How do common friction blisters form?
How are blisters prevented?
How should you approach friction blister care?
Why can Blist-O-Ban® be applied directly on an open wound?
Optimizing the Use of Blist-O-Ban® for High Performance Activities
Removal of the Blist-O-Ban® Bandage

Saying “never again” to blisters. We’d be the first to agree that the term “paradigm shift” is overused. But how else can one describe the Blist-O-Ban's revolutionary improvement in the treatment of blisters and their painful predecessors, known as “hot spots”? Old-fashioned products attempt to protect by padding or coating the skin with a single layer of fuzzy or slippery material. In contrast, Blist-O-Ban® is an extremely thin bandage containing a self-inflating bubble that looks and functions like an actual blister—minus the pain.

Blist-O-Ban® does its job because of something we call the Gliding Principle™. Each Blist-O-Ban® bandage is comprised of several laminated layers of breathable plastic film bonded together, except for a “bubble” in the center, where the layers are free to glide across each other. When something rubs against the Blist-O-Ban®, these layers slide smoothly against each other, rather than your tender skin.

Scientific tests have shown Blist-O-Ban® to be substantially more effective at reducing blister-causing rubbing than conventional products. And it’s a lot simpler to use: there’s no need to cut it to shape—no need to do anything but slap it on and go. The relief is so dramatic that people sometimes wonder whether the product contains a local anesthetic (it doesn’t).

Nature Had It First
Blisters and hot spots are created by friction and shear force—a scientific measure of the stress created when things rub against each other, such as your foot against your sock, or your hands against a tennis racket or garden rake. For years, people have tried to protect against blisters with cushions or single-layer films. But nature had a better idea—one that the Blist-O-Ban® is the first to employ.

Deep beneath the skin, tendons glide across each other or across bony prominences—again and again, each time you move. To prevent damage from friction and shear forces at these points, the body has special friction/shear relieving structures called bursae.

Most of us only think about bursae when we push them beyond their limits and develop the unpleasant condition known as bursitis. But bursae, when not overused, are wonders of engineering. Each is comprised of two layers. One is affixed to the underlying bone, tendon, or ligament; the other is free to move with the overlying tendon or ligament. This dispels shear force and allows motion to occur without rubbing.

Blist-O-Ban® is the word’s first external bursa. Its unique BursaTek® technology allows its layers to move in exactly the same manner as a bursa. To understand how it works, imagine holding two sanding blocks. It would be difficult to rub these blocks together because the coarse sandpaper surfaces create considerable resistance to sliding motion. But if a plastic bag were to be placed between the blocks, movement could easily take place because there would be minimal friction between the opposing plastic surfaces. (Remember, a closed bag has two layers of plastic, not just one.) You could rub the two blocks back and forth against each other indefinitely, without having them start to abrade each other.

That’s how it works with Blist-O-Ban®. The top layer deforms in the direction of whatever is trying to rub against your skin, while the bottom layer stays put. The result: vastly reduced stress on your skin. Applying a Blist-O-Ban® to a blister or sore spot can be like a magic switch, shutting off pain, preventing further injury, and allowing you to continue on, unimpeded.

A Multitude of Uses
Blist-O-Ban® is suitable for any use in which blisters are possible, including:

• Hiking
• Running
• Walking
• Volkssporting
• Dress shoes
• Gardening
• Other sports

Features and Benefits
• Prevents further skin breakdown and relieves pain when applied over a painful area, red spot, or blister.
• Also works for friction burns and abrasions
• Breathable
• Sterile
• Comes in several sizes, allowing protection for blisters large and small on the foot, ankle, shin, elbows, fingers, hands, and many other areas. A super-small version for toes is under development.
• Not just for sports. Can help prevent skin breakdown on the residual limb of amputees using prosthetic limbs, or at friction points beneath casts or splints.
• Precludes blister formation on blister-prone areas
• Extremely thin. Will not increase pressure in footwear, under casts, or in prosthetic sockets.
• Simple, easy to apply, and easy to remove
• Low cost
• Choose between transparent, or cheerful blue and orange colors.

Scientifically Tested
To prove that Blist-O-Ban® works, we developed a special instrument that can measure the degree to which blister products reduce friction created by objects rubbing against them. The technique involves applying the blister-prevention product to a piece of metal, then seeing how much force it takes to drag a weighted block across it. The lower the force, the lower the “coefficient of friction” between the block and the product, and hence, the more effective the product.

We conducted these tests with Blist-O-Ban® and 10 conventional blister products. The results? Blist-O-Ban® was substantially more effective at reducing friction than any other tested product.

Then, working under a grant from the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Government, we performed similar tests on human subjects. These tests compared the coefficient of friction of Blist-O-Ban® - protected skin to that of unprotected skin. Again, we found that Blist-O-Ban® dramatically reduced friction.

Field tests also show that Blist-O-Ban® works.

• Soldiers undergoing training for the U.S. Army’s Special Operations forces tested a prototype version of Blist-O-Ban®, finding that nothing beat it for reducing blisters on grueling 20-mile marches. Their feedback helped to make the final product even better than the prototype.

• Soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq have sworn by its effectiveness, even in the most grueling summer conditions.

• Nearly 100 high school and college runners participating in a large race took Blist-O-Ban® home to try out during training. They gave it high marks for reducing pain, the speed with which blisters healed, and its ability to stay in place compared to conventional products. “Awesome,” “Best blister-protector ever,” “I like the colored ones!” and “Where can I buy them?” were just a few of the glowing reactions.

Usage Tips
Like any blister product, Blist-O-Ban® works best when applied to blister-prone areas before blisters actually form. And it adheres best to clean, dry skin. If you want perfect adhesion, so that a single Blist-O-Ban® might see you through several days, you may want to swab down the skin with rubbing alcohol and let it dry beforehand, or use a clinical “barrier wipe” such as Skin Prep™. But that’s not mandatory. If you feel a hot spot coming on, you can simply dry your skin as best you can, pull a Blist-O-Ban® from its pack, and slap it on.

How do common friction blisters form?
Common friction blisters are the kind we all have experienced, such as those formed with hiking and running. Typically, friction blisters form when side to side rubbing or friction against the skin mechanically separates the layers of the skin. Soon this separation is filled with fluid, nature’s way of minimizing the friction. Less rubbing or friction is required to form a blister if the skin is moist or if there is tightness between the skin and the supporting surface, e.g. footwear. More friction is required if the skin is extremely wet or dry.

How are blisters prevented?
1) Prevent the rubbing
2) Prevent any excess tightness or looseness
3) Stop activity

How should you approach friction blister care?
Care of friction blister problems can be divided into three fundamental approaches.
1) Prevent rubbing to eliminate the skin damage and pain associated with “hot spots” and blisters.
2) Administer local wound care to promote rapid healing.
3) A combination of 1) and 2).

Typically, rubbing and moisture is prevented by placing some type of material on or between the skin and footwear. This can include adhesive backed bandages and dressings, socks, drying powders, hydrocolloid gels, as well as “painted” coated films, sprays, and sticks. Local wound care techniques are as varied as the number of people treating them. Some prefer to leave fluid-filled blisters in place whereas others prefer to drain or remove them. Some prefer soaking, local antiseptics and antibiotic ointments and others do not. However, there is universal agreement that the cause of blisters is friction.

Why can Blist-O-Ban™ be applied directly on an open wound?
The use of sterile adhesive waterproof dressings directly over open wounds has been well accepted by the medical community because they provide a moist wound environment which is optimal for healing. The skin contact layer of the Blist-O-Ban™ bandage is constructed of a unique breathable film coated by a medical-grade adhesive which has been dermatologically tested for human biocompatability. The vapor and moisture transmission of this skin contact layer has been enhanced by small but numerous perforations. In addition to reducing friction over “hot spots” or blisters, the gliding dome portion of the Blist-O-Ban has minimal perforations, sufficient to prevent maceration of the skin but enough of a barrier to provide a moist environment for wound healing, during the rigors of hiking and running in the harshest environments.

Blist-O-Ban® incorporates the novel Bursatek® technology and has been scientifically and clinically proven to reduce rubbing and friction better than any product available on the market today, while reducing pain and providing a wound healing environment for blister treatment.

Optimizing the Use of Blist-O-Ban® for High Performance Activities
Blist-O-Ban® is designed for high performance use. It is designed to relieve the friction on your skin. Skin that is oily, sweaty or contains lotions will cause the product to loosen more quickly. For optimal use, the product must be applied to clean and dry skin following the instructions below.

Different skin types and environmental conditions will affect how securely the blisotban is adhered. For best results and for extended use, replace the use of an alcohol pad with one of the following two options:

Option 1 (good): A barrier wipe (e.g. Skin Prep® by Smith and Nephew) should be used instead. Barrier wipes are a non-latex, non-irritating solution to increase bandage adhesion and to reduce adhesive removal trauma. Barrier wipes are not as effective as Mastisol.

Option 2 (best): Mastisol® Liquid Adhesive vial. Mastisol® Liquid Adhesive is a clear, non-irritating, non-latex and non-water-soluble liquid adhesive, in a 1 oz vial, that secures the most difficult bandages for an extended period of time. Mastisol® is 7 to 10 times stickier than Compound Tincture of Benzoin. Mastisol® should not be applied over an open blister or wound.

Removal of the Blist-O-Ban® Bandage
In most cases, the Blist-O-Ban® bandage will be easy to remove from the skin after use. If not, use one of the following two options:

Option 1 (good): Apply Baby Oil (mineral oil) by rubbing the oil over and around the product. This will seep through the many tiny pores on the bandage and will work effectively to provide an easy way to remove the bandage without causing skin trauma and pain.

Option 2 (best): Detachol® Adhesive Remover is a gentle, non-irritating, adhesive remover, strongly recommended if Mastisol® Liquid Adhesive is used.