Skin Care for Athletes
An athlete's skin is exposed to a variety of stresses and dangers, including intense sunlight, dirt, excessive sweat, bacteria and fungi and chlorine. For outdoor sports, the best precaution is a quality sunscreen and proper clothing. Showering as soon as possible, before the dirt settles in, will also keep your skin clean and healthy. For sports such as wrestling, where a common mat is used by many athletes, cleaning the shared area and seeing a dermatologist at the first sign of an unusual itch or redness is a must. Finally, keep your feet dry and clean to avoid athlete's foot.
Things You'll Need
- Sunscreen
- Light protective clothing
- Hydrogen peroxide, dish washing detergent or rubbing alcohol
- Water, sports drink, natural juice
- Anti-fungal powder
- Bandage (various sizes)
Instructions
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Use sunscreen outdoors. Although we are all aware of the dangers of unprotected exposure to the sun, it is too easy to forget to apply or reapply sunscreen. Athletes in particular need to use a liberal amount of sunscreen and reapply frequently, because the movement and sweating will quickly wear away the cream. In addition, you should cover exposed areas with light-colored clothing whenever possible, and avoid long outdoor sessions between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is at its strongest.
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Cleanse as soon as possible. Whether you play in or out, it is best to cleanse your skin as soon as possible following a workout or match. Use a gentle but potent body wash, and scrub lightly. This will keep dirt and bacteria from clogging the pores and leading to problems, such as acne and bacterial inflammation. After you dry, use anti-fungal powder on your feet to avoid athlete's foot, and keep your feet as dry as possible during exercise. For prolonged exercise that requires shoes, remove your shoes during breaks and consider a second set of shoes you can switch to halfway through the session.
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Drink enough water. Athletes sweat a lot, and their skin is prone to drying and cracking if the lost fluids are not replaced. Consume enough water, and add sports drinks as well as natural juices when you expend a lot of energy. Sports drinks will help replace lost electrolytes as well, which water can't do.
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Cleanse common areas. Contact sports, especially grappling arts such as wrestling and judo, require skin to skin contact and make the transmission of skin disease relatively easy. To avoid medical conditions such as ring worm and herpes gladiatorum, cleanse the mats and other common areas with diluted hydrogen peroxide, alcohol or dish washing detergent. See a dermatologist as soon you notice an unusual rash or itch, and avoid contact with teammates until a diagnosis is made. Contact sports as well as many other intense activities may also result in "jogger's nipples" as a result of constant chaffing of the hair follicles against clothing. An adhesive bandage over sensitive areas will usually prevent this condition.
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Cleanse yourself thoroughly after using swimming pools. The chlorine in swimming pools can deposit on your skin as well as hair. So, shower thoroughly after using the pool, and use a body wash. Wetting your hair with clean water before you enter the pool can also reduce chlorine deposits on your hair.
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References
- Photo Credit prise en main image by margouillat photo from Fotolia.com
