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Natural Cures and Home Remedies for Chafing

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Chafing means soreness or irritation of the skin caused by friction. This friction may be caused due to rubbing of two body parts, clothes etc. Some people are under the wrong impression that it is a sign of weight loss. People often experience chafing on the inner thigh, armpits, nipples, groin areas etc. Although anybody can have this problem, it is seen particularly in obese people and athletes. Prevention is the best way to treat chafing.

Symptoms for Chafing

Chafing Symptoms

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.

Causes for Chafing

Chafing Causes

Chafing is caused due the friction produced when body parts rub against each other or cloth or any other thing on your body. However moisture from sweat on your body will worsen it.

If your chafing is caused by excessive sweating, you might want to confine your workouts to cooler morning and evening hours

Remedies for Chafing

Chafing Natural Cure

Zap it with zinc

"Zinc oxide, the white paste that lifeguards put on their noses, is wonderful for treating chafing--it's simple and inexpensive," says dermatologist John F. Romano, M.D., clinical assistant professor of medicine at The New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center in New York City. "Just apply a thin layer on the area where you tend to chafe. If you have trouble removing the zinc oxide because that area is hairy, apply a little olive oil or mineral oil and wipe it off."

Smear on petroleum jelly

Another simple and inexpensive remedy is petroleum jelly. "It's best to apply the jelly before you exercise," says D'Anne, Kleinsmith, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital near Detroit. The petroleum jelly protects the area from friction.

And there might be some areas that need special attention. "Runners frequently complain that their nipples get chafed by a shirt in the up-and-down motion. I advise my patients to spread some petroleum jelly over their nipples before running," says Dr. Kleinsmith. For even more protection, cover each nipple with a small adhesive bandage.

Put away the panty hose

Women who are prone to chafing should definitely avoid wearing panty hose, according to Dr. Kleinsmith. "Panty hose don't allow the skin in your upper thighs to breathe," she says.

Men: Switch to boxers

Men who get chafing around the waist, crotch and upper thighs might want to try wearing boxer shorts. Tighter-fitting jockey underwear is more likely to cause chafing around the waist and thighs.

Wash before you wear

Be sure to wash any new clothes before you wear them, says Richard H. Strauss, M.D., a sports medicine doctor at Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus. Washing sometimes softens fabric enough to lessen abrasion. It also removes dyes and sizing (chemicals used to add crispness and luster to new clothes) that can irritate skin in some people, says Dr. Romano. Washing is especially important when you wear dyed exercise clothes, Dr. Romano points out. The skin absorbs dye as you sweat--and that's something you want to avoid.

Wrap it up

People who are overweight or who have big thighs are more likely to have chafing, but there's a way to find relief. Wrap elastic bandages around the portions of the legs that rub, suggests Tom Barringer, M.D., a family physician in Charlotte, North Carolina, who is a fitness runner. For any vigorous exercise, wrap elastic bandages around each thigh or wear cycling-style shorts, which come down farther on the thigh and are tighter than regular shorts. That will shield the skin on the inside of your thighs. But be sure the elastic bandage is secure, so it does not move across the skin.

Don't forget skin folds

Applying an over-the-counter cream like Micatin, mixed with a 1 percent hydrocortisone cream, in between skin folds can also help overweight people cure chafing. "Skin folds are prime areas for chafing because they're moist and there's a lot of friction from movement," says Nicholas J. Lowe, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine and director of the Skin Research Foundation of California in Santa Monica.

Diet for Chafing

Chafing Diet

People suffering from chafing should include vitamin A, Vitamin C, Zinc etc in their diet.

Suggestions for Chafing

Other Chafing treatments

Treat the area like an open wound by washing with soap and lukewarm water. Cover the chafe with band aid or sterile gauze. Then apply an antibacterial ointment or antiseptic spray, cover with a band aid or sterile gauze.