Inner thigh chafing is one of the common skin problems experienced by a lot of people. It is a result of friction when the inner thighs rub against each other. People who experience thigh chafing may notice red, blister-like lesions that can also give a burning sensation. Inner thigh chafing can be a result of too much rubbing for different reasons. It can include walking, working out, and as well as wearing tight skinny jeans.
If you are one of the people who always experience thigh chafing, and you still haven’t found any solution on how to avoid it, then you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you tips on how you can avoid inner thigh chafing.
Causes of Inner Thigh Chafing
Before we give you the tips on how you can prevent inner thigh chafing, let us know first its different causes.
Inner thigh chafing is due to friction and sweat, and as well as the repetitive rubbing of the skin. It can be annoying and painful at the same time. This can occur when the skin on your inner thighs rub against each other or against clothing. Aside from the inner thighs, it can also occur in the upper thighs, groin area, inner glutes, and armpits.
Aside from that, inner thigh chafing can also be caused by a build-up of salt residue when sweat evaporates. If sweat dries up while physical activity continues, then the salt left behind can accumulate and cause friction. Other factors that can increase the possibility of inner thigh chafing are hot weather, dust from hiking or running, gritty sand from the beach, sensitive skin, and as well as previous skin irritation.
Active people, and as well as those who are overweight, are more prone to inner thigh chafing. But even though you are not a sports enthusiast and not overweight, you can still experience inner thigh chafing. This can lead to itching, burning, redness, blistering, and a painful rash. If inner thigh chafing is left untreated, it can lead to fungal skin and even infections. Serious thigh chafing can also leave skin bleeding and raw.
Different Ways to Avoid Inner Thigh Chafing
If you want to avoid inner thigh chafing, here are some of the effective ways we can recommend.
Always keep your skin clean
One of the easiest ways to avoid inner thigh chafing is to stay clean. Shower daily and always wear clean underwear. This is very important, especially if you are always engaged in daily activities that make you sweat. These activities will lead to a build-up of dirt, salt, and sweat in your thigh area, which is called “thigh grime. It often causes a sticky feeling, which leads to friction and chafing.
If you don’t want to shower after a workout, then you can also use a shower body wipe to clean sticky sweat and dirt from between your thighs area.
Find clothes that can work as a layer of fabric between your skin and avoid poorly placed seams
To avoid inner thigh chafing, one of the best clothing to wear is a longer pair of shorts. Also, try to avoid wearing clothes, most especially shorts and pants that have poorly placed seams. For example, seams in leggings or shorts are usually the biggest culprits of chafing in the thighs. Therefore, if you want to get through a run or workout outdoors, then you need to take your apparel seriously and look for any functional hazards.
If you are going for a run, try to avoid leggings or shorts that have prominent seams inside the leg that could rub. If you are cycling, try to avoid wearing underwear altogether because added seams can become your opponent on the road. You can just simply put on some padded cycling shorts or pants, then add some 2Toms and go.
Limit excessive sweating to protect your inner thighs
Moisture can leave the top layer of the skin irritated, painful, and chafed. Therefore, one of the best ways you can do to prevent inner thigh chafing is to limit excessive sweating. How can you do that? You can try to put some talcum powder on your skin to keep it dry and protect it from perspiration. Before starting your day, you can dust a layer of talcum powder on your inner thighs.
Use an anti-chafing stick or balm
An anti-chafing stick or balm is a lubricant that is specifically designed to reduce friction. It can create a frictionless barrier on the skin to keep your thighs and other areas from rubbing. Thigh chafing sticks or balms are easy to use. Here are some of the best ones you can try:
- Body Glide Original Anti-Chafe Balm
- Gold Bond Friction Defense Stick
- Body Glide Outdoor Anti-Chafe Balm
- MedZone Chub Rub for Her Anti-Chafe Stick
- Nextrino NeverChafe Anti-Chafe Stick
Use an anti-chafing cream
An anti-chafing cream is another kind of chafing lubricant that is designed to eliminate friction. Bikers and athletes mostly use anti-chafing creams to prevent thigh chafing and as well as saddle sore. Here are some of the best anti-chaffing cream we can recommend:
- Body Glide Skin Glide Anti-Friction Cream
- Chamois Butt’r Original Anti-Chafe Cream
- Blue Steel Sports Anti-Chafe Cream with Tea Tree Oil
- Calmme Anti-Chafe and Soothing Cream
- ChafeX Anti-Chafe Skin Cream
Swab some petroleum jelly on your inner thighs
The good old petroleum jelly can also be a big help to avoid inner thigh chafing. Plus, it is also an inexpensive solution. Some might think that this can be a greasy and messy solution, but a pinch of it might do the job well. Petroleum jelly can help repel sweat, and it also has proven lubricating properties. Also, if your inner thighs are already a bit chafed, petroleum jelly can help protect the chaffed areas if you still need to keep moving.
Wear anti-chafing thigh bands
For women, wearing thigh bands can be a big help to avoid inner thigh chafing. They are garter-like apparels that are designed to prevent thigh chafing by cover chafe-prone areas. They come in two basic kinds, which are fancy and plain. Fancy thigh bands are those lacy ones that look like the top of a thigh-high stocking. They usually resemble lingerie. Plain thigh bands, on the other hand, are made from lace-free microfiber.
To use an anti-chafing thigh band, measure your thighs where they touch to be able to pick the right size. You can also size down a bit to ensure a tight but comfortable fit. Most thigh bands are backed with silicone and are elastic so that they are comfortable to wear.
How to Relieve Inner Thigh Chafing
After knowing how to prevent inner thigh chafing, you also need to know how to relieve or treat it, if ever you were unable to avoid it. Here are some of the things you can do to get rid of chafing.
- Cleanse: If you’ve noticed that your thighs are red from rubbing against each other or against your clothes, the first thing you can do is rinse them off in cool or lukewarm water and use some very gentle soap. Do not use soaps that will sting and try to find a mild and moisturizing one. Also, do not scrub the affected area.
- Disinfect: If you want to be sure that there are no bacteria hiding in the red, raw skin, then you can use an antibacterial ointment like Neosporin.
- Soothe: After cleaning and disinfecting your chafed inner thighs, try applying aloe Vera gel to soothe the pain. You can also try using coconut oil.
- Keep Your Thighs Dry: While healing, you need to keep your thighs dry for a couple of days. Also, try to wear breathable pieces of clothes for optimal chafing relief. Try to delay your workout as well until your inner thighs are completely healed.
If you see some signs of a skin infection, or if you are diabetic and your skin is not healing, then maybe it’s time to visit your doctor. Some of the signs of infection can be swelling, redness radiating out from the chafing, skin that is hot to the touch, and if there’s blood or pus coming from the affected area.
Inner thigh chafing is indeed an annoying and painful skin problem that is experienced by many people. But there’s no need for you to suffer from it longer because there are lots of things you can do to prevent it and to treat it, as well. We hope the information we shared will help you avoid inner thigh chafing in the future.