Need advice re: chafing!

[Art Vandelay]

I overdid it a while back on the treadmill and subsequently experienced some pretty bad chafing from the elastic in my underwear. Took a few weeks to get past it... tried various combinations of diaper rash cream, cortisone cream, zinc oxide powder, and something called "chafing relief gel" containing dimethicone. Not sure which finally helped clear it up.

Now it's back, and it's just from the daily wearing of underwear. No extreme sessions on the treadmill to blame it on this time. And nothing is helping it to lessen or go away. The only slight relief I'm getting is from not wearing underwear, which feels really weird right now at the office! :o

Any of you fitness buffs have any advice for me? Obviously I should go shopping for a different kind of everyday underwear... but I need to get this cleared up as I'm miserable! Any tried and true cures you can recommend? Thanks.

[Cassiel]

As a marathoner I've used Body Glide, which is a stick that looks like deodorant, but you apply it where you've got chafing. I don't know if that would work with elastic chafing, though; I've used it more for skin-on-skin chafing situations. I think in your case I might just get new underwear.

[brighterhorizon]

First of all I would check your detergent you use for washing clothes, sounds like an allergic reaction. Also it could be an expulsion of toxins (greatly ebhanced by sweaty exersize) in that area as some people get around their socks when they are detoxing. Another problem could be that a your are deficient in a skin healing nutrient. Your skin should be healing itself. Try switching detergents, soaps, eating more healthy fats and try to get more vitamin A, C and E.

[Art Vandelay]

First of all I would check your detergent you use for washing clothes, sounds like an allergic reaction. Also it could be an expulsion of toxins (greatly ebhanced by sweaty exersize) in that area as some people get around their socks when they are detoxing. Another problem could be that a your are deficient in a skin healing nutrient. Your skin should be healing itself. Try switching detergents, soaps, eating more healthy fats and try to get more vitamin A, C and E.
While I know that allergies can develop at any time, I doubt it's my detergent or soap... haven't changed either brand in years, and it's not affecting me anywhere else on my body. If it was detergent, seems like my other clothes and/or bedsheets would be irritating other areas of skin as well.

Thanks for the other ideas though.... toxin expulsion is an interesting thought, as are EFA's/vitamin deficiency.

[Art Vandelay]

As a marathoner I've used Body Glide, which is a stick that looks like deodorant, but you apply it where you've got chafing. I don't know if that would work with elastic chafing, though; I've used it more for skin-on-skin chafing situations. I think in your case I might just get new underwear.
Never heard of Body Glide but will look for it... maybe a running or cycling store would carry it?

Yep, new underwear are definitely on my shopping list this weekend!

[zoebird]

i simply don't wear underwear unless i have to.

my husband does well with under-armor underwear (tis a brand name. it's expensive undies).

[CaptainSwab]

I'm another fan of body glide. I get major chaffage sometimes on my long runs. And yes, you can buy it at a running store.

[KnifeSkillz]

shhhheeeeezzzzy take advice from an old school cook, corn starch is yo answer, good ol cornstarch, u may laugh but the stuff works.

[Michael]

I overdid it a while back on the treadmill and subsequently experienced some pretty bad chafing from the elastic in my underwear.

Well, the solution is obvious. You must stop wearing underwear.

ETA: Dammit, zoebird ruined my joke. :(

[Art Vandelay]

Michael, I have stopped wearing undies whenever possible.... it's been a fabulous little side benefit of all this. I feel so scandalous going commando in my conservative office. :)

[piratebean]

If your skin is not healed yet, maybe you should try "Boudreaux's Butt Paste" on that area. The cream is thick - it was originally designed as diaper rash ointment - so you'd probably only want to wear it at night.

I cannot verify whether it is vegan-friendly. I don't have my tube handy.

As my husband's physician used to say, "This **** cures cancer!" - He thought it was the be-all and end-all of skin-healing cream. My husband used it to help treat some skin irritations that developed during his month-long hospital stay last year.

You can find Boudreaux's usually in the baby section of any major pharmacy, grocery store, etc. It's near other diaper rash products. Or ask a pharmacist if you can't find it. What I like about it is that it does not stink of menthol as other diaper rash ointments do.

One problem is that Boudreaux's, not surprisingly, is from the Gulf Coast area, and their website says they are not accepting new orders right now because of Hurricane Katrina. So if it's manufactured and/or distributed there, it's possible it's going to disappear from stores for a while.

And I also second the recommendation for cornstarch. Throwing some of that on your nether regions after you shower and towel dry is always a good idea. That might be a good regimen - cornstarch by day, Boudreaux's by night, until you start to heal. And new undies!