Band-Aid Advanced Healing Blister Bandages
My go-to vacation spot is Las Vegas - it has been since I was 4 years old. My grandparents first discovered Vegas on a road trip and thought, "This is the greatest place ever. We need to tell everyone!" And so a tradition was born. I remember being a kid, maybe 6 or 7, and my grandpa would entertain people by having me recite the hotels in order up and down The Strip. To be clear, I didn't practice or try to memorize the geography of The Strip - I just went to Las Vegas, and heard about Las Vegas, that much. I'm not really a uh-ch-uh-ch-uh-ch kind of girl (Those were thumping nightclub noises, but you figured that out, right?). I think because of this, and the fact that I associate Vegas with family vacations, I'm not really a clubbing, drunk on the street, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas traveler. I'm more of a shopping all day, eating great food, laying by the pool, see a show, play video poker Vegas visitor. (I'd like to add that I'm the youngest person I've ever seen play video poker by about 30 years - but that's part of the appeal. I like to act like a senior citizen, okay? Remember when Seth Cohen went to Palm Springs and acted 75? That was like, my dream vacation.)
I think even if you are a Vegas shopper or a Vegas clubber, there's one fundamental rule about Vegas that applies to everyone: When in Vegas, you will walk more than you can even imagine.
On one trip to Las Vegas I walked so much that my feet started to bleed. I had to stop in a store and get new sandals that didn't hurt my injured tootsies. I'd say the number one advice I'd give Vegas travelers is to bring shoes they can walk miles and miles in. And pack some Band-Aid Blister Bandages.
I never go on vacation without a box of these amazing bandages. Even if you think your shoes are comfy and worn in, even if you brought a pair of backup shoes (You should always bring two pairs of shoes. My mom taught me this, and she's right), you never know what may happen. Those shoes that made my feet bleed? They were super comfy sandals I'd been wearing every day that summer - but they weren't up to Vegas-style walking. It's situations like this that will make you glad you 1) brought another pair of shoes, and 2) brought a box of blister bandages.
These aren't your average bandages. They're made of some kind of plastic-y stuff that conforms to the shape of your finger (or wherever), and once the bandage is on, this gel-type stuff in the bandage gets activated and goes to work healing your blister. I recommend slapping on one of these bandages and just leaving it along for a few days. Because of the material, the bandage won't get all skuzzy, and you can wear it through pretty much anything. You could probably soak in the tub for an hour with no ill effects.
After a few days, you just take off the bandage, and you're healed! It's pretty amazing. One pro tip, though: You have to make sure the entire area you want to treat is covered by the bandage, with a little extra material around the edge of your blister. You need to make a seal around the area you're trying to heal, otherwise it won't work.
I usually use the bandages for fingers and toes, Band-Aid also makes bigger blister bandages for other areas. I actually buy a box of each, and consolidate them to one box. I'll end up going through the finger ones first, but I feel at ease knowing I'm prepared for anything. This is another product I keep in my suitcase at all times. I've been on trips where I've forgotten blister bandages, and of course I ended up needing them desperately. Now I make sure I can never forget them. They're essential to a happy vacation.