At least every third woman sooner or later becomes aware of the awkward sensation of chafing between her legs in the summer heat.
What to do in this situation and how to get rid of the unpleasant sticky feeling on the skin in the heat in the future?
Irritation on the delicate skin of the thighs when walking always appears if two conditions are met:
• legs touch each other when walking;
• the skin on the legs is damp.
Causes
Why does it rub between my legs? Abrasions on the inner thighs of both legs appear due to active friction against each other during intense movement. A painful symptom can be provoked by:
- fast running or cycling;
- excess weight, in which the legs become full and inevitably touch tightly while walking;
- individual structure of the legs: large hips against the background of a normal physique, closely spaced hip joints;
- Wearing clothes made of synthetic fabric or with coarse fibers causes severe irritation when in contact with the skin.
An additional risk factor for rubbing between the legs when walking is the summer period, during which sweating increases. On bare legs, an additional reason appears in the form of a damp surface, which causes the skin to rub.
The same thing happens when using synthetic fabrics. Chafing between the legs develops due to contact dermatitis or sweating, since the material of this quality does not allow air to pass through, which creates a greenhouse effect.
If, despite the chafing between the legs, you continue to wear such clothes, the skin between the legs changes structure and color.
In people of corpulent size, significant fat deposits in the form of ridges appear on the inner surfaces of the thigh. The delicate skin of the thighs instantly reacts to irritation.
The situation worsens if no therapeutic measures are taken.
1Why does the skin between my legs rub?
Usually, the problem with chafing between the legs is discovered in the summer, when girls finally decide to move into a summer wardrobe, which is dominated by dresses and skirts, and everyone tries to give up tights during the heat. Why is there a problem? Most often for the following reasons:
- My legs are a little plump, so when I walk they touch each other, creating friction, which causes chafing between my legs.
- The skin is constantly in a wet state, and in this case it rubs much faster than dry, and the contact of the legs may not even be constant.
- Those with thin skin also suffer from chafing between their legs.
- Wearing the wrong underwear can irritate the skin between your legs.
- A rough, improper sanitary pad can also cause chafing.
Basically, it is hot weather and bare legs under clothes that are the main cause of the problem. However, women with full legs suffer from skin chafing all year round, causing incredible pain. Rubbing creates incredible discomfort and prevents you from enjoying life and feeling good. And if nothing is done, the situation will only get worse.
Symptoms
At the initial stage, when the skin is rubbed, slight redness appears, causing unpleasant discomfort.
If the problem is not corrected, the top layer of skin is damaged and prickly heat or urticaria appears on the hyperemic area, which looks like a small bright red rash.
Subsequently, small papules are mechanically damaged by friction, and small ulcers appear, which may not heal for a long time.
The situation is aggravated by the addition of an allergic reaction, in this case the rubbing between the legs turns into weeping type eczema.
If you rub it between your legs, an infection may develop with the formation of ulcers. A history of chronic pathologies of an endocrine nature provokes long-term treatment. The condition is especially dangerous when blood sugar is elevated.
In patients with diabetes, metabolic processes slow down, wounds may not heal for a long time and take a chronic course.
Rubbing between the legs bleeds and significantly worsens the quality of life; a person simply cannot walk normally. The skin changes its healthy color to dark.
Darkened areas may have an unpleasant odor, which indicates the possible attachment of a fungus.
What other ointments help if you rub it between your legs?
What to do if small diaper rashes appear between your legs every now and then - everyone decides for themselves. We note that modern medicine has many effective means to combat this. In addition to the above-mentioned drugs “Bepanten” and “Panthenol”, zinc ointment is very popular in such cases, which helps relieve inflammation, dry the wound and is also an excellent antiseptic.
The Naftaderm product has also proven itself to be excellent, providing not only an anti-inflammatory and disinfectant, but also an analgesic effect on the affected area of the skin.
Skin-Cap cream also helps solve the problem, which quickly eliminates inflammation and has an antimicrobial effect, preventing infection of damaged skin.
For serious abrasions, doctors recommend using Advantan ointment, but its dosage should be discussed with a specialist, since this remedy is already a hormonal one.
Complications
If the problem is treated incorrectly or ignored, complicated conditions may develop:
- allergic manifestations of contact dermatitis: urticaria or weeping eczema;
- fungal infections that are difficult to treat;
- the appearance of single boils or purulent inflammatory acne;
- deep ulcerations leading to trophic ulcers.
Therefore, if you have rubbed between your legs, it is more advisable to immediately begin treatment procedures than to deal with complications later.
Treatment
How to get rid of chafing between your legs? To achieve the fastest possible effect from therapeutic measures, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive treatment of the existing problem.
First of all, special attention should be paid to hygiene procedures.
Wash your thighs twice a day to remove dirt and sweat residue using a hypoallergenic product. After the procedure, the inner surfaces of the legs must be blotted with a clean towel. If you have already rubbed it between your legs, you must take a shower before each treatment.
Methods of drug treatment for rubbing between the legs are:
- ointment for chafing on the legs, which promotes healing and regeneration of damaged tissues - Bepanten, Dexpanthenol, Rescuer, Boro Plus, Solcoseryl;
- for ulcers or deep abrasions, before applying the restorative ointment, it is necessary to treat the surface with an antiseptic solution - an aqueous solution of Chlorhexedine, hydrogen peroxide;
- for non-healing ulcers, you can apply antiseptic dressings with silver ions or use ointments with a similar composition - Argosulfan, Sulfargin;
- lubricate the abscesses with Vishnevsky’s liniment to remove purulent contents;
- if the skin is infected with a fungus, you will need to treat it with antifungal ointments - Clotrimazole, Mycoseptin;
- antihistamines will relieve the effects of allergens - Suprastin, Tavegil, Cetrin;
- It is prohibited to use alcohol solutions of iodine or brilliant green, so as not to cause additional burns.
Physiotherapeutic procedures stimulate healing well. Ultraviolet irradiation of the site of irritation neutralizes the surface and promotes the formation of new epithelial cells to restore the skin.
Exposure to red laser beams is widely practiced. This method is highly effective, especially for allergic rashes. The disadvantage is that with repeated courses the therapeutic effect is significantly reduced.
Additional methods include medicinal foot baths with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, a decoction of chamomile, string or St. John's wort. For greater effect, bath fillings can be alternated.
What methods can you use to avoid chafing between your legs:
- Clothes made from natural fabrics will help prevent friction on the inner surfaces of the skin: long trousers, light trousers to prevent leg irritation in the summer, special seamless thermal underwear, simple tights.
- To avoid chafing between your legs in the summer, you can apply an antiperspirant deodorant to dry, clean skin on your thighs to prevent the formation of sweat. It is recommended to choose products for sensitive skin without fragrances or additives.
- To protect your legs in summer, it is also recommended to sprinkle your thigh with talcum powder or baby powder. The skin will remain dry and healthy.
- There are situations where an increased amount of hair in a given area has an irritating effect, especially in males. Epilation of the inner thighs will save the situation.
