It never fails that when I work an aid station providing foot care and I see athletes with Band-Aids on their feet or find them in the official foot care supplies box. While Band-Aids have their place, I don’t care for them as the first line of defense for blisters.
Many runners use them or carry them. Band-Aids are cheap to buy, easy to carry, and easy to apply. That’s the positive. And, like this photo I found on the Internet, they come in great colors and designs.
There are three problems with Band-Aids:
- Their adhesive is typically not good. The exceptions to this are those that are waterproof and made from a fabric rather than a plastic type material.
- Even though there are different sizes of Band-Aids, it is hard to cut them to fit a specific size or shape blister.
- The adhesive strip on the outside edge of the pad is typically not big enough to adhere to the skin.
These three negatives make them a poor choice for serious athletes. When I worked foot care at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk in San Francisco, Band-Aids were everywhere. They were placed on the self-service table and walkers scooped them up by the handful. But just as quickly as they were applied, they came off.
If you want to carry Band-Aids for hot spot or blister control, here are a few tips:
- Buy those made with a fabric material
- But those with a non-stick pad
- Make sure you roll your socks on and off so you don’t disturb the Band-Aid’s application and pull it off
- Use an alcohol wipe to clean the skin of oils
This post uses the term Band-Aids for any similar type of bandage – whatever the name and brand.
