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How many times have you felt rigorous burning sensation in between your thighs because of the persistent friction between them?
Do you feel like it would have been better if you had a thigh gap? Or do you simply just start walking like a penguin just to avoid making the situation even worse? What you are experiencing is, in medical terms, known as skin chafing.
It is primarily caused by persistent friction from the skin to skin contact which leads to irritation on the skin, leading behind sores, red inflamed skin that often burns because of the skin irritation.
- What is Skin Chafing?
- How to Stop Chafing?
- How to Get Rid of Chafing?
- Home Remedies for Chafing
- What are the Symptoms of Skin Chafing?
- How Long Does Chafing Last?
What is Skin Chafing?
Skin Chafing is a skin problem that is caused by prolonged and continuous friction between the skin, either with skin, irritable fabric or sometimes even because of excessive sweating and constrictive clothes.
It leaves behind irritation on the skin, with skin scaling, sores and sometimes even red patches on the affected part.
Chafing is primarily visible in places which are the most constricted and prone to more friction from either the clothes or even just the skin.
The most common places of contraction include in between thighs, groin region, armpits, nipples or even feet, although the last two are rare occurrences.
How to Stop Chafing?
Before we jump right into talking about the various ways to heal chafing skin, let us walk ourselves through the reasons why it is caused in the first place. As mentioned before, skin chafing results in irritation and stinging of the skin because of persistent friction, either between the skins in contact or because of the clothes that come in contact with the skin.
If you have been in such awkward yet painful situations, you are pretty aware of the common causes behind the problem. Just to clear it out, let us mention the common causes of chafing, which include:
- Obesity or simply being overweight creates friction between thighs, thus, causing skin chafing.
- Diapers and the prolonged exposure to urine or feces often develops rashes and chafing of skin on the buttocks of infants.
- Consistent activity like in endurance sports like cycling and such often produce excessive sweating which is one of the primary reasons of skin chafing.
- Breastfeeding mothers often experience skin chafing on their nipples.
- Body hugging clothes or ill-fitting clothes in general often cause chafing of the skin.
Now that we have these common causes out of the way, let us focus on the various preventive measures that one can adhere to stop chafing between legs and basically any other part of the body.
The top ways to prevent from skin chafing include:
- The very first and basic method of prevention is to lubricate the area so as to minimize the friction. This can be done using petroleum jelly or even just normal baby oil.
- If you are looking for good effective preventive measures, it is always best to start with powdering the area that has been chaffed. This draws out the excess moisture from the affected area and helps keep the area clean and fresh which further ensures to provide with a soothing feeling.
- Wear comfortable and breathable clothes during the summers when the possibility and chances of sweating are a lot higher than what you would normally experience in cooler days.
- If you are planning on wearing skirts or such, ensure to wear anti-chafing bandelletes to avoid the constant brushing of the inner thighs.
- Make sure to powder the groin region during extremely hot weather conditions. It’ll help in keeping the area dry and help stop the thighs from chafing and provide with groin chafing treatment.
- Breastfeeding mothers should always apply nipple cream to avoid any situation of chafing on their skin.
- Mothers should ensure to keep their baby’s diapers clean and not keep their babies in a wet diaper. The wetness and the bacterial infestation causing rashes and chafing on the buttocks of the kids which can make them irritable and in pain as well.
How to Get Rid of Chafing?
Chafing can be healed in a number of ways, the most common one lying around in your storage cabinet of your house. If you are looking for effective chafing treatment, this is definitely a good place to start with.
Some of the common methods to help heal chafing skin include:
- Keeping the affected areas dry with powder so that it causes less friction.
If you already have chafed skin, apply some ice or even some petroleum jelly for instant relief. - Prevent wearing tight-fitting clothes and constricting ones that leave little to no room for the skin to breathe properly.
- Keep the most prone areas powdered at all times.
- Avoid direct skin to skin contact and shield them with a piece of soft clothing as a barrier. For example, to stop thighs from chafing, you can easily opt to wear slacks or even the thigh bandalletes to avoid the friction between the thighs.
Check Out These Effective Home Remedies For Skin Chafing.
Home Remedies for Chafing
1. Cold Compress
One of the worst outcomes of skin chafing is the stinging and burning sensation that accompanies it. If you are looking for effective natural remedies for chafed skin, the cold compress treatment is a pretty great start.
Although it is good for any form of skin chafing, it is particularly amazing for groin chafing treatment and also to heal chafing overnight so you can carry on with your daily routine the next day.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar is pretty much known for its amazing anti-microbial and astringent properties which are exactly what helps heal chafing skin from getting worse.
It can effectively treat several forms of rashes and skin irritation that you probably were fretting about.
Dilute apple cider vinegar and dab it directly over the chafed skin to kill the bacterial growth and to heal it quickly. It might sting at first but the same fizzles down after a few seconds.
3. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera gel is known for its amazing anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, especially on the skin.
It is generally a very effective remedy for the treatment of burns which is one of the primary reasons why it is one of the best remedies for chafing.
It moisturizes and heals the irritated and broken skin which is what often causes the painful and stinging sensation.
4. Baking Soda
Baking Soda is a great ingredient not just for that spongy vanilla cake you had but for your chafed skin as well. It helps in treating the signs of irritation and rashes that happen in skin chafing.
The healing properties of baking soda help in minimizing the pain and symptoms of chafing by reducing further exposure to skin infection.
For an easy application, mix one tablespoon of baking soda and three tablespoons of water to form a paste. Apply this over the affected area and leave it on and finally, wash it off with cold water after 20-30 minutes.
5. Corn Starch
As skin chafing often times occurs due to excessive sweating and friction between the body parts, it is always best to put up with remedies that cope with the same.
Corn Starch is an amazing alternative if you are not that very accustomed with normal talcum powders. It is a natural ingredient and helps soak up the excess sweat around the area which could possibly cause further degradation of the chafed skin.
This remedy is especially amazing to stop chafing between legs and that too heal chafing overnight. It soaks up the excess moisture from the area and its anti-bacterial properties help in healing the red splotchy patches around the affected area.
6. Baby Powder
Much like how a corn starch works, even the baby powder has a similar course of action for the healing of the chafed skin.
It is effective to treat chafing in the groin area and for small infants who easily get rashes because of consistently wearing diapers.
Make sure to clean the area of the chafing first with clean water and then pat dry and apply a generous amount of powder in and around the area to keep it dry and disinfected.
It is a great alternative to the normal talcum powders because of the fact that these tend to contain little to no harmful constituent as it is manufactured for the kids. It is not harsh on the skin and helps heal chafing overnight without imposing any severe side effects.
7. Epsom Salt Bath
Yet another amazing and one of the most sorted for remedies for chafing is the Epsom salt bath. If you weren’t aware before, Epsom salt constitutes of a number of amazing minerals which are beneficial in healing skin chafing.
Soaking yourself in an Epsom salt bath can inflict amazing health benefits to healing the chafed skin with ease. It provides with a soothing effect and also cleanses the area of the chafing which restricts further bacterial growth in the area. It helps soothe the irritation around the skin along with the rashes and redness that come along with it.
[Also, Check How Epsom Salt treats Boils and Constipation]
8. Essential Oils
Essential oils are an amazingly effective remedy that helps treat the signs and symptoms related to skin chafing. Some of the most common essential oils like tea tree oil, lavender oil and such help in not just healing the chafed skin from within but is effective in moisturizing the area to help prevent further friction in the area.
Many a time, it is best to mix these essential oils with a base oil like that of coconut oil to lessen the intensity of the essential oil because it can be overwhelming for a number of people. It is an effective method to treat chafing in the groin area.
9. Turmeric
Turmeric is known across the world for its amazing anti-fungal and anti-septic properties. These are the primary two properties that help heal chafing skin and cure it with amazing results.
It kills all the bacterial infestation in the area and prohibits further degradation of the condition.
For smooth application,
- Mix three tablespoons of turmeric powder to two tablespoons of water to make a smooth thick paste
- Apply it over the chafed area of the thighs or even the groin or other parts of the body.
- Leave it on for 15-20 minutes until the healing qualities of the turmeric work its magic.
10. Olive Oil
Olive Oil is an amazing remedy for the treatment of chafed skin. It acts as a great moisturizer for the harsh and rough skin and helps heal the itch and irritation that accompanies skin chafing.
Not just that, olive oil is also packed with nutrients and minerals which tends to make the skin feel more moisturized and supple.
It is always best to apply olive oil after you have taken a shower and cleaned off the sweat and pollution from the body. It is often even mixed with oatmeal to make a paste for remedial benefits on the skin.
11. Neem
Neem has potent anti-septic, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties which are amazing in treating the problems that one face because of skin chafing.
It helps kill the bacterial growth near the groin area because of excessive sweating and also soothes the skin irritation that is caused by chafing.
If you want promising results, boil a handful of neem leaves in a bowl of water and let the extract come out. Let the concoction cool completely and store it in a spray bottle.
You can spray this around the affected area to heal chafing skin between legs or treat chafing in the groin area. If you are looking for easy alternatives, try the neem astringents or even neem oil.
12. Calendula
Other amazing and best remedies for chafing include the application of calendula oil.
It is naturally packed with anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-septic properties which are amazingly beneficial for the treatment of skin irritation caused by chafing.
It is always best to mix it with a base oil because it can be a bit overwhelming just on itself.
13. Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is yet one of the most effective natural remedies for skin chafing. Because of the oily base, it helps moisturize the area which reduces chances of further friction.
If you have been struggling for a long duration of time with chafing, take a shower and pat dry the area completely and slather a good amount of petroleum jelly over the area.
This heals the burns and stings and also lessens the level of irritation one feels in their sight of skin chafing.
What are the Symptoms of Skin Chafing?
Much like what must have been mentioned in the paragraphs before this section, a skin chafing is characterized by the following common symptoms:
- Skin irritation
- Scaled skin
- Roughness and burning or stinging sensation on the area
- Crusty skin and redness around the area
- Blister like formation (especially seen in kids because of diapers)
How Long Does Chafing Last?
There is no fixed timeline for how long the skin chafing lasts. It can be healed overnight or it may even take up a few days to heal completely. If the skin hasn’t been chafed a lot and immediate remedies have been administered, there are chances that your chafed skin will heal itself overnight. But, if the symptoms are still there and there is consistent friction against the affected area, there are chances that the situations might get worse, instead of getting better.
Skin Chafing is a very common phenomenon and is not something that one needs to fret about. It is primarily seen during the hot and humid weather conditions when the chances are sweating are heightened. It is always best to opt for the natural remedies for skin chafing because not only are they effective but they don’t leave behind any kind of negative side effects on the body which is definitely an added plus.
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