Common causes include intense exercise, ill-fitting clothes, excess skin and hot weather. Prevention includes wearing appropriate clothing and using anti-chafing products or petroleum jelly.
The leading cause of inner thigh chafing is skin to skin contact. It's incredibly common for women that wear skirts and dresses. In the case that your thighs do not have a separation between them, they may rub together, causing this discomfort. -Wearing cotton and any other material that absorbs moisture.
Chafing can happen to anyone. It's normal for your thighs to rub together if you're wearing a skirt, for example. Many other areas of the body can also be affected by chafing, including the breasts, nipples, underarms, groin, buttocks, and feet. A chafing rash is often mild.
Weight loss is not a guaranteed way to prevent thigh chafing. If you're carrying a few extra pounds then some healthy and safe weight loss may decrease chafing. But, excess skin from rapid weight loss can sometimes make thigh chafing worse.
Use petroleum jelly or baby powder on chafed areas until the skin heals. You can also use these before activities to prevent chafing in easily irritated areas, for example, on your inner thighs or upper arms before running.
Wear properly fitting clothing, avoid activities that you know cause chafing and use an anti-chafing stick or cream. If you develop the condition, you should be able to easily treat it with aloe vera and petroleum jelly. If the condition worsens, see your healthcare provider for further treatment.
Moisturize the Chafed Area
Even though chafing can be caused by perspiration and moisture, protecting the skin with good moisture can help soothe pain. Apply a “gentle and bland” moisturizing lotion like Lubriderm or CeraVe to the area as needed to help calm down irritation and manage the pain.
Aging, weight loss, and other factors can cause loose skin to develop on the thighs, a common source of concern. If you're wary of wearing shorts or swimsuits due to sagging skin on your legs, there are many options to tighten your skin and improve your appearance and self-esteem.
Yes, thigh chafing is normal. While it is not comfortable, it is an incredibly common skin condition. Men and women, and even babies, of all different sizes, can suffer from chafed or irritated skin. This is particularly common around the inner thighs, groin, buttocks, and underarms.
Rough and heavy fabrics that rub against the sensitive parts of your skin can cause chafing. Poor-fitting clothes like underwear or shorts that are too tight can also lead to thigh chafing. Remember cotton and other fabrics absorb moisture. Wet clothing rubbing against your skin will lead to chafing over time.
A jock itch usually shows up as rashes or chafing, with patches that maybe red, raised and scaly around the edges and can ooze fluid in some cases. When ignored, it can quickly transform into a full blown fungal infection, causing jock itch.
Lubricate Your Skin – A bit of lubrication will help your thighs glide past each other, rather than pulling or rubbing the skin. Apply Vaseline® Jelly to the insides of the thighs before exercising or walking to effectively help protect against chafing.
Initially, chafing will make skin pink and feel hot or sting; as the chafing heals, it may begin to look like flaky, red spots. In severe cases, where chafing is prolonged, the rash may advance, and symptoms may expand to swelling, blistering, bleeding, or crusting of the affected area.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using petroleum jelly. Cover the irritated skin and any blisters with a small amount of petroleum jelly. This helps to protect the area, and may help it heal faster. Petroleum jelly can also be used to help prevent chafing from happening in the first place.
How long chafing takes to heal. Chafed skin will heal once the skin barrier has had a chance to repair itself. Anecdotal evidence suggests that if a person can protect the chafed skin from further damage, chafing should improve within 2–7 days.
Chafing happens to almost everyone, and while there's nothing to worry about, it doesn't mean you have to sit back and endure the pain! It can happen anywhere where there's skin-to-skin contact, but one of the most common areas is the vaginal area.
Petroleum jelly is especially useful in thigh chafing. This will help your skin glide while preventing the painful chafing rash that comes with the constant friction of skin and against the skin. A small amount is more than enough to help stop chafing whether you're at work or outside walking around.
Unless you are underweight or have femurs that are extremely bowed or your hip joints live unusually far apart inside the pelvis, your thighs will touch.