Chafing is easily one of life’s most annoying nuances. There’s nothing more irritating than having to go through your day with the sensation of chaffed skin. If you have to deal with chaffed skin during the warmer months, then pain can be even more unbearable.
Luckily, you have come to the right place. Today, we are going to go over everything you need to know about chaffed skin. In addition to that, we have got some great home remedies to try out if you do have to deal with chaffed skin. What is even better is that with all of these home remedies, you will likely find that you will have all the ingredients you need right at home.
With that being said, let’s jump into our article about the best home remedies for chafing.
You have probably heard about chafing. In fact, you may have even experienced it yourself. Essentially, chafing is when your skin rubs together to the point that inflammation and irritation occurs. The result will typically be an itchy and irritating rash. It is not a pleasant experience, and in extreme cases, your chafing might crack and even bleed.
You might wonder what causes chafing on inner thighs. The friction of thighs rubbing against each other, combined with moisture from sweat, leads to chafing and rashes.
Chafing between the legs also occurs when skin rubs against rough fabric. Bad chafing inner thighs may be the result of intense exercise or walking in hot weather when legs rub against each other.
If left untreated, chafed thighs can turn into a rash, or even bleed and blister with continued friction. Chaffing skin makes everyday activities painful.
Although chafing can occur during any time of year, it is most prone to attack during the warmer months. During the warmer months, the moisture in the air and on your skin combined with the fabric of your clothing makes for the perfect recipe for chafing.
While chaffing is mostly common on your thighs, chafing can happen really anywhere that your skin rubs against other skin or coarse fabrics. Other locations you may deal with chafing may include under your arms and even behind your knees.
We have all experienced the sensations of our thighs rubbing together when we walk or exercise at some point in our lives. Some people, though, encounter this painful condition more often than others.
Joggers and athletes may experience chafed thighs more often than other people. Women who wear dresses or skirts in hot weather and spend a lot of time outdoors may notice the symptoms of rashes, burning and itching skin.
If you’re overweight and have folds of fat, it tends to cause more friction when your legs rub together and result in chafed inner thighs. Moisture and poor-fitting shorts will make the chafing worse.
If you experience the following symptoms, you may have skin chafe between legs:
Wet skin makes chafing worse. Before walking outdoors in hot weather or exercising, apply talcum or baby powder to your thighs. Powder, along with moisture-wicking spandex shorts, help keep moisture off your skin.
You can also use cornstarch before or after a workout to soak up excess sweat. Change out of sweaty or wet clothes right away. Continuing to wear or exercise in wet, sweaty clothes will acerbate chafing and rashes.
During the summer, avoid wearing a wet swimsuit all day. Change into other clothes after you’ve taken a dip in the pool.
When you wear ill-fitting workout clothes or cotton shorts that encourage moisture to form, you’ll not only feel uncomfortable, but you’ll have to deal with chafing between legs once you get home from the gym.
Make sure you wash workout clothes between gym visits and buy new outfits if you gain or lose weight. Buy longer, tighter shorts to prevent skin-on-skin friction and wick away more sweat.
It’s easy to learn how to get rid of chafing. By following a few simple tips, you can stop chafing and stay healthier and drier even after long workouts.
Stay well-hydrated to prevent bad chafing on inner thighs. When you don’t drink enough water, salt crystals develop on your skin to increase friction.
Running and cycling stores offer specially made anti-chafing lubricants, but you can get relief from homemade alternatives. (You don’t need to be a cyclist or runner to benefit from these ointments for chafing between thighs.)
Mix homemade lubricant to keep skin from chafing. Take one cup Vaseline and mix with one cup A and D Ointment (a diaper rash ointment). Add a ¼ cup Aloe Vera Cream and 1/4 cup Vitamin E cream.
This mixture promotes relief from sore chafing between legs, and it also helps prevent blisters from forming. Almond oil and lavender oil are other alternatives to store-bought solutions.
Your thighs will slide past each other when you use a lubricant, and you’ll avoid the chaffing that causes friction. Some people recommend using stick deodorant or Body Glide on thighs as one of the ways to prevent chafing. For best results, apply these products before you begin exercising.
Wash the chafed area with gentle soap and cool or lukewarm water. Avoid using hot water; it will make the dry skin on inner thigh even worse. Avoid using any fragrances or cleansers made with harsh chemicals on a chafing rash; it will cause the skin to burn and hurt even more. Pat the area dry with a clean, dry towel. Rubbing it will cause more irritation.
Use an astringent toner to cool down painful inner thighs. Add calendula or lavender to some aloe vera gel, or place soaked chamomile tea bags on the affected area. Aloe vera contains the pain-relieving fatty acid lupeol, which soothes inflamed skin on a chafing inner thigh.
Apply a cold compress consisting of a few ice cubes wrapped in a clean towel to the chafed inner thigh. Keep the compress on the skin for five minutes, then take a break and reapply late in the day. Only apply ice wrapped in a towel. Never place it directly on the skin.
Moisture allows yeast and bacteria to grow on your wounded skin. Keep inner thighs cool and separated. Lie in bed in front of a fan, and wear breathable underwear that guards against moisture. Let the fan or an air condition run while you sleep. Try to sleep on you back, with your thighs separated.
Take a cool bath and add soothing colloidal oatmeal, lavender oil or baking soda to the water. Avoid bubble baths or anything with fragrance or chemicals.
Apply zinc oxide to soothe painful burning and itching. Some diaper rash ointment contains zinc oxide and anti-bacterial solutions, so they’re perfect for treating skin chafing. Wipe off the zinc oxide with mineral oil or olive oil when you’re done.
Give chafed thighs enough time to heal before participating in sports or other activities that may cause thigh chafe. Take care of chafing as soon as it occurs. If neglected, broken skin may get infected and lead to serious complications.
If you take precautions but still suffer from chafing rash or other problems, ask your doctor about further preventative measures. When chafing symptoms persist for more than two days, see a dermatologist. When you’re stumped about what to do for chafing legs, your dermatologist may prescribe a low-dose steroid ointment.
Prevent extreme chafing inner thigh by applying a lubricant before exercising. Will Vaseline help chafing? Petroleum-based jellies weigh in as one of the cheapest and best anti-chafing products.
You can use Vaseline and lubricants for heavy exercise when there’s a higher chance of friction. You may need to spend extra time cleaning your clothes after using lubricants, as they can extensively stain fabric.
Wear anti-chafing slip/shorts to prevent your thighs from rubbing against each other. Anti-chafing shorts can stop the pain from existing rashes as well as protect you from future chafing.
Eat antioxidant-rich foods with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, zinc, and beta-carotene for skin health. Spinach, citrus fruits, and egg yolks will keep your skin and overall health vibrant, so you’ll recover from legs chafing sooner.
Tight-fitting bicycle shorts made with spandex blends or loose-fitting shorts made of cotton and polyester blends offer moisture-wicking properties that help prevent chafing. Choose from popular brands, including Nike and Everlast.
Choose bike or boxer shorts with few seams and flat stitching to minimize the chance of friction and chafing. The smoother the material, the less it will irritate your skin.
Bands of soft microfiber you place around your thighs when running, called Bandelettes, provide a great solution for how to stop chafing between the legs. These synthetic fiber bands only cover the areas most prone to chafing skin.
Prevent chafing by wearing compression stockings when you exercise. Stretchy compressions garments for the legs, typically made with spandex, apply pressure to your legs, and this can stop inner thigh chafing.
Only wear compression garments for exercise sessions, jogging or other activities requiring a limited amount of time. Wearing compression garments all day can cause muscles to atrophy. Under Armour sells a variety of compression shorts designed to reduce rubbing and prevent the moisture that causes chafing.
Avoid cotton workout gear or any clothing that increases moisture or irritates skin. Cotton garments make moisture worse, and you’ll be more susceptible to inner thigh irritation. Instead, wear synthetic fibers to prevent chafing thighs.
Wear Lycra shorts under your workout shorts to prevent thigh chafing. When walking for a long time in hot weather, you may be tempted to wear loose cotton clothing, but that’s the worst outfit for thighs rubbing together.
Snug, smooth clothing made of synthetic material or a synthetic/cotton blend will give you a more pleasant workout and reduce the chance of leg chafing.
Women who like to wear dresses on hot, humid summer days should wear Spanx or bike shorts under their clothes instead of cotton undergarments. The textured cotton traps moisture instead of allowing it to evaporate, which can lead to thighs chafing at the end of the day, even for non-athletes.
Poorly fitting clothing leave you open to the friction and moisture that causes chaffing. Try on compression garments, biking shorts, and other exercise gear to ensure proper fit before buying them.
Don’t wear new, unwashed clothing on long walks or jogs. Even after washing new bike or boxer shorts, wear them for awhile around the house to break them in and be sure they’ll protect you from chafing on thighs during exercise.
