<P><BR>So yea im an idiot ... it feels like someone skinning my toe with a carving knife.</P>
<P></P>
<P>so... what does that feel like?</P>
<P><STRONG>here's how we roll: </STRONG></P>
<P><U>new footwear: </U></P>
<P>whatever socks you would routinely wear, wear those. if you're wearing leather, a quick way to break it in is to put it in*<U>hot</U> water, and then put it on and lace it up the way you normally would. then walk around the house in it for a few hours. don't soak it. get it wet, take it out, put it on.*that basically helps the leather conform to your feet. </P>
<P>get some of*this stuff. it's super-duper thick petroleum jelly, and if i had my way, i'd use this in my car.</P>
<P><A href="http://www.cramersportsmed.com/products_catalog.jsp?catID=82&prodID=73&path=AT">http://www.cramersportsmed.com/products_catalog.jsp?catID=82&prodID=73&path=AT</A></P>
<P>this stuff is fantastic. <BR>make sure your toenails are cut, and cut straight across. slather it all over your feet,* or if you prefer, just where you get blisters. (it'll moisturize your feet like no other.) then put your socks on. then put it <U>on your socks</U> where you get blisters or friction burns. also put it on the insides of your boots in the corresponding places. after a few days or a week or so, you won't need to use it anymore. </P>
<P>generally speaking, after a workout make sure your feet dry out. important.</P>
<P><U>blister/raw skin care: </U></P>
<P>since you're already at this point:</P>
<P>moleskin<BR>desitin (or another form of zinc oxide)<BR>and if you can get it, tuf-skin<BR><A href="http://www.cramersportsmed.com/products_catalog.jsp?catID=82&prodID=70&path=AT">http://www.cramersportsmed.com/products_catalog.jsp?catID=82&prodID=70&path=AT</A></P>
<P>tuf-skin... is not a good thing to get in your eyes. it's an aerosol, so just remember that. </P>
<P>normally, you would puncture an edge of the blister and fill it with zinc oxide, but unless you have access to a syringe, a needle and know how to use them, you can't do that. the desitin will help heal your skin, keep the moisture balance, and also allow it to breathe. ointments don't let 02 in, and sometimes can slow the healing process. so, put the desitin on the blister or raw spot. take a q-tip and spray it down with the tuf-skin. (it's sticky, you don't want to get this on your blister.) the put tuf-skin around the blister in 1/4"-1/2" in all directions. cut the moleskin to the corresponding size so that it overlaps the blister 1/4"-1/2" in all directions, making sure that you round off the edges. stick it on there, smooth it from the center outward. make sure that the edges are all stuck down, and voila! you're done. very quick, and very easy. no messy tape, no band-aids required. don't tape your own feet. it's very, very hard to do correctly, even for people who tape all*the time.*if there are any wrinkles in the tape, you can cut your feet and give yourself (more) blisters. you can also damage the muscle and connective tissue if you tape too tight or in the wrong direction. </P>
<P>LEAVE*the moleskin*there until it falls off on it's own. it should last through several days of workouts and showers, and your blister shouldn't bother you. just repeat the process until it has healed enough to not leave an open area on your skin, or until it's not painful anymore.<BR></P>