Summer has yet not left us, and monsoon is knocking on our doors. This is one of the worst transitions in the weather. Hot, humid, and uncomfortable, resulting in rashes, skin issues, and chafing. Chafing is a skin rash caused by friction and excess moisture. It can be painful and irritate you while also becoming an obstacle in your day-to-day tasks. You can hardly move and anything active you do feels dreadful. While chafing is usual on hot and humid days, avoiding it is not impossible. A few precautions and some changes in lifestyle and you can do away with chafing forever (pardon our exaggeration). Most men are affected by terrible chafing every summer, we hope this piece will help them overcome this agonizing skin issue. So, let us discuss in depth how to prevent chafing.
Increase Your Daily Shower
This should be a no-brainer and something that is unavoidable during scorching hot and humid days. If you lead an active lifestyle, play a sport, or work out regularly, you must increase the frequency of your daily showers. Frequent showers (not more than 2-3 a day) wash away any grime or dust from your body resulting in squeaky-clean skin that is less susceptible to chafing. Cold showers are also known to sweep away any harmful bacteria, viruses, and fungi that may cause rashes on your skin.
Use a Gentle Cleanser
Have you ever looked at the ingredients of your soap or shower gel? There is a very high probability that your soaps contain harsh and skin-drying chemicals. These substances dry out your skin and give rise to friction and rubbing eventually leading to chafing. Choose a gentle cleanser with natural ingredients, it may be a little expensive, but your skin will thank you for the investment. If you are unable to buy an all-natural cleanser, reduce the amount of soap you use during a shower.
Only Breathable Fabrics
Summer and monsoon are not the season for luxurious and shiny fabrics. Get yourself some amazing outfits in cotton or linen. These are your best friends in the humid weather. You sweat less in these fabrics, and they help your skin breathe better. Opt for loose-fitting garments to steer clear from chafing, rashes, and skin irritation.
Keep Your Skin Dry
The dominant cause of chafing is excess moisture and friction. While we can hardly avoid friction between our body parts, we can surely keep them dry. After you take a shower, moisturize chafing-prone areas like inner thighs, armpits, buttocks, and feet, and use a non-talc-based dusting powder. There are many dusting powders made of natural ingredients like cornstarch and arrowroot. Dusting powders act as a barrier and prevent friction.
Moisturize Well
Properly moisturized skin is less prone to chafing as compared. Using a high-quality moisturizer for your body is a must for every season. You should always moisturize your body post-shower. Our bodies produce natural essential oils for our skin but some of these oils are washed away with soaps, to restore the natural moisture of the skin a hydrating body lotion is essential. A non-sticky, skin-friendly moisturizer is your best friend to avoid and reduce chafing. Use an ample amount of moisturizer after every shower and let it dry naturally. Once absorbed in your skin, a moisturizer reduces chafing greatly by blocking dryness and friction.
Upgrade Your Underwear
Your inner thighs and groin are the areas most prone to chafing due to constant friction. Loose, synthetically made underwear is one of the major causes of chafing the pubic area. If you are still wearing the old worn-out cotton or polyester underwear it is time to update your undies. Stay clear from tiny briefs and loose boxers, a boxer brief is much better in keeping chafing at bay. On your next underwear shopping spree, invest in a quality pair of underwear made of superior fabrics like Supima cotton or micro modal. Some notable and affordable brands for quality innerwear are XYXX, DaMensch, Jockey, Marks & Spencers India, etc. Also, pay attention to the fit of the underwear, it may seem futile but in the long run, your groin is going to thank you.
Chafing is customary during humid months. However, it can easily be prevented by some straightforward fixes. Implement these solutions in your routine and do let us know how effective you found them.
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