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How to prevent blisters when playing basketball
Tips to Prevent and Treat Blisters
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Gregory P. Tayler, MD
Anyone who exercises frequently knows foot blisters are an uncomfortable and unfortunate part of being active. If you bike, run, or even hike, you know a blister can literally stop you in your tracks. But thankfully, a blister doesn't mean the end of your fun. Thinking ahead can help prevent blisters and it's important to know how to treat them. Start with these tips.
You have a blister, now what?
Stop and adjust
When you get a blister it's important to stop whatever activity you're participating in and decide how to treat it. Powering through the pain can make your blister pop or even become infected. Readjusting your footwear can help prevent your blister from becoming larger. Straighten out bunched socks. Change your socks for a dry pair if they're sweaty or wet, and change your shoes if they're causing you discomfort.
Use padding
Blister pads, bandages, or moleskin are all great options for preventing blisters. Padding can also protect existing blisters. Keep in mind that not all pads stay in place effectively. You may need to try several options before finding one that works for you.
To pop or not to pop?
The best scenario for treating a blister is to keep it intact. Popping can increase the opportunity for infections to form. Most blisters will heal themselves if you give them a few days. If you have a large blister that's affecting your walking, it might be better to pop it. Follow these steps to safely pop a blister:
Check for signs of infection (pus that's green or yellow in color and swelling). If the blister is infected you should contact your doctor.
Wash your hands with soap and water, then clean the blister with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Sterilize a needle with rubbing alcohol.
Locate the blister's edge and poke it with the needle in several places. Use clean gauze to soak up the fluid that comes out.
Apply antibiotic ointment over the blister and cover with gauze and tape or a bandage.
After several days you can cut away the dead skin and apply more ointment, then bandage again until healed.
Throughout this process, keep your blister clean. This will prevent infection.
Tips for preventing blisters
If you're active and tend to get blisters often, here are tips to help prevent new blisters from forming.
Wear better shoes. Shoes are often the culprit when it comes to blisters forming on your feet. Avoid shoes that rub certain areas of your feet or that cramp or squeeze your feet. The right shoe can make all the difference. New shoes may give you a blister the first few times you wear them. Take it slow and easy as you break in a new pair of shoes.
Wear better socks. Choose non-cotton socks that wick away moisture. If you know you'll be doing blister-inducing activities, double up your socks. One layer will soak up moisture and the other layer will give extra padding. Double-layer socks are more expensive but may help you avoid blisters. If you're in for a long run or hike, change your socks partially through, or whenever they become moist. Good socks can be expensive, but they're worth the cost if they keeps you from getting blisters.
Lubricate your feet before you exercise. Friction causes blisters, so it stands to reason that reducing friction can help reduce blisters. Rub petroleum jelly or other lubricants designed for runners on problem spots on your feet. That way your feet will slide around rather than rub.
Keep the calluses. It's tempting to shave off or pumice down unsightly calluses, but they help protect your feet.
Keep your feet dry. Other than changing your socks regularly, you can add corn starch or talcum powder to your shoes and socks to help wick up moisture. If you're going a long distance, take a minute to add more powder partially through your event.
Cover areas that are prone to blister. Just like you'd cover up a blister after it formed, you'll want to pad areas that are prone to blistering. The extra layer of protection helps to prevent a blister from forming.
A basketball blister is a patch of skin that swells and produces watery pus. Blisters are an often overlooked issue for basketball players and can be difficult to deal with for a regular player. The blister’s normal presence would be a white area of dense skin and is sensitive to the touch. When left unprotected, basketball blisters can break open, revealing the vulnerable, fragile skin beneath and increasing the possibility of infection.
If you’ve had basketball blisters before, you know how bad they can get and how long they can take you out of the game. Protect yourself with Foot Glide® Balm. These balms, which are made entirely of natural ingredients, establish a protective barrier between your skin and everything it may come into contact with. This protective layer wicks perspiration, sweat, and moisture away from your skin, allowing you to keep playing without worrying about getting basketball blisters.
Basketball Blister Prevention
Keep your feet covered. Consider wearing two pairs of socks (if wearing one pair does not help). Shoes should not be too tight or too loose.
Apply Foot Glide® Balm to the region of concern. This helps decrease friction when the skin rubs together or against clothing. The balm is sweat and water resistant – it keeps pores clog free by allowing sweat to escape and lets skin breathe. The effective and long lasting formula gives you all-day protection. Use daily in humid and dry conditions for a pain free active lifestyle.
Wear moisture-wicking clothing during physical exercise. Avoid clothing manufactured from cotton because it retains sweat and moisture.
Try using sticky moleskin or other lightweight bandages for problem regions, such as the feet or thighs. Make sure you securely add the bandages.
How To Treat Basketball Blisters
Basketball blisters eventually heal on their own. Although not recommended unless absolutely necessary, popping blisters should be avoided. If a blister needs to be relieved, use a sterilized needle to puncture the basketball blister and drain the puss. Apply an antibiotic ointment and bandage. Within a few days, the wound should heal. If you encounter further symptoms of inflammation, such as puss, redness, swelling, increased pain or bleeding, please contact medical professionals. After it has healed make sure to apply Foot Glide® Balm to prevent any future blister from forming.
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Why Do Blisters Form While Playing Basketball?
Skin irritation, friction, and moisture can trigger a basketball blister. Basketball players are prone to developing foot blisters due to the strenuous demands of the sport, the repetitive motion, like pivoting, induces skin irritation and discomfort. Improper shoes or ill-fitting socks exacerbate excessive rubbing resulting in basketball blisters.
A runner's worst enemy: calluses, blisters, and bruised nails
Rash, calluses, and bruised nails are unpleasant problems that are not usually discussed in motivators. However, it is better to be aware of them in order to successfully avoid them. We tell you how to choose the right socks, how to wash running equipment and why a runner needs baby powder.
Articles for beginner runners write a lot about pace, cadence, pronation and running injuries, but beginners are rarely warned about chafing, rashes, broken nails or calluses. As a result, many people experience these unpleasant problems first hand, and they can easily be avoided.
Rubbing
Untrained runners often develop chafing on their skin after a workout – irritated, reddened and sore areas, usually in “delicate” places: armpits, between the thighs, under the heart rate monitor tape, etc. For men who run long distances, rubbed - up to the state of bleeding - nipples can become an unpleasant surprise. If you have already experienced a similar problem, it is worth waiting for complete healing (usually takes one to two days) before continuing with training.
How to avoid:
1) Proper clothing (underwear and first layer): fitted, close to the body, but not cut into it, made of material with moisture wicking properties, with a minimum of seams, better than "flat". Not all fitness clothing from popular sports brands meet these criteria - ask for models designed specifically for runners and pay attention to cuts and seams.
2) Enough drinking: dehydrated skin becomes more sensitive and vulnerable. Sweat flowing down it does not moisturize, but, on the contrary, only exacerbates irritation due to salt.
3) Lubrication: Special sports lubricants or regular Vaseline work equally well.
4) Band-aid: many men put it on their nipples before starting.
5) Powders: baby "diaper rash" products with talc or cornstarch will help to heal already existing chafing and make them less painful.
6) Work on the figure: mobile folds of subcutaneous fat create a greater likelihood of rubbing the skin in places of its accumulation.
7) Hygiene: Wash clothes after every run - dried sweat and bacteria contribute to irritation. It is best to use soft products for this (“for delicate fabrics”, “for technological fabrics” or even soap) - ordinary washing powders most often contain bleaches and additives that make the fabric more rigid and violate the moisture-wicking properties, “clogging” the membrane of the material.
Calluses
This nuisance occurs as a result of more friction or pressure. For runners, calluses can appear on the feet during one run, they take much longer to heal than chafing, and make training very painful.
How to avoid:
1) Socks: must comply with the same rules as clothing (see above). Good socks do not have to be made of synthetics - woolen (of course, not knitted "grandmothers", but sports ones) "breathe" and wick away sweat no worse, but cotton ones are a guaranteed guarantee of the appearance of corns. Wear only clean and dry socks for a run, and throw away old ones regularly, without waiting for them to show signs of wear and holes.
2) Running shoes: in addition to all the theoretical aspects of choosing, there are a few simple practical rules for choosing running shoes for the foot. Don't buy sneakers without trying them on! It is better to try on in the evening (by the end of the day the foot increases, as with running loads) and in sports, and not in ordinary, socks. If the seller tells you that the pair "breaks" and "sits down on the leg" - drive him in the neck: in suitable sneakers it should be comfortable right away. Do not run in the same pair every day - wear at least two pairs in turn. Sneakers are recommended to be changed after a run of 500-700 km.
3) Drinking enough: dehydrated skin becomes more sensitive and vulnerable.
4) Orthopedic insoles: opinions vary among specialists about their need. If you have been playing sports recently, you are overweight and have a weak arch, calluses are more likely to occur. The insoles will help correct these issues as you improve your athletic performance.
5) Work on foot strength and running technique.
6) If you have earned fresh calluses, there are no spare sneakers, and the next run cannot be postponed - it is better to stick the band-aid not on the callus, but on the shoes. For example, like in this video.
Black nail (aka “runner’s toe”)
After running, the nail hurts, as if from a bruise, and takes on shades like a bruise: from purple to black. This is due to the occurrence of a hematoma under the nail plate, most often as a result of improperly selected shoes (the tips of the fingers rest on the sneakers) and improper running technique.
How to avoid:
1) Sneakers: choose shoes that fit both in length and width. This means that there should be space between the longest toe and the edge of the shoe - the fingers should not rest. After putting on your shoes, move your fingers, spread them apart so that the fingers do not touch, the toe area should not be crowded. Lace your shoes correctly so that when running, especially downhill, the foot does not move towards the toe of the shoe.
2) Pedicure: cut your nails in time. If the nail protrudes beyond the tip of the finger, it will easily break off.
3) Consult a doctor (traumatologist): if the pain and swelling persist for more than two days, the doctor can puncture the hematoma and thereby speed up recovery.
4) If you have already reached black nails, be patient. A healthy nail will naturally replace a damaged one in about two months. If the nail begins to separate from the finger, do not try to tear it off, it is better to carefully fix it with a band-aid.
Photo: Amanda Cegielski, Kris Krug
How to avoid blisters, blisters and corns when running. Expert says
Calluses, blisters and painful corns on the soles of the feet are common running companions. How to protect your feet from damage, said Ksenia Astrakhantseva, MSMK in athletics, marathon runner, regular speaker of Soviet Sport.
Ksenia Astrakhantseva
Choose the right shoes
“The wrong shoes are probably the most common cause of blisters and corns. Which sneakers will be "right" for you personally? Focus on the following parameters: shoes should not be too narrow. If the shoe is obviously tight on the sides of the foot, look for another model - when running in such a pair, you will almost certainly wear out the skin and get swelling of the foot. And after the edema - close to the calluses. The shoe should be tight, but not too tight. At the same time, he should not hang out on his leg. A snug but comfortable fit is important.”
“Blisters and blisters often occur as a result of foot sweating. Sweat-damp skin is more susceptible to friction and easier to injure. In addition, calluses resulting from skin moisture tend to be the most painful. They heal longer due to frequent inflammation, there is a high risk of catching this or that infection.
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To avoid this, organize the correct heat and air exchange for your feet. To do this, you need to choose "breathable" sports shoes. These are sneakers made of natural or specialized synthetic materials that are able to “blow through” the foot: bring some of the moisture out and prevent it from accumulating.
Pay special attention to socks. With increased sweating of the feet, it is better to use socks made of synthetic materials that can wick away moisture. There are always special running socks in the line of running shoe manufacturers - choose them, give up ordinary cotton or wool socks (the latter can only be used when running in frosty weather).
Cushioning equals prevention
“Sufficient cushioning when running is the most important condition not only for the preservation of the joints, ligaments and spine, but also for the prevention of corns. To ensure it, not only the choice of shoes is important, but also the terrain for running - taking into account its surface.
I strongly recommend avoiding paved, concreted areas, paving slabs, pavers. Build your running routes so that they run on any kind of dirt roads, gravel, sand - i.e. surfaces that soften and dampen the pressure on the foot when running.
Using orthopedic insoles
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“Often, corns and calluses appear when the foot is not planted when running.
This is manifested, among other things, in the uneven wear of the soles and heels on the shoes. If this is your case, use orthopedic insoles. They will put the foot more evenly, smooth out distortions.
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If you have a large blister that's affecting your walking, it might be better to pop it. Follow these steps to safely pop a blister:
Improper shoes or ill-fitting socks exacerbate excessive rubbing resulting in basketball blisters.
For men who run long distances, rubbed - up to the state of bleeding - nipples can become an unpleasant surprise. If you have already experienced a similar problem, it is worth waiting for complete healing (usually takes one to two days) before continuing with training. 
Good socks do not have to be made of synthetics - woolen (of course, not knitted "grandmothers", but sports ones) "breathe" and wick away sweat no worse, but cotton ones are a guaranteed guarantee of the appearance of corns. Wear only clean and dry socks for a run, and throw away old ones regularly, without waiting for them to show signs of wear and holes. 
At the same time, he should not hang out on his leg. A snug but comfortable fit is important.” 
To do this, you need to choose "breathable" sports shoes. These are sneakers made of natural or specialized synthetic materials that are able to “blow through” the foot: bring some of the moisture out and prevent it from accumulating. 
Build your running routes so that they run on any kind of dirt roads, gravel, sand - i.e. surfaces that soften and dampen the pressure on the foot when running. 
