Skin Health More Skin Conditions Blood Blisters By Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio, OTR/L twitter linkedin Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio, OTR/L, is a licensed occupational therapist and advocate for patients with Lyme disease. Learn about our editorial process Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio, OTR/L Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD on September 06, 2018 Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor. Learn about our Medical Review Board Casey Gallagher, MD Updated on December 06, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Common Locations Symptoms Causes When to Visit a Doctor Treatment Prevention For most people, blisters, a mild skin condition, are a fairly common occurrence. The friction-type blisters that you get on your heel from your shoes rubbing up and down are filled with a clear fluid. But blood blisters, on the other hand, are raised sacs on the skin that contain blood. Smaller blisters may also be called vesicles, while larger blisters may be referred to as bulla. Most of the time, blood blisters will disappear on their own and do not pose any significant health concerns to you. Here, we’ll provide you with an overview of this mild skin condition so you know when and how to care for it as needed and how you can prevent blood blisters from forming. Common Locations There are a few areas where blood blisters are likely to pop up. They include: HandsFingersFeetMouthAreas of the body that are subjected to excessive frictionPlaces where the skin has been pinched (like pinching your finger in a door)Close to jointsNear bony prominences Symptoms You’ll be able to distinguish blood blisters from fluid-filled friction blisters because the raised area will fill with blood as opposed to a clear liquid. When you have a blood blister, deeper layers of the skin are affected and the cells above the blister die off. The skin’s blood vessels sustain some mild damage, often dilating as part of an immune response to the dying cells, and inflammation occurs. Initially, the encapsulated blood is a light shade of red, but the hue will darken with time. Depending on how you acquired the blood blister, you may experience pain at or around the site, and you may notice that inflammation is present. Additionally, blood blisters may be itchy. Causes While blood blisters can happen to anyone, they are most common in active people (such as athletes or dancers) and individuals who wear shoes that don’t fit their feet properly. People who have jobs and hobbies that involve manual labor are also at risk of developing blood blisters. Some of the reasons a person may get blood blisters are as follows: The skin is pinched and doesn’t break open.The skin is exposed to a high amount of friction, such as when walking, lifting weights, or using a tool.Poorly-fitted shoes cause excess friction on heels and bony areas on the toes like bunions.Feet are more prone to blistering when they are wet—moisture softens the skin and makes it more susceptible to friction. Frostbite might lead to blood blisters.People with certain diseases, like kidney failure, may experience blood blisters in the mouth, according to the Indian Journal of Dermatology.People taking certain medications, like blood-thinners, may be more at risk of developing blood blisters. If you have an unexplained blood blister in your mouth, see your doctor as soon as possible to rule out more concerning causes. Oral blisters can be brought on by a range of factors like an injury from hot food, dental work, and endoscopy procedures. But they can also occur due to serious diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, and, as previously mentioned, kidney failure. When to Visit a Doctor Often times, the diagnosis is relatively straightforward; you may discover the formation of a blood blister after you’ve experienced a minor trauma to the skin, such as pinching your finger or the repeated rubbing of your big toe against the side of your shoe. In many cases, you’ll be able to identify the blood blister and you won’t require medical intervention or a trip to the doctor as long as you leave the blister alone and give it time to heal. However, if you discover any of the following, a trip to the doctor might be appropriate to ensure proper healing: The pain caused by the blood blister is impeding your ability to do your daily activities.The blood blister has emerged for no known reason.It shows signs of an infection like redness, swelling, and feeling of being hot to the touch.The blood blister goes away, then proceeds to come back again.You find the blister in an unexpected place such as your mouth, eyelids, or genital region.You discover the presence of several blood blisters at once without an apparent cause.You have an underlying illness, like diabetes or problems with the circulation that may make healing more difficult for your body.The blister appears following an allergic reaction, burn, or sunburn. Treatment As mentioned previously, most of the time, the blister will heal on its own as long as you remove the trauma or repetitive movement that initially caused it. Although you may be tempted to pop the blood blister, experts recommend resisting the urge to do so. The layer of skin that covers the blister helps protect it from infection. Over time, about one to two weeks, the blood blister should dry up on its own. If your blister causes discomfort, over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen may be sufficient to ease the pain. Prevention Thankfully, the majority of blood blisters, while they may be a bit of an annoyance for a short period of time, will subside in a few weeks. Although there’s no foolproof way to plan for an accidental finger pinch, there are few things you can do to decrease the likelihood of developing a blood blister by other means. Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell Follow these tips: Wear gloves if you plan to work with your hands or use tools or other equipment that requires repetitive motion and would cause friction on your skin.Make sure that your shoes fit you properly and that they aren’t causing pressure points on your skin.Wear socks with your shoes.If you notice that some areas of pressure are forming, you may need to protect your skin with adhesive padding or moleskin until you have broken in your shoes.If your feet get sweaty, you may find that placing some powder in your shoes helps to soak up extra moisture.Use lubricants on your feet to reduce the friction on your skin.If your shoes continue to cause painful blood blisters, you may need to consider investing in a new pair. A Word From Verywell Generally, you can prevent blood blisters from forming if you use properly-fitted hand and footwear. If you happen to acquire a blood blister, they’ll typically heal without causing you a lot of trouble. But if blood blisters show up in unusual places and you can’t pinpoint a reason, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your healthcare provider to rule out other medical conditions that may be contributing to the problem. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Harvard Health. Frostbite. Shashikumar B, Reddy RR, Harish M. Oral hemorrhagic blister: an enigma. Indian J Dermatol. 2013;58(5):407. doi:10.4103/0019-5154.117337 Worthing RM, Percy RL, Joslin JD. Prevention of friction blisters in outdoor pursuits: A systematic review. Wilderness Environ Med. 2017;28(2):139-149. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2017.03.007 Additional Reading Institute For Preventive Foot Health. Causes of blisters. PathologyOutlines.com. Skin - nontumor, blistering disorders, blood blister. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Medline Plus. Blisters.