When your skin becomes sore and red due to repeated rubbing, it’s called chafing. It usually happens when your clothes irritate your skin. Excess body weight is also a reason behind this problem. However, it is curable with proper medical attention. Here is a comprehensive guide about chafing treatment.
It can occur anywhere in your body, like the inner thighs, groin, nipples, butt, and underarms. The prime symptoms include burning the skin, peeling, redness, and itching.
Prevention:
1. Keep your groin dry and cool
Armpits and groin areas are chafe-prone. If you hate this skin problem, keep these areas as dry and cool as possible. Allow air passage to these areas while you sleep at night.
2. Apply Powder to Your Groin Area
Applying powders to the groin area soaks moisturizer and makes the skin dry. This will prevent rubbing. Avoid talc powder as it has specific side effects. Most doctors recommend anti-fungal organic powders for groin areas.
3. Apply Lube to Chafe-Prone Areas Regularly
Some people don’t like powder. In that case, you can apply lube to the chafe-prone areas. Petroleum jelly and aloe vera gel are a few lubricants that can act as a protective layer. This layer prevents skin from tugging and rubbing. So, skin lubricants are a good alternative for powder-averse persons.
4. Clean Your Body Hair Regularly
Sometimes, body hair worsens the chafing. Trimming body hair on chafe-prone areas prevents folliculitis. You can use a body hair trimmer for this purpose. Avoid using hair removal creams as they may cause irritation.
5. Start Wearing Protective Clothes During WorkOut
Anti-chafing bands are available on the market. To avoid skin-on-skin contact during a workout, one can wear these bands. People wear these bands during gyming and cycling to prevent rubbing.
6. Dress Well
The material and fitting of your clothes have a lot to do with chafing. Natural moisture-wicking clothing is best to wear during workouts. Sometimes woolen, nylon, or polyester materials cause skin irritation that leads to scratching.
The second thing is fitting. It is important to try to avoid wearing tight-fitting dresses in the hot summer months as it only damages your skin further.
7. Use Soap & Deodorants
An excellent anti-bacterial soap kills germs and bacteria in your body. And deodorants act as an obstacle against chafing.
Using a good-quality soap and deodorant on a regular basis is an effective way to prevent chafing and other skin issues.
Treatment:
When prevention fails, damage occurs. Therefore, you must know how to treat this skin irritation effectively.
1. Say a No to Physical Activity for a few days
Take a break from physical activities like running or working out if you notice skin irritation on your skin. And the next step you must do is clean that area and keep it as dry as possible.
2. Apply Anti-Chafing Cream for Inflammation
Inflammation is the direct result of chafing. So apply an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal cream to reduce inflammation and irritation.
3. Apply Moisturizers to the Chafed Area
Applying aloe vera gel or a herbal moisturizer can soothe your skin. Try to avoid lotions that have strong fragrances and contain chemicals.
Final Words
Chafing is a widespread skin irritation problem. It is both painful and uncomfortable. However, it is preventable and treatable with the help of the right chafing treatment. Follow the procedures mentioned above to get rid of this problem.