Chafing. Often the ‘butt’ of the joke, that isn’t funny.
It’s not something we often see or something people often talk about, but it’s certainly something we feel.
WHAT CAUSES CHAFING?
Chafing can occur pretty much anywhere as a result of any sport (or anything), and there are lots of things that can cause chafing.
Chafing happens to your skin due to stress caused by friction and moisture. Your skin is made up of three distinct layers, the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, when subjected to friction and moisture these delicate layers of your skin wear away creating a chafing wound that can be anything from mild to severe.
I am sure everyone has experienced chafing at some point in their life but to describe it, it’s a feeling of sore, tender or raw skin that may sting, burn or have an itchy sensation. More severe cases of chafing can include broken skin, swelling, bleeding or blisters. For severe cases of chafing it is worth consulting a medical professional as this maybe due to an underlying health condition or my need medical treatment such as antibiotic creams.
Here are common places or causes of chafing.
CHAFING FROM FACE MASK
One of the less known plights of Covid-19, we have had feedback from many doctors, nurses and key workers who have informed us of how wearing a face mask all day, every day is impacting their skin. This is because as we breathe, the masks traps in heat and moisture. Pressure from the fabric and straps of the mask can rub our cheeks, noses, behind our ears and chin, and cause our skin to chafe and feel irritated and sore.
CHAFING FROM A WETSUIT
A rash (or chafing) can occur when skin becomes irritated from the moisture and friction between a wetsuit and the skin. It is common for surfers, triathletes and open water swimmers to have a rash or chafing on their neck (which can occasionally look a little like a love bite).
NIPPLE CHAFING
A few years ago a friend of mine was training to run a marathon, he went out wearing a cotton t-shirt and part way through his run it started to rain. When he returned home he drew a ‘(‘ on his t-shirt across his stomach with a marker. He had chafed so badly due to the friction of his wet t-shirt, both of his nipples has bled through his t-shirt and he was able to make a sad face :-(
SPORTS BRA CHAFING
Probably not something that Victoria’s Secret would want to feature, but I have many friends who have suffered from chaffing ‘where the band rests, underneath’. The bit that experiences movement and is often sweaty, is a prime location for chafing and from experience, can be really sore.
CHAFING FROM CYCLING
Anti-chafe balms (or commonly known as chamois creams) were invented for saddle sore. Saddle sore occurs pretty much anywhere the cyclist comes in contact with the saddle. Chamois cream is the ‘butt’ of the joke I was referring to and over the years it has gained many nicknames. Saddle sore is usually a rash or chafing that has occurred from moisture, heat and friction from sitting on a bike.
INNER THIGH CHAFING
Inner thigh chafing is one of the most common areas chafing can occur. It happens when the skin between your thighs or groin rubs against skin or clothing. With each rub, friction builds and can cause small tears and damage along the skin’s surface. Especially during warmer weather because your skin is sweating.
KNEE PAD CHAFING
Not the most common area of chafing, but definitely one of the worst I have incurred. Snowboarding in Austria one year, the seams on my knee pads came into direct contact with my knees during a full days ride. By the end of the day my knees were burning red and I had a small oozing blister just above the knee where the rubber gripper had been resting on my skin… never again will I ever wear knee pads directly on my skin without chafe balm!
CHAFING FROM SPORTS SHOES
Shoes can sometimes create the chafing trifecta, sweat, friction and rubbing. This in turn can cause chafed or blistered skin, particularly around the ankles and toes.
SOLUTIONS TO CHAFING
From experience there are three things you can do to help prevent chafing.
WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHING
Avoid cotton or anything that doesn’t dry quickly. When looking for shorts look for tight fitting or compression shorts, sweat wicking, with flat seams. Built in padded shorts for cycling is also a good idea.
Buy good quality socks that fit properly and are not loose, also change them as often as you can as sweat is chafing’s best friend.
APPLY CHAFE STICK
Our Chafe Stick is a lubricant which has been purposely designed to help prevent friction by creating a soothing barrier on the skin to help prevent chafing. Our ‘No Double Dipping’ Chafe Stick is a convenient and hygienic way to apply a soothing balm to areas which chafe.
Our chafe stick has been expertly crafted using these ingredients for their properties:
· Black Seed Oil contains antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which can help to soothe irritation.
· Cocoa Butter is intensively moisturising and has the rich buttery texture desired in any chamois cream, which enables our formulas to glide over the needed areas.
· Hemp Seed Oil contains anti-inflammatory properties which can help to soothe irritation. Hemp seed oil can also aid skin hydration and repair.
· Jojoba Wax is a plant-based alternative to beeswax which we use to help keep the balm in place once you’ve applied it. Jojoba Wax is similar in composition to our skin's natural oils or sebum.
STAY HYDRATED
Skin cells regenerate overnight and promote skin healing far more rapidly than during the day, this is a good time to fortify the skin and prevent any damage the following day by moisturising and drinking plenty of water.
