How to Avoid Bathing Suit Chafing

No bathing suit flatters your body enough to justify chafing. Chafing occurs when two surfaces, such as a bathing suit and your skin, rub against each other repeatedly. Adding moisture into the mix increases the friction and severity of chafing. Swimsuit chafing typically occurs in the groin area of the swimsuit where the elastic is tight, but can also appear along the underarm or neckline. The result is tender, swollen, welted skin. Avoiding chafing entirely is the safest option and, with the right preventative steps, is easy to accomplish.

Things You'll Need

• Petroleum jelly

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  Wear a bathing suit that fits properly. Swimsuit seams that cling tightly to your body create chafing around the areas you move most, like your groin and underarms.

• 2

  Dry yourself and your suit off before engaging in vigorous physical activity. Moisture intensifies chafing so running in a tight, wet swimsuit creates a perfect environment for chafing to develop.

• 3

  Avoid wearing a bathing suit that's too large. Excess material wrinkles and rubs against your skin and being wet only makes the friction more powerful.

• 4

  Apply a lubricant to the areas of your body most prone to chafing. Rub a quarter sized glob of petroleum jelly into your skin before donning your bathing suit. The oil in the petroleum jelly repels water and provides a lubricated surface for your suit to move against.

• 5

  Alternate bathing suit styles so you're not exposing the same areas of skin to the same seams and elastics. For example, if you wore bikini-cut bottoms on Monday, wear boy-cut bottoms on Tuesday.