Chafing can be painful and can prevent you from doing activities and wearing the clothes you want to wear. Thankfully, whether you want to avoid chafing during sports or simply during the summer, there are things you can do to prevent problems from occurring or from getting worse.
Prevent Skin Rubbing
Chafing is caused by irritation, which, in turn, arises from skin-on-skin rubbing. This is especially problematic if sweat is involved. Thigh chafing is a particularly common problem and is caused by the thighs rubbing together when walking or moving, such as when exercising. This can be prevented by wearing tights or anti chafing shorts such as those available from companies like //www.bettertights.com/collections/anti-chafing-shorts.
Loose Fabric
Loose and moving fabric against the skin is another cause of skin chafing, especially when prominent seams are involved. Anti chafing shorts and tights sit close to the skin, preventing bunched-up fabrics causing abrasion. The less fabrics move, the better chafing prevention that will be offered. Materials that wick away moisture can also be helpful.
Stay Cool
Skin-tight base layers that wick away sweat can save you from chafing in warmer weather. Staying out of the sun and making use of air conditioning can also be beneficial. Moisture also increases skin friction, and so keep clothes dry and sweat-free as much as possible.
Thigh Chafing
Sometimes thigh chafing can be associated with being overweight, but it really can happen anyway due to the friction created when walking and moving. Anti-chafing shorts and tights can reduce contact and can be worn under other clothing, including looser gym shorts.
Other Forms of Chafing
Base layers can also help to prevent other forms of chafing. For example, compression briefs and shorts can stop groin chafing, and fitted moisture-wicking tops can stop armpit problems. A properly fitted sports bra is also useful to prevent nipple chafing, otherwise known as jogger’s nipple, especially one with encapsulated cups that offer more motion support. For men, lightweight, fitted synthetic t-shirts can be useful, as can athletic tape.