(I value my dear reader's intelligence and so I do not really think it is necessary to point out that I am not a dermatologist. I am merely a user, consumer, and own arm pits. Just sayin')
Why is it the things that bother us are the last thing we want to discuss? Some kind of quirk, obviously common to our species, we all do it.
My girl friend whispers to me that she got chafing in her under arm area while paddling in Alaska and it was the most painful thing ever. This is a lady who has had three kids, so that says something about chafing in that particular area and the level of pain it causes. I can sympathize, I have had it, and want to avoid it at all costs. A casually conducted poll renders up the fact that lots of paddlers get it, in the under arm area.
Well, I have kindly conducted a relatively UN-scientific product review for my dear reader and I have some solutions to offer up. There are a couple of products that are helpful and I also have some advice in the gearing up category.
First, let's smear some goo on that area. My "goo" of preference is Hoo Ha Ride Glide. This product is sold as a chamois-cream, for gal cyclists. It works, it stays put, and two plus years of use it has never stained or discolored my clothes. After I apply it to my underarms I wipe the excess off around my neck where I sometimes get chafing from my life jacket straps and shirt collar. I tried another product sold by Title Nine called "Glide,"and went right back to the Hoo Ha. Yeah, I use it on my chamois area when I cycle, too. DO NOT smear on the Hoo Ha Ride Glide AFTER you have already gotten chafing. Ow, burny. No.
Not too long ago I left my train case at home by accident, was in a small town knowing I would be on the water for hours each day, must head off chafing. In desperation I turned to the cyclist's old stand by, diaper cream. Specifically, Desitin. Hmm, that worked out okay. It prevented chafing but it did give me a case of clogged pores. Since then I have experimented with it. If I am just paddling one day it does not cause a problem. More than one day and exfoliation is mandatory. It has become my emergency anti-chafing goo.
I also found it prevents, well, tuchus rash, baboon butt, gig butt, jock rot, whatever code words one uses for that inconvenient rash that happens in one's under-roo area after being wet all day. Who woulda thunk it? Diaper cream for bum rash!
Next, a couple of gear recommendations. Sports bras, oh guys this part is not for you, unless you just like to read about our lovely lady lumps. Running, cycling, hiking, I want my girls firmly restrained. But paddling does not require that level of support and I have actually found that less support equals less chafing. So I go for low support tops, typically yoga tops or light bras with a compression shirt, for paddling. So the girls are freer, which leads to less contact in the under arm area.
The other suggestion I have is one specifically related to the life jacket, pfd. This suggestion is for all sexes. If you own arm pits and wear a conventionally styled life jacket, this is for you. They typically have three straps on each side. Paying attention to where the straps hit on your body, synch the one that hits at your actual waist the tightest. Upon experimentation, swimming my equipment, I realized I did not really even need the top strap to hold the pfd down while floating. It is all about getting the strap at my waist tightest. By letting the top strap be looser I get less chafing just due to the mechanical effect. Please note I am not advocating a loose pfd. Not at all. As a matter of fact I wear mine so tight it is corset-like. But just the top strap being less tight can make a big difference in the chafing department. In the breathing department, too, now that I think about it.
Lastly, take my word on this one small thing: skip the baby powder, it does not work.
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