Chafing is one disturbing and uncomfortable condition that many men face at least once in their record. Most men would have faced the distress of chafing, especially if you’re a physically active guy. Doctors refer to chafing as intertrigo as well. Usually, chafing occurs due to friction in the body folds because of continuous or repetitive movements.
Even though chafing is common and ought to occur, you do not have to take a back seat and let it bother you. You can do a lot to treat and prevent chafing in men, no matter if it’s the inner thigh chafing in males, chafing in the private region or anywhere else.
Here’s everything about chafing in men – what causes it, how to treat and prevent chafing and home remedies.
What is Chafing and Where Does it Occur?
Chafing occurs when the skin come in contact with each other, which means rubbing against each other. The friction between your thighs and private region leads to chafing. Skin chafing can happen due to sweating, skin sensitivity and hairiness also. Although chafing in men due to sweating is more likely during warmer months.
Usually, chafing looks like a rash and can cause redness, irritation, pain and dryness in the affected area. In some extreme cases of chafing, it can cause infection, sores or welt. To avoid chafing at its best, lessen the friction and moisture in your private parts by keeping them fresh, dry and clean. A chafed skin is difficult to soothe, and your everyday activities, weather and the clothes you are wearing are to be blamed.
The parts where chafing occurs the most in the body cover:
- Groin
- Inner thighs
- Armpits
- Buttocks
- Toes
- Fingers
- Nipples
What Causes Chafing in Men?
Many reasons lead to chafing, and some of them are as follows:
- If you are overweight, it increases the probability of your skin getting rubbed and irritated, thus causing chafing.
- Wearing diapers that are snug or remain wet for long can lead to chafing.
- If you are into sports, repetitive moments may cause clothes to rub against an area of your skin. The sweating from physical activity can also lead to chafing.
- In general, sweating can irritate the skin since dried sweat drops a salt coating on the skin and make irritation from friction bad.
- Specific kinds of clothes can cause chafing in the inner thigh, especially during summers.
- Loose-fitting clothes may rub or irritate the skin and lead to chafing.
- If you are new to exercising and are doing a lot of movements, you may experience chafing.
Ways to Treat Chafing in Men:
Avoid Physical Activity & Stay Dry
If you have got chafing due to gyming or any other physical activity, then avoid doing so for a matter of a few days. You will have to give your body the chance to cure the chafing. You must keep your private area and inner thigh area clean and dry because wet skin makes chafing worse. To avoid the chafing getting worse because of sweating, apply a powder before you step out since powders wick the moisture apart from the skin.
Use an Anti-Chafing Cream to Soothe the Skin
For reducing the inflammation caused due to chafing, you should use an anti-chafing cream for men. Not doing anything to cure chafing would worsen it. The chafing around the groin area can end up in yeast infection since yeast grows in moist regions. Use an anti-chafing cream with anti-septic properties, soothes skin irritation, reduces dryness and moisturizes the skin.
Apply Tea Tree Oil to Chafed Skin
A very popular essential oil, tea tree oil can prove to be pretty effective to treat chafed skin. Tea tree oil has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that help treat chafing. Take a few drops of tea tree oil on a cotton pad and apply them to the chafed area. You can also mix tea tree oil with coconut oil and apply it to the chafed area to moisturize the skin.
Home Remedies to Treat Chafing:
Here are some home remedies to treat chafing in men:
- Use petroleum jelly to heal the chafed area and prevent chafing in future. Petroleum jelly helps lubricate the skin and lessen the friction that leads to chafing.
- Coconut oil is best known to reduce inflammation, heal the wound, thus soothe and treat the chafed skin. You should regularly apply coconut oil to the chafed region. You will have to apply coconut oil repeatedly for good results since it may not remain on the affected area for long.
- One of the popular ingredients that is part of many beauty products, Argan oil. Argan oil can be applied to the chafed area as it hydrates, softens and relaxes the skin while improving skin elasticity.
- When chafing occur in sweat-prone areas like the groin, the corn-starch can be of great use. Corn-starch absorbs excess moisture from chafed skin. Also, with its antibacterial properties, it prevents the chafed skin from getting infections.
- Aloe vera has worked nothing less than magic for skin issues, and so it will undoubtedly work to cure chafed skin too. Aloe vera has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It promotes wound healing, hydrates and soothes the skin.
How to Prevent Chafing in Men?
Wear Moisture-Wicking Underwear
Do you wear cotton underwear? If you wear cotton underwear and are also more prone to chafing, then cotton will not be that good. Cotton is a breathable fabric, but it does not dry faster, so eventually, leaving the underwear and your areas wet. Ideally, you should use moisture-wicking underwear, best to draw excessive skin moisture and keep you fresh and dry all day. Loose underwear can irritate your skin, especially during working out or any other activity, so ensure buying one that fits well.
Rub Some Anti-Chafing Cream
So, if you are aware that you will be wearing certain fabric that can be skin-irritating or you are planning to get into a physical activity that can cause chafing, then rub some anti-chafing cream on your thighs and groin area in advance. Anti-chafing cream will help skin slide past each other easily without causing any discomfort and keep infection away. You must give anti-chafing cream for men by The Men’s Lab a try. The Men’s Lab chafing cream is made with natural ingredients and is vegan, paraben-free and SLS-free.
Trim Your Body Hair
For men, body hair can also be a cause of skin chafing. Plus, body hair can also lead to skin problems like folliculitis. You should take a preventive measure of trimming your body hair to prevent chafing and other skin-related problems. Ensure only trimming hair and not shaving. When you shave the body hair, the bare skin gets rubbed against each other and may get chafed. For someone already suffering from skin inflammation, trim your hair only after some days.
How Much Time Does Chafing take to Recover?
Chafing recovers only when the skin barrier gets an opportunity to repair itself. A piece of evidence suggests that if a person can protect the chafed skin from getting damaged further, the chafing will improve in a period of one week. Give some time to your skin to heal before you get back to any physical activities or you wear loose clothes.
If the skin chafing does not improve or recover even after trying home remedies or anti-chafing cream, make an appointment with a doctor because you may need an antibiotic medication.
