Chafing In Monsoon: What Causes The Red, Stingy Rashes On Skin In High Humidity Weather; How to Prevent it

Monsoon Chafing:  Noticing red, stingy, and inflamed skin on the inner thighs, underarm or groin area? Chances are you might be suffering from skin chafing. With the increased humidity levels and moisture in the environment, the skin is more prone to bacterial or fungal infection and inflammation. Chafing is one such condition inflicting your skin, and making it difficult for you to go with your everyday life. Pause the suffering now by learning the cases of skin chafing and ways to prevent them in monsoon. 

Causes of Chafing in Monsoon 

In most cases, chafing is due to the constant rubbing between skin or any other irritant fabric. There could be a number of reasons for chafing in monsoon. 

• Moisture: In rainy days, the moisture in the environment is high, triggering sweat with no sun to fight the bacteria responsible for skin fungal infections.
• Tight Clothing: We all want our fits to pass the fit check. But in monsoon, it becomes imperative to wear loose clothing as they do not cling to your skin and hence avoid the chance of skin rubbing against irritating fabric and getting chafed. 
• Skin-to-skin contact: If you are someone with heavy arms, things, or breasts, you might be suffering from chafing more than others. The bulky body parts constantly rub together to result in chafing on the inner thighs, inner arms or armpits, or the under breast area, which is also suffocated by bra bands in the case of women. 
• Wet clothing: It is usual to walk in drizzle in the rain, and continue to wear dampened or wet clothes for long periods of time. However, the rain soaked fabric would cling more to your skin and cause friction. 

Prevention Tips For Chafing In Monsoon 

Chafing is cumbersome but not non-preventable or non-curable. You can imbibe these preventive methods to avoid it. 

• Wear Breathable Fabrics: Avoid the skin to fabric friction by wearing loose, and breathable fabrics or clothes. If skirts cause chafing try to wear loose pants or trousers, similarly switch tight tops or bras to loose t-shirts. 
• Anti-chafing Treatment: You can avoid or treat chafing by using anti-chafing powder on areas more prone to friction like thighs or groin as it absorbs moisture that causes skin inflammation. 
• Petroleum jelly: Applying vaseline or petroleum jelly can help in reducing skin-to-skin contact friction. 

Chafing is a skin irritation that can be prevented by the right methods, and basic body hygiene and cured with the help of anti-chafing products readily available in the market.