I should not have cut this blister open. Help

[DefiniteTortoise]

I have been stupid. I spotted a squished hard old blister on my little toe, noticed the top was entirely hard skin, and decided it was a good idea to cut it off. It was not. I now have this little triangle of subdermis (or something - IDK) peeking at me. I panicked and trapped it in a plaster and toe socks all night, then had to walk to work this morning in surprisingly tight shoes. The toe has hurt more and more over the day and is now quite unhappy. What do I do with it? All options (inc amputation) will be considered.

It should heal but likely to heal at the deep part of the hole first and work it’s way up. Would a corn plaster help in the mean time to take some pressure off?

And wear trainers for a few days —weeks—

Keep it clean, don't wear tight shoes, don't wear any kind of plaster that restricts the air flow. Clean cotton socks, if possible change them a couple of times a day. Don't pick at it or anything. Can you get a bus or lift to work? Or wear trainers for the walk & carry your work shoes in a bag?

I get this occasionally. I have slightly misshapen little toes & have a permanent callous on the tip, if I forget to wear my toe spacers I get hideous deep blisters within a couple of hours of walking which I have to pierce. It will feel probably much better in a couple of days.

Thanks both. So not blister plasters then, but standard fabric ones? I can do that. I plan to wfh for the next two days so that will hopefully help with the comfort factor.

My mum always said to let them have air!

Not quite sure how I managed to add a random screen shot!

You need to give it some protection- stuff that will take the pressure off it- toe foam? Corn plasters? It looks clean and not infected.

I had terrible toe blisters recently after a city break where I was on my feet constantly. The pain was so bad I cut them open too. They did heal. Takes a bit of time but it'll get there.

You should never de-roof blisters! I would usually use something like tegaderm film plaster, but yours is in a really awkward place to boot! Maybe ask in a pharmacy how to best cover it?

@Aphantasia

Not quite sure how I managed to add a random screen shot!

It has your name in the screenshot, report your post to get it deleted

@Aphantasia

Not quite sure how I managed to add a random screen shot!

I've done worse, don't worry

Op - try corn plasters. They have a hole cut out of the centre which you can place around the wound. The surrounding edges of the plaster then take on the stress of the footwear and any walking, thus removing it from the wound and hopefully enabling faster healing.

Lavender oil is very good for healing wounds too.

Just buy some blister plasters, wash it, dry it and seal it up. Compeed is the easiest brand to find but all the supermarkets sell their own 'hydrocolloid' or blister plasters

Yes, a corn plaster isn’t a normal fabric one. You need the one with the hole in the middle to let the air at that but also cushion it a bit.

OK, will get corn plasters tomorrow! Atm it's a fabric one though, that will have to do for now.

Let the air get at it. That sub layer needs to dry out and scab. If you keep it soft and moist with a plaster it’ll keep hurting.

Oh my goodness. Terrible advice on here in the main. You DO NOT let it "air out" or "scab over". A wound like this should heal from the bottom up. As one or two posters mentioned, you need a hydrocolloid dressing such as tegaderm or compeed cold sore patches. (Morrisons sell own brand tegaderm dressings). Once this has been put on, you leave it alone until the dressing leaks, at which point you change it. Wounds heal far quicker if kept moist. You could then place a corn plaster on top of the dressing to help relieve pressure although the pain will only last 24-48 hours so you are halfway there already.

I have gone for an interim solution of corn plaster over the top, then a bit of fabric from a fabric plaster over the corn plaster hole so it doesn't dry out too much, and finally some fabric straps to hold the contraption in place on my poor overwrought toe. I am reluctant to go for hydrocolloid this soon as my experience of them on deep weepy wounds is that they get infected pretty quickly. I will see how it's going tomorrow and keep you all posted. I love this site

P.s I found corn plasters lurking in a drawer. Hypochondriacal hoarders for the win

Amputate!!! I can provide a blunt and rusty scalpel and a surgical needle or two.

The setup worked overnight and it is nowhere near as painful this morning. Whoo hoo! Thanks advisers

To let it air is a very old fashioned view. You need to keep it covered. Keep it moist. I found this out for myself when my husband had a fall whilst jogging. He had terrible leg and knee injuries.