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Chafing Skin – Tips to Stop the Irritation

For those who run, chafing skin can be a very painful problem.  Chafing occurs when there is friction between two body parts or between skin and clothing.  Sweating can make the chafing worse.   Generally the areas where chafing skin is most predominant are the inner legs and underarms. Since runners are moving their bodies a lot and sweating at the same time, it is only logical that chafing would become an issue for them from time to time..

Many times you can alleviate chafing skin by changing your clothing.  Some garments just naturally lead to chafing either due to the fabric they are made from or the cut of the garment. Rough cutting garments or garments in rough fabrics can be the cause of many instances of chaffing.  Also it can be the type of fabric, cotton is usually the best fabric for many reasons, it is soft and it allows the skin to breathe.  If one takes time to analyze what they were wearing before the chafing appeared, they may be able to locate the garment that caused the problem.

Treating chafing skin can be a rather easy process.  One of the main things to do is to give the skin a chance to heal.  It may only take a day or two, but suspend your physical activity that led to the problem and give your skin a chance to heal itself.  If you find that certain areas are consistently chafed you might try putting some powder, Vaseline, Noxzema, anti chafe stick or other creams on the area to act as a buffer between the two skin parts.  It is also advisable to try to wear looser clothing.  Using natural fibers is a great benefit, but lose clothing will allow air to circulate and this will cut down on some of the sweat which creates moisture.

Another good step is to try to run when the temperatures are cooler.  If you are sweating excessively, just changing the time of day you run or workout can be a tremendous aid in cutting down on the heat that is generated.  When you take a shower, be sure to rinse the soap off your skin completely, soap can irritate chafed areas as well.  Be sure to thoroughly dry your skin after the shower using a patting motion rather than a rubbing motion.  If possible try to forgo clothing for awhile to let your skin air out and this can help in healing chafing skin. Remember that as with anything, if your chafed skin does not start to heal or develops pus or looks infected, see your physician for treatment.