Perhaps the most ignored part of our body are our inner thighs. We’ve heard of facial problems and their solutions. Skin problems of our hands, feet, private parts; even our under-arms have time-tested dermatological solutions. But thigh chafing is one of the most common skin problems that the general public is less aware of and it mostly goes unnoticed by people until it becomes a festering rash with burning sensations.
What is Inner Thigh Chafing?
Thigh chafing occurs due to the friction created between our inner thighs when they rub against each other, slowly damaging our skin. This may ultimately lead to red, blister-like lesions that can also cause burning sensation.
Although humidity and workout-related sweat can worsen the problem, we cannot let that keep us away from our daily routine and favorite activities. With a combination of specific dermatological therapies along with some time-tested home remedies, you can prevent chafing or treat the painful lesions when they occur, so that it ultimately doesn’t hamper your day-to-day life.
Symptoms of Thigh Chafing
You may have dealt with some level of thigh chafing in your life already due to humid times in the summer or due to the activities of your daily routine without even knowing that it was a serious dermatological condition. It was only that your lesion had not progressed to as painful a level as to require a visit to the doctor. Typical signs that should tell you that you have chafed inner thighs are:
- Itching over the skin of inner thighs
- Redness
- Flat spreading rash with burning sensation
- Blister-like lesions or boils
- Painful to touch
Chafing begins insidiously with brown spots over the inner thighs. These occur due to repeated cycles of chafing and consequent skin healing and the situation worsens as the cycle goes on.
Why Does Chafing Happen?
Thigh chafing can be a result of simple and unavoidable circumstances of a long workday in the summer but can be aggravated by:
- Wearing fabrics that don’t absorb enough moisture
- Sweating from exercise or everyday activities
- Wearing thin leggings that don’t provide sufficient barrier between your inner thighs
- Trapping of moisture between your skin folds due to heat and humidity
Verified Therapeutic Options for Your Chafed Thighs
They include a combination of over-the-counter drugs, ointments, and lotions along with specialized clothing. Thigh chafing, if left untreated, can get worse. Let’s look at some of the therapeutic and preventive options:
1. Thigh Bands
Thigh bands are specialised small elastic clothing worn around the width of our thighs to prevent rubbing of our inner thighs against each other. These work particularly well to prevent thigh chafing while wearing dresses like skirts where the thighs come directly into contact with each other. However, they can be worn under pants and athletic wear too. Thigh bands should be used even if our thighs are already chafed as this can prevent further worsening of the lesions.
2. Thigh Chafing Shorts
These are basically thigh bands with extra coverage that work the same way as thigh bands but these shorts are made to be highly absorbent for moisture and sweat.
3. Thigh Chafing Creams, Ointments, or Balms
Although shorts and bands are best for preventing chafing in otherwise healthy thighs, they have no role in treating the chafed areas. In this scenario, creams and ointments are the better choice since they can bring about the necessary therapeutic effect and heal the existing lesions while preventing occurrence of new chafed areas.
Specialised creams and balms are easy to apply and have lubricants that ease the contact between opposing skin surfaces, thereby reducing chances of chafe-causing friction.
4. Baby Powder
Baby powder is an important player when it comes to prevention of moisture buildup. Baby powder applied to inner thighs while getting dressed is a great way to prevent chafing. Especially the cornstarch-based formulas are highly absorbent to moisture. However talc-based products should be avoided.
5. Petroleum Jelly
The lubricating effect of petroleum jellies is already popular. Applied to your inner thighs, they not only create a barrier between the opposing skin surfaces but the lubrication also prevents any possible friction.
You may also apply petroleum jelly to your chafed thighs for burn relief. They work just as well as specialised thigh chafing creams as far as prevention of worsening of existing lesions is concerned and are also more affordable than most specialised creams.
6. Dermatologist’s Opinion
If the problem persists, despite all remedies, a dermatologist can be consulted for topical steroid-based treatment to alleviate your symptoms.
Conclusion
Thigh chafing is a lesser-known but quite significant problem, essentially due to its insidious nature of onset in most people. This makes it highly necessary to increase awareness about the problem along with its easily accessible solutions, especially in the heatwaves of Indian summers. There should be no compromise in your daily routine because of a problem that can simply be avoided by changes to personal hygiene and clothing habits and treatment of which is localised, external, and inexpensive.
Stay cool, seek help and don’t let thigh chafing ruin your day.
