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Foot Protection & Blister Prevention for Mermaids

Don’t underestimate the importance of foot safety! These inexpensive solutions will save your feet from blisters which can put you out of tail (/work) for days! Once a blister forms it can be nearly impossible to heal if you keep swimming on it daily, so your best bet is to do your due diligence to prevent them altogether. Blisters occur from the loose fit of a monofin & from the weight and pressure of your fluke & monofin rubbing against your wet feet as you swim. The best way to prevent blisters is by taping up sensitive areas with a rigid athletes tape & wearing neoprene socks so your feet fit the monofin snuggly. Below are some of my favorite preventive care products for mermaids who get blisters from their tail or monofin:

“Leukotape P” Corrective Taping

How do you prevent blisters? This athletic tape is a game changer! I only wish I knew about sooner- it could’ve saved my poor feet from so many blisters! The tops of my feet take on a lot of weight from my fluke every time I put on my fin and flip around in it. Adding water to the mix softens the already delicate skin on my feet, so with a little movement blisters quickly form and pop after long durations of active swimming. Now I use Leukotape to cover the pressure points that are most prone to blistering before putting on my booties, monofin, and/or mermaid tail. This tape keeps my skin from bunching and rubbing inside the monofin and has proven effective in protecting my feet from blisters so far! Yes it is water proof and yes it has stayed on for long swims! *You may have to change it if you are getting in and out of a tight tail & socks multiple times.

Neoprene Socks (3MM)

Neoprene socks add a little padding to an uncomfortable monofin and can help prevent blisters. I like to use 3MM thickness to help my monofin fit more snug. The less your feet are sliding around, the less likely you are to develop a blister.

Gel Toe Cap and Protector

Also lovingly referred to as ‘toe condoms’ these gel toe caps can be worn again and again to protect your toes from blisters while wearing your heavy silicone tail or monofin. This cuts down on the amount of tape I have to use every time, while tackling those ‘hard to tape’ areas. This variety pack comes with one size toe cap for your big toes and another size for the other toes. You can order specific sizes if you choose- I tend to only need the smaller ones for my tail’s pressure points.

Sinus Care for Mermaids

Mermaids tend to perform in water and that water tends to get everywhere- and I mean everywhere. ‘Up your NOSE and in your EYES’ everywhere. There are a few things you can do to take care of this after mermaiding to cleanse your sinuses and reduce the risk of getting a sinus infection or ear ache.

Silicone Eye Bath Cup

Soothe sore eyes after a long swim with an eye wash. Use this silicone eye bath cup to throughly wash the chlorine or saltwater out of your eyes.

Eye Drops

Eye drops can help lubricate and soothe your eyes after a long day of swimming with your eyes open underwater. My doctor recommended opting for a “preservative free” solution when searching for eye drops which is what I linked above. This means they will come in small, single-use packages that cannot be resealed and stored. Each vial has enough to get a few drops in each eye (and maybe even share with another friend or two right away).

“Dri drops” Ear Drying Aid

This stuff will help get the water out of your ears and is especially useful after free-diving or really doing any kind of swimming where you are popping and clearing your ears several times. After a long day of mermaiding, your ears can become swollen; and the water that entered your eardrum at low pressure becomes trapped. An ibuprofen can help alleviate the swelling while dry drops can help dry out excessive water in the ear. Its important to dry your ears for your comfort and to prevent ear aches and ear infections.  *I have not actually used this product, though several mermaids I know swear by it!*

Neti Pot or Nasal Rinse

As an underwater mermaid performer, you will constantly flood your nasal passage. This is that wonderful “waterboarding” feeling you get whenever you do a backflip underwater or lay your head back perpendicular to the water’s surface, to blow bubble rings for instance. Fresh water, saltwater, lake water, aquarium water- it will all rush up your nose, and trust me, you’re gonna wanna rinse when you get out. After your gig, use a neti pot or nasal rinse to help clear out irritants from the nasal passage.

Skin & Hair Care for Mermaids

Swimming in chlorine and saltwater can take a toll on any mermaid’s skin & hair. Pool chemicals & salt are both known to dry out your skin & hair. This can be especially damaging for mermaids with dry, sensitive skin or bleached & colored hair. Lotions and oils can create protective barriers between your skin or hair and the water. There are several preventive care products on the market, as well as, after treatments to help rehydrate & recondition your skin and hair.

*Reef Safe* Sunscreen

Mermaids spend much of their lives outside in the sun. Protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays, without hurting our corals and sealife! Look for a reef-safe sunscreen to apply and reapply often. If possible, opt for a zero waster sunscreen!

Chapstick

Don’t overlook dry lips- especially if you are frequently using a regulator in salt water. Swimming in saltwater can cause dry cracked lips. Breathing on a regulator can force these cracks open allowing bacteria and fungi to infiltrate and cause inflammation or infection. This can lead to “Angular cheilitis,” a skin condition where painful and inflamed fissures occur on one or both corners of the mouth. The skin at the corners of your lips may crack and crust over, causing pain when smiling, eating, or opening the mouth wide in general. Licking your lips may provide temporary relief but this will only worsen the condition. You’ll want to keep the area moist with a topical cream such as an anti-fungal or antibiotic ointment to aid in healing. Using a chapstick any time your lips start to feel dry can help prevent this!

De-tangler & Leave-in Conditioner

‘It’s a 10’ has saves my hair on the daily! I love using the spray as a de-tangler when I get out of the shower. The leave-in conditioner is great at rehydrating my hair after a long weekend of mermaid parties or aquarium swims! There are plenty of brands on the market- I’d love to hear what you recommend in the comment section!

✨ Cheap ✨ Conditioner

Don’t underestimate the power of a cheap conditioner. This is what I like to call “the big guns.” On occasion, drenching my hair in conditioner has saved my hair from being one salty knotted dreadlock. Rather than wasting all your expensive conditioner, its a good idea to have a cheaper, hydrating conditioner on hand that can be used as a leave-in treatment.