A blister is a protective film of skin that covers a serous liquid within and is the body’s mechanism of defense against further damage that caused the blister in the first place. Blisters usually occur in the body when there is some kind of mechanical injury to the skin. For example, when there is a continuous frictional force, as is the case when you try to break in new shoes. Another type of injury that commonly causes a blister is a burn. Some diseases also have the ability to cause skin blisters and the most noticeable among them is herpes. Nearly all herpes disease variants cause blisters to appear on the skin because the herpes simplex virus uses the blister to get out of the host and proceed to infect others. This is the reason why most doctors strongly advise you against scratching or trying to get rid of a blister when you get chicken pox, cold sores or other herpes infections.
Curiously, another type of mechanical damage that can occur to very light-skinned persons is a sun blister. This is a type of a situation that is similar to a regular burn but has nothing to do with temperature. Sun blisters do not occur in every individual and darker skinned people usually do not have to worry about getting this problem. The reason for this is the skin pigment melanin. Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment throughout the plant and animal kingdom. In humans, melanin is created by a certain cells called melanocytes. The main purpose of melanin is not just to act as a coloring device but also to give us a level of protection from the sun. We need this protection because of ultraviolet radiation. This is a type of a radiation that has the ability to cause cellular damage. Melanin protects our skin from this cellular damage by absorbing the radiation and converting it into harmless heat. The resultant oxidative stress on melanin causes the pigment to darken a bit, leading to the characteristic suntan. When the level of melanin in the body is deficient, the body cannot cope with the cellular damage that occurs and forms a protective blister.
Blisters are best not tampered with and usually heal on their own time and do not require any intervention. However, you must be careful not to puncture a blister, as it will cause infections to occur. One of the best treatments for any skin damage is aloe vera. Apply this to the blister and you should see the blister disappear in a few days.