How Does Chaffing Occur?

Understanding Chaffing

Chaffing is the skin's natural reaction to prolonged exposure to surface irritation such as friction and/or pressure. Typically, chaffing can be caused by a variety of normal activities and should not be cause for concern unless it is extremely severe. We have many layers of skin, and while our cells regenerate and repair themselves over time, chaffing can occur over the space of a day, or even hours. This is too quickly for your skin's surface to keep up with, which is why you observe the redness, irritation and discomfort commonly associated with chaffing. Consult a physician if the surface of your skin is breaking, bleeding, or showing signs of infection.

Common Causes of Chaffing

Many normal activities and/or situations can cause chaffing to occur. Activities such as rope climbing or gymnastics can cause chaffing on the hands, because they require pressure to be placed repeatedly on the palms. Hiking in new boots or breaking in a new pair of shoes can easily cause ankles, feet and toes to chaff from the friction of the material as it presses against the skin. Chaffing can occur from rubbing one section of your own skin at length over the course of a day.

How You Can Prevent Chaffing From Occuring

There are a number of things you can do to prevent chaffing from occurring. If you are going to be breaking in hiking boots, try wearing them around the house for shorter periods of time before embarking on a day-long hiking trip. The same goes for new shoes; the better they fit when you wear them for an extended period of time, the less chaffing will occur. Wear climbing gloves when rope or rock climbing; this will take the pressure off of your hands and minimize chaffing. Keep your skin as clean and dry as possible; chaffing is more likely to occur when the skin is wet because it is softer and more vulnerable to damage and breaking. Most importantly, when you realize that chaffing has begun to occur, stop the activity that is causing it (if possible), and begin caring for the area where chaffing has begun to occur.