Chafing is more than simply annoying and embarrassing. It’s downright painful and can cause serious bleeding when the wound endlessly rubs against your clothing – if not itself. By preventing chafing from getting worse, you can give your skin a chance to heal while avoiding your chances of infection. But first, we need to understand why chafing happens, and what on Earth it even is.
Chafing is, essentially, skin damage caused by incessant rubbing. When you sweat and this sweat evaporates, salt crystals form – making your skin more vulnerable to damage. Chafing is more common in bodily crevices, like the breasts, causing the skin to become tender, red and raw.
Summertime + sweating = a recipe for chafing disaster. Something as seemingly innocent as bra straps can continuously rub against your upper and inner arms. You can prevent breast chafing from getting worse – and, in turn, give your skin a chance to heal – by following three simple rules.
1: Wear Close-Fitting Clothing.
This may seem counter-intuitive, but it’s true. Loose clothes don’t prevent chafing like their snug counterparts do, like skin-tight spandex or polypropylene. Also look out for sweat-wicking fabric that’s seamless or has flat seams, especially for the parts that will be covering the painful chafed area.
2: Stay Dry.
Consider non-talcum absorbent powder to collect excess sweat and prevent your chafing from getting worse. Also, try not to shave too much – especially with shaving cream – which can make pre-existing chafing that much worse.
3: Stay Hydrated.
Once you’ve absorbed any excess sweat lingering about, it’s time to lubricate the affected areas – but ONLY with an emollient designed exclusively to combat chafing in the breast area. Neat Feat’s 3B Action Cream is recommended by doctors and podiatrists to deeply hydrate chafed breast skin without making matters worse by leaving you greasy and uncomfortable. Neat Feat’s 3B Action Cream protects skin that’s already chafed while preventing it from getting worse or ending in infection.
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If you feel trapped under the rule of the merciless beast that is chafing, it doesn’t have to be the way. For intense, grease-free hydration that fights the source of chafing – and finally gives your skin a chance to heal – you know what to do…