will be: Dancing, walking for about 8 hrs, & other stuff that will cause me to be on my feet way longer than I currently am used to, it is likely that I will develop a blister or 2. If I do, I will indeed try this 'remedy" & report back.
If it works, GREAT! If not, Oh Well, I got plenty of duct tape.
Doctari.Try to get identical ones on each foot and then flip a coin for which to treat and which to leave alone:D .
[quote=Mother's Finest]
not too sure about the veracity of the toothpaste story....
The definition of veracity, according to Black's Law Dictionary (7th Ed.) means: 1. truthfulness 2. Accuracy
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and just assume you were referring to the latter definition.
Why pop the blister and risk infection if merely putting a dab of toothpaste on it causes the blister to go away? Gee, let me pierce the blister with a sterile needle then apply unsterile duct tape directly over it. I for one will gladly attempt the toothpaste method first. If it fails, I can always go back to your method, but would add some Neosporin ointment before applying the duct tape.
Try to get identical ones on each foot and then flip a coin for which to treat and which to leave alone:D .
I'll get right on that :rolleyes:
LOL.
Likely, It will be the right foot, 2 reasons: I am VERY right handed, and last friday I managed to drive a toothpick deep into my Right heel, so have a limp / walk mostly on the ball of my foot. And, this weekend the Ohio Ren Fest opens & I'm one of the street characters / dancers. WOO HOO!
Doctari.
fiddlehead
08-31-2006, 07:40
This toothpaste trick sounds better than some remedies i've heard: piss on it, put honey on a blister, ........
waiting to hear the results of the test.
This toothpaste trick sounds better than some remedies i've heard: piss on it, put honey on a blister, ........
waiting to hear the results of the test.
I got my toothpaste ready (Colgate) & will be putting my feet on the line in less than 24 hrs. All in the name of hiking science!
FYI: I will not have access to a puter till I get home Monday PM. Closing at the fest is 6:00 PM, 45 minutes "Hanging" in the parking lot, 1 hr 20 min drive home, likely I will fall directly into bed.
SOOOO, if I have results, not likely being posted til Tuesday AM.
Doctari.
Footslogger
09-01-2006, 12:59
[quote=Doctari]I got my toothpaste ready (Colgate) & will be putting my feet on the line in less than 24 hrs. All in the name of hiking science!
=============================
Is that the special "whitening" type or cinnamon/mint flavored ??
'Slogger
Moon Monster
09-01-2006, 17:12
Perhaps, this is a proxy remedy. By that, I mean, if you stop as soon as you feel a blister and apply toothpaste and then wait a half hour or more for it to dry and then wash it off, what you also have done is stop walking for a half hour or more and cleaned the surface of your wound. Perhaps, that is the real cure.
Would this work if you did not do it on a new blister? Could you walk all day on the blister and only stop to treat it when you make camp? Or is part of the remedy stopping as soon as you feel the blister and applying the toothpaste?
Anyway, this is intriguing. I will try this. Thanks for the tip.
[quote=Doctari]I got my toothpaste ready (Colgate) & will be putting my feet on the line in less than 24 hrs. All in the name of hiking science!
=============================
Is that the special "whitening" type or cinnamon/mint flavored ??
'Slogger
Sample pack, mint I do believe (already in the car, don't feel like looking for it right now). :rolleyes:
Be aware that the shoes (boots) I'll be wearing are very well broken in, this is their 9th season of fair, so I may not turn out to be a good test subject.
What I'll likely be doing Sat: 1/2 mile walk from parkinglot to morning meeting (then to front gate) dance 1 to 1.5 dances, walk around till parade, 1/2 mile parade, walk some more (The "LOOP" is about 1/2 mile, I usually walk it 5 to 9 times a day, plus side trips to drink & stuff) Dance 4+ dances @ 2:00, walk some more, 1/2 mile walk back to car. As I havn't walked that much in a while, I predict blisters, been wrong before tho.
Doctari the sacrificial.
Time To Fly 97
09-01-2006, 17:47
Tried and true:
Donut of moleskin over popped blister
(Hole is slightly larger than blister)
Neosporin on blister +
Cover with duct tape
I'll try toothpaste - seems strange though.
Happy hiking!
TTF
Footslogger
09-01-2006, 17:51
Doctari the sacrificial.
====================================
...a true man of science !!
'Slogger
Well I'm glad to hear that we have a willing (and able) victim, I mean subject! Good luck Doctari! I hope you get a nice blister in the name of science... or myth busting.
Apply regular toothpaste, any flavor will do. I would avoid whitening toothpastes as some websites I've read researching this subject suggested that the whitening agent can cause cracked lips. So, I would think anything that could crack healthy lips would certainly not do something as sensitive as a blister justice.
TTF, this trick only works on unbroken blisters. It does nothing for you if the blister has already popped.
Moon Monster, I believe this remedy will work on any blister so long as it has not popped; fresh or otherwise (within reason).
Can't wait for Doctari's unbiased report, since I have been previously accused on this thread of being somewhat prejudiced on this subject.
Just Jeff
09-01-2006, 21:18
Actually, I think Doctari should get three blisters - one to pop and cover, one for toothpaste, and one for toothpaste gel - so we can see which works better.
Seems like putting toothpaste on an already open blister might lead to infection...I'd stay away from that.
Alligator
09-02-2006, 01:00
One of the peroxide including whitening pastes gives me canker sores. I woke up one morning with 11 in my mouth. Arm and Hammer.
One of the peroxide including whitening pastes gives me canker sores. I woke up one morning with 11 in my mouth. Arm and Hammer.Damn, I really hate canker sores. I'll remember to stay away from that product, even if the odds are with me.
Actually, I think Doctari should get three blisters - one to pop and cover, one for toothpaste, and one for toothpaste gel - so we can see which works better.
Don't forget the one for a control group! :D speedy
mweinstone
09-02-2006, 13:11
got a job order at work last year. can anything be done about the exsess caulking in our apartment the note said.i open the door and see that the previous tennent in an attempt to keep from freezing, sealed all the windows and baseboards and doors with pepsodent.i got 70 bucks to scrape it off. even the holes in the walls were spackled with it.
I never thought I would EVER say this, "Drat, no blisters over the weekend" Sorry, no test results today! not ONE blister, not even a tiny one. The ball of my right foot developed a hot spot late monday, but nothing came of it.
Oh well, there is always next weekend where I will be on my feet for 2 days in a row. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
OK, that is weird, I am actually hopeing for a blister or two.
Doctari.
I did the Standing Bear to Hot Springs section Fri-Sun. 7 miles on Fri, 13 on Sat and 13 on Sun. I did get one small 1/4" x 1/2" blister on my left heel. My wife raised an eyebrow when I put toothpaste on it.
Final result: Myth busted! (At least for me) my blister was still there, but my heel was minty fresh
Hmmm, I'll be heading to Springer in a couple weeks and although I dont want, I expect to get a blister.... I always take the sample size of toothpaste with me, after sinking so much dough (as in $$) in my teeth, I have to take care of them; so I'll already have it... If all goes well, I'll be able to test... Oh, and it will be of the plain paste type, I have developed an allergy (!?says the dentist) to the whitening types....
I heard that putting toothpaste on a zit makes it swell up huge. Anybody have a spare teenager for a quick test?
I was one of those zit covered teenagers just a few years ago and actually I used tooth paste to get rid of zits and oilly spots overnight on my face. I always used the plainest toothpaste I could find (which can be a hard thing to find) It works, toothpaste would pull out the excess mositsure from my face and zits, maybe thats how the whole blister thing works too??? (probably has to be a small blister)
And I was always told never to pop blisters unless they are bigger than a quarter. then do the whole serilized needle at base of blister thing.
Okay, I just finished playing an 1-1/2 hour game of soccer and, as never fails, when my cleats get wet, I get blisters. I just applied Crest plain toothpaste to the back of both heals. One heal is not too bad, but the other is rather red and sore, although the skin has not popped. Will keep you updated on the status of my blisters as the evening progresses. I'm wearing flip flops w/o socks to allow air to circulate.
Great! A blister! I was thinking I was going to have to go find one myself somewhere to do the testing ;)
Great! A blister! I was thinking I was going to have to go find one myself somewhere to do the testing ;)
Nah, since I come up with the thread question, I thought it only fair to be a guinnea pig in the name of??? Wow, since this is not science, and it's not medicine, how about in the name of mythbusting?:-?
That's fair for sure. It would be cool to find out how it does for several people, another cool cure could be right around the corner, or down the 'tube'. ;)
Alright, here's the results after +/- 4 hours of wearing toothpaste on both heals. Left heal, the one that had a smaller, unpopped blister did rather well. I would state rather emphatically that the blister is gone!:) It seems like the blistered skin just sort of hardened up, but not like a callous. Where a callous is hard, the skin is more supple. General discomfort is gone and I can touch it with no pain.
The right heal, well, as I said earlier, it is a very red and sore blister. It is still very raised, yet remains unbroken (thanks to wearing flip flops all day). One tail end of the blister has done okay with the regular toothpaste treatment, but the main part of the blister is still filled with fluid. Discomfort level is low, except to the touch, but is certainly less than when I first took off my cleats. The skin does feel a bit more supple.
I'm going to apply fresh toothpaste (I had to remove the old to check the results) and try sleeping with a clean sock on it tonight. Stay tuned... more to come tomorrow!
So last night I applied a heavy coat of plain old Crest toothpaste (read: not gel) to the large, really, really nasty blister on my right heal, put on a clean cotton sock to keep the bedsheets clean and laid my head down to sleep. Awoke this morning to the darn thing still there.:datz Wound up sterilizing a needle and pricking it... not once, but a total of 4 times! It just refused to drain without stabbing it to death! On went the Neosporin and one of those blister covers you're supposed to leave on for 5-7 days. Shoes are just about killing me today. Unfortunately, I can't wear flip flops to work. I know, I know, too bad for me!
Synposis: if the blister is unpopped and rather small, I got more than satisfactory relief from plain toothpaste.:) However, if the blister is large and quite filled with liquid, this technique does not work.:( I've previously experimented with tooth gel, but I did not find it as effective as the toothpaste.
Conclusion: I concede that the myth is busted for large (mine is somewhere around 1.25" across by 1" high) and very full blisters, However, I conclude that it does work for the smaller (pea) sized unpopped blister. Remember, if the blister has already popped, do not apply toothpaste or toothgel... it won't do it any good.
I tried getting Jamie & Adam to try this on their Mythbusters program, but their attorneys were adverse to possible lawsuits if someone's foot fell off.;)
eric_plano
09-18-2006, 13:35
I tried getting Jamie & Adam to try this on their Mythbusters program, but their attorneys were adverse to possible lawsuits if someone's foot fell off.;)
They'll do all kinds of crazy things but won't put toothpaste on a blister lol :rolleyes:
However, I conclude that it does work for the smaller (pea) sized unpopped blister.
would not your small unpopped blister have healed overnight anyway??
Panzer
would not your small unpopped blister have healed overnight anyway??Panzer
Good question and one I cannot fully answer, as I don't know for sure what the outcome would have been without applying toothpaste.. However, although the blister was small in diameter, it was quite raised and full of fluid. I would guessetimate it stuck out upwards of 1/8" or more. In addition, I had no pain from this blister after applying the toothpaste. Would I continue to do the toothpaste treatment in the future? Probably not. But the idea was certainly interesting and I thought worthy of investigating. Hey, this had the potential of being as big as soda can stoves or hammocks in revolutionizing backpacking. Well, on second thought, maybe not that revolutionary.:-?
Fiddleback
10-02-2006, 10:45
I don't believe it.
Panzer (the doubter):-?
Yeah...but after Michele's post I want to believe it.;)
I also read within the past week that Burt's Bee salve works well over night.
FB
I have a theory... (I believe Thickredhair touched on this before) the toothpaste could be made of a hygroscopic substance that tends to absorb water from anywhere it can, in this instance, it is close to a fluid filled blister from which it pulls the water out through the skin. If this is the case, then this method would be slow to work, or may not work at all if the relative humidity is very high. Worth a try though! :sun
A section-hiker I met in Maine last summer told me his blister treatment: sew through the blister with thread, and leave the thread dangling out of the blister. The thread acts as a wick to drain off the fluid. I'm guessing you'd want to sterilize the thread first.
I haven't tried it myself. I prefer not to get blisters ;-)))...but if I do, I cut it open with scissors or clippers and put Purell in it. That hurts like the dickens but dries that baby right out.
I'll have to try the toothpaste thing.
Worth a try though! :sun
I'll have to try the toothpaste thing.
Before you waste your time trying this, see my post #41 above. It may not be worth it.
A section-hiker I met in Maine last summer told me his blister treatment: sew through the blister with thread, and leave the thread dangling out of the blister. The thread acts as a wick to drain off the fluid. I'm guessing you'd want to sterilize the thread first.
I haven't tried it myself. I prefer not to get blisters ;-)))...but if I do, I cut it open with scissors or clippers and put Purell in it. That hurts like the dickens but dries that baby right out.
I'll have to try the toothpaste thing.
Wow Marta, you are HARDCORE for putting Purell into an open blister!!! :eek: :D
Wow Marta, you are HARDCORE for putting Purell into an open blister!!! :eek: :D
Yeah, well you should see what Marta uses for clippers! :eek: :-? LOL
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:LOvxmT01p8FEhM:http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2/mothr101/hedge-clippers-3.jpg (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i2/mothr101/hedge-clippers-3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm%3Ffuseaction%3Duser.viewprofile%26friend id%3D176756&h=337&w=504&sz=56&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=LOvxmT01p8FEhM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhedge%2Bclippers%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3D en%26lr%3D)
Greentick18d
01-31-2007, 02:35
A section-hiker I met in Maine last summer told me his blister treatment: sew through the blister with thread, and leave the thread dangling out of the blister. The thread acts as a wick to drain off the fluid. I'm guessing you'd want to sterilize the thread first.
I haven't tried it myself. I prefer not to get blisters ;-)))...but if I do, I cut it open with scissors or clippers and put Purell in it. That hurts like the dickens but dries that baby right out.
I'll have to try the toothpaste thing.
If it will wick fluid out it will wick bacteria in. I would avoid that technique. Not saying yer foot would rot off:eek: but would probably increase the chances.
ProphetGreenBlaze
03-07-2007, 08:42
ive heard of thooth paste doing lost of things, and knows it works on teeth. pluging small wholes in drywall when the mud isnt avalible, and on itchy bug bites for momentary relife, werid that it works on blisters?????
ive heard of thooth paste doing lost of things, and knows it works on teeth. pluging small wholes in drywall when the mud isnt avalible, and on itchy bug bites for momentary relife, werid that it works on blisters?????
If you read through the entire thread, you'd see that I did not get the same results that my son and his soccer coach reported.
[quote=Marta;308678]A section-hiker I met in Maine last summer told me his blister treatment: sew through the blister with thread, and leave the thread dangling out of the blister. The thread acts as a wick to drain off the fluid. I'm guessing you'd want to sterilize the thread first.
quote]
A lot of hikers in Spain swear by this technique. My friend walked the Camino de Santiago this past year and saw a lot of people walking around with strings hanging out of their feet.
They all said it lets the blister drain but still uses your skin as protection.
I'm going to give it a shot if I get a blister.
[quote=Marta;308678]A section-hiker I met in Maine last summer told me his blister treatment: sew through the blister with thread, and leave the thread dangling out of the blister. The thread acts as a wick to drain off the fluid. I'm guessing you'd want to sterilize the thread first.
quote]
A lot of hikers in Spain swear by this technique. My friend walked the Camino de Santiago this past year and saw a lot of people walking around with strings hanging out of their feet.
They all said it lets the blister drain but still uses your skin as protection.
I'm going to give it a shot if I get a blister.
The guy who told me about this was Portuguese.