What Helps With Chafing?

If you have chafed skin, you’re probably seeking immediate relief. Good news: There is help for chafed skin. Allowing the skin to cool and heal will help immensely, as will the application of ointments to moisturize and soothe your skin irritation.

We’re going to look more closely at how to help heal skin chafing. And then, we’ll dive into how to prevent it from happening again in the future. But first, let’s make sure we understand what chafing is and why it happens!

Wait: Is it Skin Chafing or Another Irritation?

If you have sensitive skin, you may be used to irritation. Allergic reactions to certain products, bug bites, or even just dry skin. So when your skin flares up, it may not be obvious what’s causing it.

Chafing is a common skin irritation caused by something repeatedly rubbing against the skin. This rubbing can be:

• Skin-on-skin: This occurs when skin repeatedly rubs against other skin, like when the inner thighs rub against each other when you walk or run. Anywhere the skin comes in close contact or where there are natural folds in the skin, you can experience skin-on-skin contact and, therefore, chafing.
• Material-on-skin: Chafing can also occur when fabric or other materials rub against the skin repeatedly. This could be an awkwardly placed seam, a too-tight waistband or underwire, or even the stiff leather of a new pair of shoes.

Chafing happens more often on hot days, and this is for a few reasons:

• Heat/Humidity: When it’s already hot outside, the skin will naturally warm up. This means friction can quickly cause excess heat and irritation. If it’s muggy, you’ll also have dampness to contend with, and that can make your skin clammy and sticky, which will create more ‘drag’ as it rubs together.
• Sweat: Sweat contains salt, and we all tend to sweat more in hot weather. You have sweat glands all over your body. So sweat can bead and pool around your breasts, groin, back, legs, etc. And if you’re already starting to chafe in those areas, your sweat will add salt to that mix. Ever heard the adage about rubbing salt in a wound? That’s quite literally what happens, and the salt in your sweat will make the chafing sting and burn even more and even cause tears in the skin.

Chafing is characterized by red, raw, burning, and irritated skin. It can 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)
• Nipple-chafing (often happens to male athletes who may experience chafing when the fabric of their clothing 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)

How to Treat Chafing When it Occurs

Chafing can happen quickly on a hot day, so it’s not always easy to anticipate and prevent it. It definitely worsens the more continuous the friction, so the more quickly you simply stop whatever movement or rubbing is causing the chafing, the more quickly it will heal up.

1. Start With Clean Skin

You also don’t want sweaty, torn skin to sit unclean as it could become a breeding ground for bacteria, and that inflammation could turn into a skin infection—you definitely don’t want that! So get out of those sweaty, wet clothes and hop in the shower.

This is not a time for a steaming hot shower, bath, or hot tub—they can make chafing worse. But you do want to clean the skin, and some cold or lukewarm water will actually feel really soothing (just don’t blast the water pressure.) 

Clean the chafed skin gently with some hypoallergenic, scent-free shower gel applied gently with the hands (no loofahs or sponges as they will cause further friction and abrasion). Rinse well with more cool water.

2. Gently Pat the Skin Dry

This is not the time for an invigorating towel dry. Instead, pat the chafed skin dry gently. Remember: friction from repeated rubbing got you here in the first place, so you need to avoid anything that creates additional friction, or it will further exasperate and irritate your already sensitive skin.

3. Apply Aloe Vera, Petroleum Jelly, or Another Healing Lotion to the Chafed Skin

Once the skin is dry, help the healing process along with a healing lotion. You might reach for Polysporin or another medicated ointment. Or perhaps you prefer a natural remedy like aloe vera gel, which has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties too. You can also try coconut oil, argan oil, good old petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline), shea butter, or even diaper rash cream to soothe chafed skin.

Chafing can dry out the surface of the skin, so adding moisture will soothe it immediately but also help to replenish your ‘sanded’ skin. One note of caution: Avoid moisturizers that contain acids (lactic acid, fruit acids, AHAs) or that are heavily fragranced, as these might only further irritate your skin. 

You’ll want to reapply your chosen product repeatedly while the skin is healing.

4. If it’s Really Bad: Ice Packs and Painkiller

If your skin chafing is particularly painful, you might want to pop an anti-inflammatory (aspirin) or another painkiller. As always, follow medical advice when taking any medication. You can also try applying an ice pack to the chafed area to help cool the skin and reduce inflammation.

5. Change What You’re Wearing to Reduce Friction

Clothing is a huge factor when it comes to chafing. Either there is no clothing forming a protective barrier between the skin (e.g. inner thigh chafing when you’re wearing a summer dress.) Or the clothing itself is the source of chafing (e.g. a pair of shoes that’s rubbing your heel raw.)

Whatever the answer, chafing is a sure sign that it’s time to slip into something different. After you have treated your skin, think about using clothing to form a physical barrier to protect the skin from further irritation. 

Here are some suggestions:

• Thigh Savers or compression shorts can protect the thighs where the skin rubs together. On your period? Try Leakproof Thigh Savers
• Socks can prevent shoes from rubbing your feet (band-aids can help too!)
• Longer, fitted sleeves can protect the inner arms and armpits from chafing
• Changing into a wireless bra or a bra with wider straps (or a better-fitting bra) can reduce friction and minimize chafing around the bust area
• Changing out of any too-tight clothing for something that fits you better will always help

Next Time Around: Prevent Chafing From the Get-Go!

Wouldn't it just be easier if chafing didn't happen at all? Absolutely! And good news: You can prevent chafing from happening in the first place with some simple steps.

Protect the Inner Thighs from Skin Rubbing With Thigh Savers

You can prevent thigh chafing and groin chafing with a simple product. Anti-chafing underwear works by creating a physical barrier between your thighs. Usually, they’re light shorts that are form-fitting, and you can also look for styles (like our Thigh Savers) that include moisture-wicking to help manage sweat. 

Try Anti-Chafing Cream or Petroleum Jelly to Prevent Skin Chafing

There are many anti-chafing products that help prevent chafing and combat (and treat) skin chafing. These products are designed to create a barrier that sits on top of the skin and helps the skin “glide” past other skin. If you don’t have these products handy, you can even try good old petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) to create a skin barrier (yes, petroleum jelly is good for both treating chafing and preventing it!)

Absorb Sweat With Anti-Chafing Powders

We now know all about the sweat-chafing connection, so it’s also good to think about products that will minimize and absorb sweat, like moisture-absorbing powders. Look for non-talc all-natural products with ingredients like kaolin or cornstarch to absorb moisture. Other ingredients, like aloe and lavender, can cool, soothe and have antibacterial properties.

Does Chafing Ever Require a Doctor’s Visit?

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.