Symptoms/appearance:

Blisters can form on various parts of the skin. They look like boils on the skin filled with fluid.

It is a possibility that blisters are sometimes painless but usually they are painful, pressure sensitive and cause a lot of discomfort.

Usually people think that blisters form singly. But it is also possible that blisters are found in bunches. This difference is due to the cause of blisters.

Different kinds of blisters include blood blisters and infected blisters.

Blood blisters, as the name suggests are dark in color, due to the blood contained in them. Infected blisters are filled with pus, yellow or green in color.

Both, infected blisters and blood blisters are sensitive and painful to touch. Blood blisters are however, usually more painful.

It is also commonly noticed that the skin around the blister is red and/or has streaks of red emanating from the blister and will normally be a bit warm.

The fluid that fills the blister boil is mostly reabsorbed back into the body. This is a slow process which takes anywhere between three to seven days on an average. During this period skin healing takes place. The fluid, contrary to popular belief, is there to protect the exposed skin underneath.

Once the liquid is reabsorbed, the skin on top of the boil dries and falls off.

Prevention:

It is quite impossible to prevent blisters from forming on your skin if you have an ailment (skin or autoimmune disease) that makes you prone to developing blisters on your skin. However, the more common blisters, formed due to harsh rubbing of skin against another surface or skin irritation, can be prevented with a bit of effort.

The simplest instruction is to reduce the amount of friction against your skin. Be it on your feet, hands or any other part of your body. The lesser the friction the lesser the chances are that you will get blisters.

You could use a petroleum jelly on areas of your body that are prone to blisters. Petroleum jelly helps in reducing friction.

Secondly, keep areas that are prone to blisters (hands, feet etc.) dry as much as possible. You can do this by applying powder on these areas. It is more likely that blisters will appear on areas that are usually moist or warm. So keep your hands and feet dry.

Blisters can also develop as a reaction to chemical exposure. This is very dangerous and care should be taken to not expose your skin to chemical irritants.