What Does Chafing Mean?

Chafing is a kind of skin irritation caused by friction or repeated rubbing. The friction can be skin-on-skin or the skin rubbing against another material. Heat, humidity, and perspiration can make chafing worse. Skin chafing usually results in the skin becoming red, rough and hot to the touch, and inflamed. While chafing is not usually considered medically serious, it can be painful and highly irritating.

The “Chafe” Verb Can Be Used Literally But Also Figuratively

The word “chafing” can also be used less literally to refer to anything that makes your feel irritated or impatient. For example, you might say that you find a certain person or behavior “chafing” or you might find yourself chafed by constant interruptions. For example, I might say “the dripping faucet chafed my nerves.”

But, in this article, we’re going to focus on the skin irritation known as chafing. We’ll look at:

• What chafing is and why it happens
• What body parts are most susceptible to chafing
• Why chafing can happen to anybody
• Some ways of treating chafing when it occurs
• When chafing becomes medically concerning

Inner Thighs Chafed? Collar Chafed? What Body Parts Are Most Susceptible to Chafing

Chafing can occur happen almost anywhere on the body, but anywhere you have more sensitive skin will chafe more easily and more quickly. Chafing is more common on certain body parts, including:

• The heels and toes (often caused by stiff shoes that haven’t been broken in)
• Inner thigh (caused by the friction of thighs rubbing together and often exacerbated by groin sweat or stubble from bikini hair removal)
• Beneath the boobs (often caused by too-tight or too-loose underwire bras that rub against the rib cage. Can also be exacerbated by boob sweat)
• The collar or neck (often caused by a stiff, starched collar or even a seatbelt or cross-body purse strap for some people)
• Nipple-chafing (often happens to male athletes who may experience chafing when the fabric of their running top rubs against the nipples. Less common in women as sports bras are usually worn)
• Inner arm or armpit chafing (another area where the skin is delicate and friction can easily happen between the skin folds)

Why Chafing Can Happen to Anybody

Chafing is sometimes called “chub rub,” and the implication is that it’s a problem that bigger people experience more. This may be true to some extent; greater body mass may lead to more folds in the skin and more skin surface area that comes into contact with other skin.

The fat activist community lovingly coined the phrase “chub rub” to normalize and destigmatize talking about chafing. However, thigh chafing (and chafing in general) can happen to anybody. For example, you could be an athlete who has significant muscle bulk and experience chafing. Or sometimes, just the shape of our body means our legs or other body parts come into contact at certain points. 

But chafing can also be caused by materials like shoes, waistbands, purse straps, and even seams. And if you have particularly sensitive skin, you’ll become agitated more quickly.

Because sweat is an exacerbator of chafing, people who perspire more may also be more susceptible to chafing. Indeed, there is no rule about how much sweating is ‘normal.’ 

Factors that impact how much you sweat include:

• How many sweat glands you have (the average person has 3 million, but it can range between 2 million and 4 million. The more glands, the more sweat).
• Gender
• Genetics
• Age
• Fitness level
• Environment

So generally, there are many variables that contribute to chafing, and at the end of the day, size is no guarantee that you either will or will not experience skin chafing.

Some Ways of Treating Chafing When It Occurs

There are steps you can take to prevent chafing. There are anti-chafing balms and creams on the market that can be topically applied to help the skin ‘glide’ and thereby reduce friction. You can also try products like Thigh Savers (including Leakproof Thigh Savers)  to protect delicate skin from excess friction. More generally, choosing form-fitting, seamless and moisture-wicking materials will help encapsulate the skin in a protective barrier (athleisure clothing often falls into this category.)

But when chafing does occur, there are also treatment options. You can read more in-depth about how to treat chafing here. But some summary suggestions include:

• Clean and dry the skin gently (lukewarm water, fragrance-free cleansers and pat dry). Avoid scrubbing or vigorously rubbing the chafed area.
• Apply whichever of the following is your tried and trusted treatment for skin irritation (or is just at hand)
• Aloe vera gel (aloe vera is known for its cooling properties, especially when used on sunburn)
• Argan oil (nutrient-rich and has anti-inflammatory properties)
• Coconut oil (coconut oil reduces inflammation and helps heal wounds)
• Diaper rash cream (serves as a barrier cream)
• Apply petroleum jelly, aka Vaseline (petroleum jelly keeps the skin slick to prevent further rubbing)
• Medicated ointment
• If the chafing is particularly painful, you can try applying an ice pack wrapped in cloth

When Chafing Becomes Medically Concerning

Good news: Skin chafing does not usually require a visit to the doctor. If you’re still experiencing pain or irritation days later due to severe chafing, it might be worth a trip to the doctor:

• A wound opens up around the raw skin of the chafed area and doesn’t scab over in a few days (assuming it’s not further exacerbated)
• You notice blood or pus coming from the damaged skin around a chafing wound
• The skin is very hot or swollen
• Redness spreads beyond the point of chafing

But generally, a little bit of rest and TLC, and you should be back to normal in a few days!

We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.