I'm a recreational, workout swimmer and I suffer from irritating chafing under my arms after particularly long freestyle stints. Is this a common thing? Help? Appreciated.
J
Former Member
Originally posted by starkmountain
I'm a recreational, workout swimmer and I suffer from irritating chafing under my arms after particularly long freestyle stints. Is this a common thing? Help? Appreciated.
J
I experience the same thing. I don't know if it's related to technique or what, but I find that putting a small amount of vaseline under my arms before long workouts helps to alleviate the problem.
Sean
Are you a guy or a woman? If you're a woman, it may be the bathing suit...not necessarily too tight, but the threads in the stitching may be irritating you...try rubbing parafin or candle wax over the stitches
For either gender...maybe you are dropping your elbow on the catch. If so, this can cause the skin on your upper inner arm to rub against the side of your chest...particularly if there's any excess flesh there...
I'm a guy.
The thing is I think the condition is more prevalent on days when I swim a lof of breastroke. Do you have any ideas about alleviating the problem? Somebody said Vaseline, which would probably work, but then you'd be stuck with vaseline on your pits all day. Any other suggestions?
There's a product called bodyglide (one or two words, I'm not sure) that I've seen advertised at various swim supply sites. It claims to reduce chafing and looks like it goes on like a solid deodorant. Maybe it would work. I've never tried it .. . maybe others here have.
good luck!
I have had a chafing problem all my competitive life (since 1973). I used to use Vaseline intensive care cream, but the company stopped making it. I have since found Eucerin creme works quite well, and does not have the greasy residue that vaseline petroleum gel leaves.
I have discovered that my chafing is due to very dry skin rather than stroke technique problems.
Triathletes use BodyGlide to prevent chafing with wet suits. It might work for just swimming. A more affordable alternative that's worth a try is Pam, the vegetable spray, which I've seen multiple triathletes use in lieu of BodyGlide. Let me know if this works.
I usually get "suit hickeys" on my neck and lateral chest.
I've been using Body Glide for about 1 yr with no more chafing problems. It is supplied in a stick form (like Deo) ,"glides" on the skin w/o any residue (No greasy/sticky feeling), and can endure 2hrs of hard swimming.
