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Old healed blister. Dead skin came off, no blister, should I tape?.

P

philo

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
April 2023
Hi, walking the camino at the minute, just walking 2 days.
I had a blister about a month ago which healed.It didn't burst I used compeed and it went away.
But when I took my socks off today the old skin has come away. New skin underneath is fine, and it's not sore at all.
Would you tape it over with zinc oxide tape or similar?
No point using compeed because there's no blister.
Thanks.
 
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Until someone with more knowledge comes along - no harm to tape it. I cannot say anything positive about compeed, so use something else if you have it.
 
see if you can persevere without these items...if you can, it's the sign of a healthy foot (I am NOT a doctor and this is not medical advice...I just think the natural way is best if it can be done) Buen Camino
 
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Have you resolved why you got a blister there in the first place? If so, I wouldn’t tape it.

Dr. HtD

(Disclaimer: My DBA was in economics, it was a very long time ago, and might as well have been gained by collecting coupons off cereal packets for all the good it did me)
 
Yeah, was wearing wrong socks and new shoes.
But that's all changed. I've had old blisters do that before, old skin fell off.
Didn't do anything and it wasn't OK.
But just wasn't sure because I'm walking the camino now.
 
It if it tender, I would use a piece of non- stick telfa taped over it to protect the new skin. Don't stick the tape directly on the new skin.
 
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J Willhaus said:
It if it tender, I would use a piece of non- stick telfa taped over it to protect the new skin. Don't stick the tape directly on the new skin.
Click to expand...
That's the thing, the "new" skin feels hard. Not soft like when a blister bursts and it skins.
It's not sore or tender at all.
 
A safer option than Compeed is Omnifix tape.

Omnifix® elastic

Hypoallergenic adhesive non-woven for dressing retention, with synthetic adhesive; particularly soft and adaptable; widtways elasticity; extremely high permeable to air and water vapour, thus preventing skin maceration; adhere reliably, can be removed easily and without leaving residues...
www.hartmann.info
 
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I wouldn’t tape it, but I would be very alert to any sensation of heat in that spot. If that starts to happen, stop as soon as possible and tape it with a small pad (I cut the center out from a bandaid) and Omnifix tape. I learned about that tape from this forum and have become a true believer. It’s great for blisters.
 
Can you get that in a pharmacy on the camino?
 
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philo said:
Can you get that in a pharmacy on the camino?
Click to expand...
Yes, I actually discovered Omnifix when my friend and I went to a farmácia asking for moleskin. The pharmacist recommended Omnifix. If the don't have it ask for Hypafix which is similar.
 
I would tape it while walking and let it breathe at night to protect the new skin
 
I would rub vasoline into the spot and cover it with gauze with tape . After a week soak in warm salted water to toughen the skin
 
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It sounds like you have a fully healed blister. It take around 4-6 weeks for the damaged skin to move to the surface before being shed.

If you're 100% sure you've eliminated the cause, then I wouldn't even bother taping. If you're 90-99% sure you've eliminated the cause, but you feel a bit uneasy about doing nothing, just put a bandaid over it (and by bandaid I mean island dressing - non-stick pad surrounded by tape). If you're any less that 90% sure you've eliminated the cause, do some research on the best prevention for that anatomical location. Although every blister is caused by repetitive shear deformation within the skin, there are different factors behind the shear deformation.
 
howardd5 said:
I would rub vasoline into the spot and cover it with gauze with tape . After a week soak in warm salted water to toughen the skin
Click to expand...
I tried vaseline, or Body Glide...they didn't work out for me. (YMMV) What worked out for me was 1) clean with alcohol, or hand sanitizer, 2) put a little square of gauze on the incipient blister , 3) put paper surgical tape over all.
Of course, because my feet sweat, I had to replace all of this every evening or morning.

BC
 
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Folks, pay attention to post #17 above, the first one made by Rebecca, an expert on blisters. Many posts through the years have passed on her advice and linked to her website.

About Us

It was 2008 and it took 8 minutes to get blisters on my heels! Find out about Blister Prevention and podiatrist Rebecca Rushton.
www.blister-prevention.com

Welome to the forum Rebecca.
 
Cheers Rick, appreciate it.
 
I was thinking when I read it "this sounds like it is written by a blister expert". When I got to "repetitive shear deformation within the skin" I was sure.
 
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howardd5 said:
I would rub vasoline into the spot and cover it with gauze with tape . After a week soak in warm salted water to toughen the skin
Click to expand...
NO!!!! I’ve never used Vaseline before my Camino, used it for the first time my second day in (as advised by a regular user) had my first and ONLY blister within hours. I’ve hiked regularly prior to my Camino, my shoes etc were well broken in, and I’ve never suffered from blisters before. Apparently if your skin is toughened by normal walking Vaseline softens it and leaves it more subseptible to damage - or so I have SINCE been advised. Regular users love it, personally, it did not work for me.
 
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Compeed is actually better for prevention than treatment. Its adhesive is so strong that if you remove it before complete healing, you rip the blister open. But its thickness protects the skin from rubbing on the shoe. (Assuming you know the right spot to be protected.) A similar product called moleskin has a little less adhesive, but I don't think it's available in Spain.
 
WGroleau said:
Compeed is actually better for prevention than treatment. Its adhesive is so strong that if you remove it before complete healing, you rip the blister open.
Click to expand...
First, if you are using it for healing it should be put on unroofed blisters only and left on until it comes off by itself.

Second, if you do put it on a roofed blister the hydrocolloid gel isn't going to get to do its job. And, no, you don't remove the compeed without running the risk of deroofing the blister but the instructions most likely tell you not to remove it. But then what happens accidentally is the sharp corners of the bandage loosen just a bit and the adhesive sticks to the inside of your sock. When you take the sock off you can pull the bandage with it and that may rip off the blister's roof.

To lessen an accidental pull-off you can round off the corners of the bandage and/or tape gauze to cover the compeed so that it is that which comes off.

Think of the craziness. You get an injury that can cause an infection because you are walking but instead of letting it heal you put on a patch and keep walking for days.
 
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WGroleau said:
Compeed is actually better for prevention than treatment. Its adhesive is so strong that if you remove it before complete healing, you rip the blister open. But its thickness protects the skin from rubbing on the shoe.
Click to expand...
It's an expensive preventative. I use Omnifix tape as my preventive layer - it sticks well, yet comes off easily when you want to remove it. (Yes, I know that I can still get blisters under the tape, but this method has worked for me so far) Leukotape is another option that has a stronger adhesive. @Rebecca Rushton has great information about the use and misuse of Compeed and similar bandages.

 
For toe blisters I go for an even cheaper option, several layers of simple paper first aid tape. It's a trick I learned from @Rebecca Rushton's blog. You Aussies are so fortunate to have her.
 
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Is Omnifix tape availabe in Europe ?
Leukoptape (zinc oxide adhesive) is no longer available in local pharmacies (Ireland).
Have tried a range of alternatives, but the majority lose adhesiveness after 3-4 hours of walking.
 
never2latejim said:
Is Omnifix tape availabe in Europe ?
Click to expand...
Absolutely. I discovered it at a pharmacy in Spain when my friend was looking for moleskin. The pharmacist recommended Omnifix instead. If a pharmacy doesn't carry Omnifix they might have Hypafix instead, which is nearly identical.
 
trecile said:
Absolutely. I discovered it at a pharmacy in Spain when my friend was looking for moleskin. The pharmacist recommended Omnifix instead. If a pharmacy doesn't carry Omnifix they might have Hypafix instead, which is nearly identical.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much!!! Much appreciated
 
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