Skin Chafing

WHEN TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

* Chafed skin lasts more than two days after the original source of irritation is removed.

What Your Symptom Is Telling You

You've just discovered the perfect exercise—walking. It's convenient, requires no equipment and lets you start at your own level. Your enthusiasm is short-lived, however. By the second day on your new walking program, your inner thighs are so red and raw that you can barely get out of bed, let alone make it around the block.

Walking isn't the only thing that can cause this problem. Any activity that requires skin to repeatedly rub against skin can lead to chafing. And moisture, either from sweat or rain, makes the problem worse. Some common chafing sites are the inner thighs and under the arms or breasts, says Diana Bihova, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine and author of Beauty from the Inside Out. Areas of the body that rub against clothing—under waistbands or poorly fitting bras, for example—can also chafe.

Chafing usually comes on suddenly and announces itself with a painful stinging or burning sensation, says William Dvorine, M.D., chief of the Section of Dermatology at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore and author of A Dermatologist's Guide to Home Skin Treatment. If you don't stop whatever's rubbing you the wrong way, inflamed surface skin can actually get rubbed away and the area will begin to ooze.

Anybody can experience chafing, but it's a particular problem in overweight people and in athletes—especially if their uniforms are not kept scrupulously clean.

Symptom Relief

Chafing is a minor problem for the most part, easily treated and easily prevented. Here's what to do.

Take time out. Once your skin is chafed, you'll need to give it a chance to heal. Take a break from the activity that caused the problem. Chafing should heal in a day or two.

Slip into something slippery. In areas of repeated chafing—such as the inner thighs or groin or under the arms or breasts—you can cut down on friction by dusting on some powder, says Dr. Dvorine. Ointments—such as Vaseline, Noxzema, zinc oxide ointment and cortisone cream—can likewise help intimately close areas of skin slip past each other. "In very hairy areas, greasy applications may clog follicles and produce more irritation," says Dr. Dvorine. "So creams and lotions are better there."

Get loose. Loose-fitting cotton clothing is best for chafe-prone skin, says Dr. Bihova. Tight-fitting athletic wear should be made of natural fibers, too, because they absorb sweat and carry it away from the skin. Some high-tech exercise clothes are made from synthetic materials that "breathe," somewhat like natural fibers, says Dr. Dvorine. The key is to choose clothes that let air penetrate through the fabric and evaporate moisture.

Stop that fungus. Chafing that hangs on for more than two days after the rubbing stops may have graduated into a fungal infection. If a doctor has previously diagnosed a fungal infection, and you can recognize it when it happens again, you can use an over-the-counter antifungal medication, such as Lotrimin. "If you're not sure, though, get a medical diagnosis, because using an antifungal medication on a nonfungal problem might cause further irritation," says Dr. Dvorine.

Sweat less. If your chafing is caused by excessive sweating, you might want to confine your workouts to cooler morning and evening hours. (For other hints and tips on staying dry, see Body Odor on page 55 and Sweating on page 512 .)