This article was co-authored by Laura Marusinec, MD. Dr. Marusinec is a board certified Pediatrician at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, where she is on the Clinical Practice Council. She received her M.D. from the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care.
There are 13 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 84% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
This article has been viewed 461,791 times.
Blisters occur when the upper layer of your skin (the epidermis) detaches from the lower layers of skin. This is often due to friction or heat, although some skin conditions or other medical ailments can cause blisters too. The space between the skin layers fills with a fluid called serum, creating the water-balloon effect of a blister. [1] X Trustworthy Source National Health Service (UK) Public healthcare system of the UK Go to source Blisters heal best when they are not burst or drained, because the layer of unbroken skin may help keep bacteria out of the wound and prevent infection. [2] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source Unfortunately, sometimes blisters burst regardless. A blister that has popped, burst, or torn open can be messy and painful and requires some extra care to prevent infection. Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to initially care for your burst blister and then monitor it to make sure it heals up properly.