What is chafing?
The medical definition of chafing is a skin irritation that happens when your skin rubs against another part of your skin. It can also occur when your skin rubs against clothing or another material. Repeated friction causes the condition, but moisture can make it worse. Chafing commonly occurs in warm, moist areas such as your inner thighs, groin, buttocks, armpits and under your breasts. The condition can be painful but it’s usually mild and easily treatable.
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Where can chafing occur?
Chafing can happen anywhere you have skin folds, but it can also occur where any parts of your body rub together or against clothing.
Breast and nipple chafing
The areas between and under your breasts are common areas of chafing. You may experience skin-on-skin or skin-on-clothing friction. Nipple chafing is common among people who breastfeed (chestfeed), as well as among athletes.
Armpit chafing
The combination of dry skin, sweat and friction can cause chafing under your arms. This type of chafing is common among athletes, people with obesity and people who work in hot, humid environments.
Thigh chafing
Thigh chafing occurs when your inner thighs rub against each other through skin-to-skin contact or through your clothing. Chafing thighs may be worse in hot weather. People of all shapes and sizes may experience this type of chafing.
Groin chafing
A combination of friction and moisture causes chafing around your groin area, including your penis or your vagin*l area. Your skin around this area is very sensitive, and therefore, easily irritated.
Butt chafing
You can think of buttock chafing kind of like a baby’s diaper rash. This type of chafing can affect the area between your butt cheeks. It may also affect the area along the bottom part of your buttocks where it meets your upper legs.
Feet chafing
Foot or feet chafing typically occurs due to blisters. Blisters are areas of raised skin that bubble and form due to repeated rubbing and pressure. They occur most often when your skin is sweaty and slipping around. That’s why you may get more blisters in the summertime or while exercising.
