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If you're a cycler, a runner, a long distance or multi-day hiker, or even just enjoy the occassional long walk, then you have no doubt experienced chaffing at some point. It is a very painful situation and can take days to heal. On long multi-day hikes, it can be the difffernce between enjoying the trip or just trying to rush through to the end. Here is a great article to help you control and stop chaffing.
If you haven’t experienced chafing during a run or bike ride, consider yourself lucky. A little chafing may seem like a minor issue but it can be surprisingly painful and, if ignored, it can turn into an excruciating ailment that will hinder your comfort and performance.
For some tips on preventing and dealing with chafing, we checked in with REI Outdoor School Instructor Matt French, who learned the hard way how painful chafing can be when it forced him to drop out of a running race. His advice on chafing covers:
What chafing is
Tips for avoiding chafing
Where chafing occurs and how to prevent it
How to treat chafing
What is Chafing?
Chafing is irritation to the skin caused by friction—usually skin-on-skin or clothing-on-skin. This friction will eventually cause enough irritation that it will injure your skin, resulting in a rash, blisters or raw skin. Severe chafing can be extremely painful, making movement difficult.
Chafing can happen with just about any activity that includes repetitive motion, but it is especially common during long-distance running, multi-day hiking and cycling. Some factors that may cause or contribute to chafing include:
Ill-fitting clothing
Fabrics that don’t wick moisture
Hot weather
Humidity
Sweat
Water from watersports
Sensitive skin
Large muscles
Extra body weight
The first sign that chafing is occurring is a hot spot. Just like with blisters on your feet, early detection is important. As soon as you feel a hot spot somewhere, stop what you’re doing and check out the area. If the area is even a tad red and irritated, take the time to address the issue.
How to Prevent Chafing
You can prevent most chafing by applying lubrication and wearing properly fitting athletic clothing. Apply lubrication: There are a number of skin-treatment products on the market that are designed specifically for lubricating high-friction areas on your body to prevent chafing. You can use the lubricant to pretreat known problem areas or address hot spots that develop mid-activity. Be sure to follow the directions, but in general, apply the product liberally to any area that rubs. (NAC Pro Tip: I use Gold Bond Friction Defense, it comes in a stick style applicator like deodarent, is easy to apply and easy to store in your backpack. It is available on Amazon; Gold Bond Friction Defense.) Say no to cotton: The old adage “cotton kills” applies here, too. Cotton is great for lounging and everyday wear, but as soon as you work up a sweat, it will take a long time to dry and can cause painful skin irritation when it rubs. Choose synthetic or wool fabrics instead. Proper fit is key: A sports bra or briefs that are too tight can dig into skin. Baggy shorts and shirts can rub skin raw. Make sure your clothes are neither too tight nor too loose. Go seamless and tagless: Even properly fitting clothes can cause chafing when seams and/or tags rub against your skin. Choose clothing that has very few seams and, if possible, zero tags. Often the only way to figure out if a seam will cause chafing is to wear the clothing item, but it’s worth paying attention to rubbing or irritation when you’re trying on shorts or a shirt in store. If something bugs you in the store, then it definitely will during a long hike or hard workout. Evaluate Your Underwear: For runners and hikers, shorts with built-in briefs can be a blessing or a curse. Some people find them to be just what they need to prevent chafing, while others prefer shorts without built-in briefs so they can choose separate underwear or compression shorts. Men typically need the support of underwear, but some women prefer to forgo it when running or working out in formfitting tights. Cyclists, male and female, generally do not wear underwear underneath cycling shorts with a built-in chamois. In general, figuring out what undergarments work for you is usually a matter of trial and error. Secure your pack: The bouncing and shifting of a backpack, runner's vest or waistbelt can cause chafing in a number of places, including your waist, back and shoulders. Make sure you snug the straps on your pack to limit the amount of movement while you’re running. Hydrate: As you become dehydrated, the concentration of salt in your sweat becomes greater. Salt irritates the skin and can lead to friction that causes chafing. Stay properly hydrated and you can help prevent chafing.
Where Chafing Occurs and Prevention Tips
Here are the most likely places you’ll experience chafing and ways to prevent it. Thighs Skin-on-skin rubbing or clothing rubbing against skin is common in the thigh area. Prevention: To prevent chafing, apply a skin lubricant liberally to your inner thighs before running. Your clothing can also be the culprit. Avoid running in shorts or pants that have seams on the inner thigh. Choose snug-fitting stretchy athletic clothing rather than baggy shorts or pants. Some runners find that compression shorts take care of the problem. Groin As with thigh chafing, chafing in the sensitive groin region is generally caused by skin rubbing against skin, but clothing can be a factor, too. Prevention: Liberally applying a skin lubricant at the start of your run, workout or bike ride is key. If you suspect clothing is the cause, examine seams and fit. Applying lubricant where the seam touches skin can help, but you may need to try different shorts or pants. For running and working out, try wearing stretchy clothes that fit snug, but not too tight. For cycling, try bike shorts with a built-in chamois that will wick moisture away from your body. Applying skin lubricant, such as a chamois cream, to your skin or directly on the chamois can reduce rubbing. Nipples A common place for men to experience chafing is on their nipples. For women, a properly fitting sports bra usually provides protection from this (however, a sports bra can cause chafing elsewhere.) Nipple chafing is caused by repeated rubbing of your skin against a shirt. In severe cases, nipple chafing can draw blood. With less-severe chafing, you’ll experience significant pain when sweat contacts the irritated skin or when you suds up in the shower after a workout. Prevention: Apply a skin lubricant liberally to your nipples before running. Another common technique is to place bandages over your nipples. There are bandages designed specifically for covering and protecting nipples or you can try a standard bandage, like the type you’d use on a cut on your finger. Sports Bra A sports bra that doesn’t fit properly or has poorly placed seams can cause chafing. Prevention: The best thing you can do is wear a properly fitting sports bra. Armpits Skin-to-skin rubbing or abrasion from a shirt are two causes of armpit chafing. If you shave your armpits, you may be prone to chafing caused by a shirt rubbing against hair stubble. Prevention: Apply skin lubricant to your armpits and make sure you wear a shirt that fits you properly. If you’ve experienced chafing by your armpits, look at the shirt you’re wearing and see if a seam is causing the problem. If so, try a shirt with a different construction.
How to Deal with Chafing If our prevention tips arrived too late and you’re currently dealing with badly chafed skin, here’s some treatment advice: Reduce the rubbing: If chafing develops mid-activity, find a way to reduce the rubbing. Drying the problem area and applying a skin-treatment lubricant and/or changing your clothes can help. Take a shower: When you get home, wash up as soon as you can after your activity to get rid of salt residue left on your skin from sweating. (When water hits the chafed spot, it’s probably going to sting). Use lukewarm water (hot water will be too painful) and soap to gently clean the area. Pat the area dry. Ease the discomfort: Treat chafing like you would a minor burn or diaper rash. To prevent further rubbing, try loosely covering the area with nonstick gauze. Take a break: To give the injured area time to heal you may need to take a few days off from the activity that caused the chafing. See a doctor: For severe chafing that’s extremely painful, swollen and/or bloody, check in with your doctor.
Written by Matt French for REI Expert AdviceN.A.C. News
(Sunday, January 24, 2021)
Good Day everyone,
Canada and Ontario are still moving rapidly ahead with vaccinations, despite the troubles with receiving shipments of the Pfizer vaccine. According to the CTV News Vaccine Tracker; Canada has recieved 903575 doses from manufacturers. 681845 Canadians have recieved their first dose. 56404 Canadians have recieved their second dose. 1.94% of Canadians are vaccinated thus far. 1.7% of Ontarians are vaccinated thus far. If you're wondering when it will be your turn to get the vaccine, here is a great article published on January 13th with the breakdown of Vaccinations Stages by Province; When is it my turn? A coast-to-coast look at COVID-19 vaccine rollout
Last week, I designed and ordered some Niagara Adventure Club Swag. I orderd two different styles of ball caps, and a reusable shopping bag. At this time, I have not yet received the products, but I will have them by the time this newletter makes it to your inbox. If the products are of good quality, then I may consider selling them. The prices would be as follows; Khaki Embroidered Ball Cap - $36.00 Two Tone Printed Cotton Tote Bag - $22.00 (Tote Bag is 38cm x 47cm x 12cm and is 21.4L) Grey Printed Ball Cap - $27.00 Let me know if you would be interested in products such as these!
That's all the news for this week. As always, stay safe, and happy hiking! Lenny Burch Niagara Adventure Club