Chafing
Chafing
10 Ways to Rub It Out
For ten years, the varsity wrestling team at Ohio State University practiced while wearing gray shirts made of 100 percent cotton.
Then, in 1987, the team's training uniform was changed. Wrestlers were given a 50 percent polyester, 50 percent cotton practice shirt. The shirt was thick and durable. A good buy, it seemed. They'd last through season after season.
But the wrestlers complained. The shirts rubbed against their faces and necks, leaving their skin sore and chafed. And even though the shirts were washed daily, the fabric stayed harsh and abrasive. Abrasions increase the chances of infection and in time, 8 of the 42 team members reported a herpes simplex infection on their faces or necks.
In 1988, team members again wore all-cotton shirts. Wrestlers noted few rashes. Herpes infections dropped.
The moral? When something rubs you the wrong way—and leaves a rash—there are several things you can do, including:
Get on the natural fibers team. Doctors at Ohio State University College of Medicine pointed to the heavy-duty, synthetic-blend shirt as the culprit in the wrestlers' rash problem. When the team switched back to 100 percent cotton, the problem cleared up.
Wash before you wear. Be sure to wash any new exercise clothes before you wear them, says Richard H. Strauss, M.D., a sports medicine doctor at Ohio State University College of Medicine. Washing sometimes softens fabric enough to lessen abrasion.
Wrap it up. People who are overweight or who have big thighs, which makes chafing more likely, may find relief using elastic bandages around the portions of their legs that rub, says Tom Barringer, M.D., a family physician in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bandages will shield the skin when your thighs rub together and instead of skin against skin, the rubbing will be fabric against fabric. Be sure the elastic bandage is secure so it does not move across the skin.
Keep it tight. A pair of the electric-colored, stretchy-fabric athletic tights or Lycra cycling shorts may be ideal because they are snug, yet stretch, and cause no friction against the skin, says Dr. Barringer.
Put cotton first. When your exercise outfit is made of nylon or another possibly abrasive fabric, be sure to wear cotton undies to separate the fabric from your delicate skin, says Dr. Strauss. "Lots of male athletes will put on cotton underwear and put their supporters on top of that," he adds.
Throw them away. The coarser the cloth in your outfit, the more likely it will chafe, says Dr. Barringer. "I've run from none up to 50 miles a week at times, depending on my schedule. And I've found when something chafes, sometimes the best thing to do is just toss it out and try again."
Grease your body. Petroleum jelly between your thighs, around your toes, under your arms—anywhere you chafe—will act as a lubricant and glide the rubbing skin against itself, says Robert Boyce, Ph.D., an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Find powder power. An old standby for chafing—maybe your mother used this remedy when you were a child. Talcum powder will work as a lubricant, just the way petroleum jelly does. It helps the skin slip past other skin without catching and rubbing.
Here's how to make your application easy. If you don't like powdery bathroom floors, fold your talcum into the middle of a large, soft, white handkerchief. Bind the edges together. Then, use the sack of powder like a powder puff. It will leave powder on you—not on the floor.
Block it with a bandage. Simply block the rub with an adhesive bandage. Runners, for instance, will use a bandage over irritated nipples to prevent further rubbing.
Try another sport. Overweight exercisers may find chafing a regular problem until they lose a little excess girth, says Dr. Boyce. His advice: Switch sports while your skin heals. If you have sore spots from walking, try the stationary bicycle. If the bicycle causes problems, try swimming, a virtually chafe-free sport.
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Tom Barringer, M.D., is a family physician in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Robert Boyce, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Richard H. Strauss, M.D., is a sports medicine doctor at Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus.
