Symptoms of blisters - Blisters

Blisters usually appear as a slightly bouncy swelling on the surface of your skin. Some blisters are painless, while some are tender to pressure. Blood blisters are dark in appearance and are often more painful than normal blisters. You may develop a single blister or a group of blisters, depending on what has caused them.

As new skin grows beneath a blister, the fluid contained within it is slowly reabsorbed by your body and the skin on top dries and peels off. This process normally takes 3-7 days.

Infected blisters are filled with pus, which may be yellow or green. They are usually painful to the touch. The skin around an infected blister may be red, or there may be red streaks leading away from the blister, and your skin may feel hot and painful.

You should see your GP if you have blisters that become infected, are very painful, come back frequently, or develop in unusual locations such as your eyelids or inside your mouth. You should also see your GP if you develop blisters because you have come into contact with a chemical or other substance.