7 Best Blister Bandages for Treatment in 2018

Ultrarunning foot care expert Jon Vonhof recommends Kinesio-Tex tape to cover blisters and areas prone to blistering. You need to be sure to get the water-resistant kind. This tape conforms well to your foot contours, stays put through long mileage, and yet isn't a difficult remove. It doesn't leave tape residue when it comes off. It is thin and smooth, which fits well as you put on socks and shoes over the taped areas. Tape has a big advantage over bandages as you can trim it to fit the area you need to cover. Blisters come in all shapes and sizes, so tape is the best option. For bandaging on the run, be sure your Swiss Army knife has the little scissors or pack a small set of scissors in your first aid kit. Yes, you should run with scissors!

These thin gel bandages flex with your feet but stay put. They provide great protection over blisters you have already developed. You may want to stock up on all three sizes so you can cover the problem area whether it is on your heel, toe, or ball of your foot. Look for them in the foot care section of the supermarket or drugstore rather than the bandage section. You can also use them over potential blister spots to prevent blisters.

Like the Band-Aid product, you can use Dr. Scholl's Blister Treatment bandages to either prevent or treat blisters. These sterile membrane bandages prevent wounds from drying out while protecting them from dirt and germs. They are waterproof and can stay in place for up to seven days. They come in large and small sizes. Dr. Scholl's also has an Active Series Blister Treatment Cushion product that looks similar and promises to stay in place for active people.

Moleskin is a cotton flannel patch on an adhesive backing. You can cut it to fit the area you wish to protect. This is commonly used to protect areas prone to blistering, but can also be used after a blister develops. Dr. Scholl's also sells Moleskin Plus Padding, which used to be known as Molefoam. The extra padding provides cushioning as well as protection. These have the advantage of being able to be cut to fit the area to which you apply it. That can work well on feet and toes.

The Spenco® 2nd Skin® blister pad is a gel pad bordered by a thin film designed to keep blisters from drying out and protect them from further abrasion. They adhere strongly to stay in place for days. They absorb perspiration and let the blister heal. This kit comes with pads in several shapes and sizes and they can be cut to fit.

Blist-o-ban is a different sort of blister pad that acts in a different way. It sort of imitates a blister. The Blist-o-ban pad has its own cushioned blister area to go over where you are more likely to blister. Then when rubbing occurs, it occurs on the Blist-o-ban and not on your skin. That may work better for some applications.

For another completely different concept. Engo pads go inside your shoes rather than on your foot. Once you know where you have developed a blister, you put an Engo pad inside your shoe in that area. It has a slick surface to reduce friction in that spot, therefore helping to prevent future blisters.