Chafing in the Intimate Zones: How to Keep the Skin Down There “Pretty”

There’s a common problem that plagues both genders, and the subject gets brushed under the rug.  It’s chafing—down there—and when the skin rubs together like this, it makes it look as good as we’d like it to.  It's a cycle.  

The issue worsens when we don’t know it’s a problem and we don’t know how to fix it because there’s no discussion on the solution!  There’s only one way to end it, and that’s by talking about the problem head-on, so let this be your guide to end that nasty genital chafing from here on out.

Why Does Chafing Happen?

The fact that chafing occurs does make perfect sense.  It’s the part of our bodies where the skin is rubbing together, either against itself or against clothing. 

It gets worse when we carry a bit of extra fat, sweat or the skin is holding moisture, are working out, or when we wear too constricting of clothes that causes the skin to unpleasantly rub against it.

Men experience intimate chafing frequently, and this is called “jock itch.”  Unlike women, men have to deal with their genitals not being neatly and internally tucked away, and this naturally leads to more folds of the skin and greater friction between them.

However, women aren’t off the hook when it comes to chafing, even in the intimate regions. For women, vaginal chafing can occur, but there's not a colloquial term for it.  

Women are especially prone to intertrigo, which is essentially skin-to-skin friction that leads to inflammation and rash beneath the breasts, something that the majority of women can attest to experiencing while working out.

Much of chafing knows no bounds to gender-related areas and mainly occurs in areas like the thighs and underarms.

With Intimate Chafing Comes Problems

Of course, it doesn’t just stop at the skin-to-skin friction and slight irritation.  Moisture becomes an issue with chafing and can make things worse.

Your skin is more likely to experience irritation when it’s slick with sweat and moisture produced by your skin, and the one place where you won’t have too much breathing room is going to be your genital area.  Underwear, while necessary, can make the whole chafing situation worse than it needs to be, keeping that sweat on the skin and unable to evaporate.

Chafing can lead to:

• Dermatitis
• Jock Itch
• Bacterial infection
• Yeast infection
• Intertrigo

Fortunately, intimate chafing doesn't lead to too serious issues.  These problems are nothing that can't be addressed between you and your doctor and a little help from an antibiotic or prescription topical treatment.

But there are things you can do to keep the chafing from happening in the first place, which will make you much more comfortable, happier, and cleaner!  And on the plus side, you won’t have to ditch your underwear.

Ways to Prevent Intimate Chafing

We no longer live a proper Victorian society, and that's great news for us because while not a ton of people want to talk about vaginal chafing or chafing around the genitals, there are plenty of companies and manufacturers that have addressed the issue for us.

Anti-chafing lubricants and sticks have been around for a while, and once you try them, you'll wonder why you ever went a day without one handy.  Lube up before hitting the gym, and you'll have a much better workout and come out the other side without a raging red rash on your genital area.

These products aren’t just for the gym rats, either.  Throw an anti-chafing stick in your bag in the summertime and run your errands without the horrendously unforgiving chafing between your thighs.

Anti-chafing products are safe to use on any part of your body, so go ahead and lubricate the folds of skin near your intimate areas if that’s where you experience chafing. 

Another easy way to prevent intimate chafing is to wear loose-fitting clothes.  Your chances of chafing and skin irritation skyrockets when you're producing sweat, so be mindful of what you're wearing during a workout.

Try wearing special clothes that are made to wick sweat away and keep it off of the surface of your skin.  For your genital area, wear gym shorts with breathable, built-in underwear made of similar sweat-wicking material.

Not only will your skin around this part of your body keep looking good, but it will keep it healthy and stave off bacterial infections, too.

Staying hydrated is an excellent way to prevent chafing on any part of your body, and this method of prevention is often overlooked or not even considered by most! 

Hydration keeps us healthy in so many ways, one of which is by allowing our bodies to perspire freely without the sweat hardening into abrasive salt crystals, we can avoid chafing.

Your Anti-Chafing Checklist:

• Wear loose-fitting, appropriate clothing
• Use anti-chafing sticks and lubricants before working out
• Staying hydrated 

Your Intimate Area: Maintaining Healthy Skin

Once you’ve gotten the hang of a routine to prevent chafing, you’ll want to make sure you’re continuing the basic care of your intimate area to ensure the skin is as happy and healthy as you are.

Your Healthy Intimate Area Checklist:

• Keep your genital area clean
• Avoid using products on your genitals, especially ones that aren’t designed for intimate use
• Stay hydrated
• Eating right

First and foremost, keeping your genitals clean every day is one of the best steps you can take to keeping the skin down there as pretty as can be.  You’ll also ensure that there are no unwanted bacterial infections, skin irritations, and keep it smelling and feeling fresh.

Just don’t use any products on your genitals that aren’t meant to for use down there.  Many bathing products contain ingredients that could further incite inflammation, and if you’ve got chafed skin, it could make things worse.  Stick to plain old warm water, some mild soap, and products that are designed for genital cleanliness.

Again, you’ll need to keep staying hydrated and eat right.  Pushing water through your system is your body’s way of filtering out all of the bad stuff—and for your skin, it keeps the cells plump and rejuvenated.