My legs itch in my hot woolen pants. Please help me!

June 1, 2008 2:32 PM

How can I prevent and treat painful and ichy heat rash that comes as a result of my job?

I have to wear a full wool uniform at my job, both for "historical accuracy" but also for very real safety reasons. Us girls who work there wear spandex shorts to prevent chaffing between the legs, but I find myself getting rashes all down my lower legs and under my armpits. After working last summer under the same conditions, the rashes remained for the better part of the school year.

I'm already noticing signs that the rashes are coming back, and the temperatures haven't even hit the point at which we start sweating profusely in our uniforms (we wear them even in 40*C weather). Short of wearing a full-body spandex suit (which would be rediculous, and far too expensive), is there a medicine that I can ask a doctor to prescribe me, or an over-the-counter cream that works well on these rashes? Maybe a home recipe?

As a side note: I do tend to be more prone than other people at my work to this, since I have had quite sensitive skin since I was borne, so there isn't really a method that is in place at my work to combat this.

Another side note: yes, I know wool tends to itch, but it is very clear to me that the rashes only show up during sweaty times, and then have issues clearing up, so I think it's a combination of wool and heat and sweat that are causing the rashes. I think it's called heat rash, but if it's not, can you give me the correct term?

Thanks a bunch!

posted by Planet F to health (17 comments total)

Two words. Gold Bond. Apply regularly, it'll change your life.
posted by sanka at 2:40 PM on June 1

Try Gold Bond body powder. It's made specifically for this kind of problem.
posted by phunniemee at 2:40 PM on June 1

You can buy whole-leg cycling tights if the Gold Bond doesn't work out. The link is for expensive ones, you can get cheaper if you look around.
posted by beerbajay at 3:03 PM on June 1

Thirding the people who recommended Gold Bond. Both the cream and the powder are wonderfully soothing. You can apply the powder liberally underneath your uniform, and then use the cream for extra relief when you get home.
posted by amyms at 3:25 PM on June 1

You could try a wetsuit "skin". It's a full body lightweight suit designed to prevent exactly this problem.

You want the lightest weight kind, not the ones with fleece or neoprene. I would get it a bit big.

You can also try putting your uniform in the freezer overnight (ideally for several days). It makes some kinds of wool less itchy, for some reason.
posted by fshgrl at 3:52 PM on June 1

Are you allowed to alter your uniform? Men's (modern) wool pants are usually lined with viscose, so you don't get wool-on-skin. Usually they're half-lined (to the knee) but that's enough to avoid skin contact.

Of course if it's heat and not wool, the lining might not make things better. You might find that a non-spandex snug wicking layer works better than tights, though.
posted by mendel at 4:05 PM on June 1

Gold Bond might do the trick but if not, try Snake Brand Prickly Heat Powder. (www.britishdispensary.com) I have been becoming more and more heat and sun sensitive as the years go by, and was thrilled when I discovered this on a trip to Thailand. It's great stuff.
posted by allieger at 4:40 PM on June 1

to all who recommended Gold Bond: I'm definitely going to try that, thanks!

To mendel: definitely not possible to alter the uniform (note the historical accuracy part, and the pants alone cost 400$ each!!!! I'd have issues explaining that to the Quarter master)

To allieger: I'll keep that in mind, do they have their own website? I want to see if they sell in Canada.

to fshgrl and beerbajay: If I had enough money to get full on spandex/sweat absorbing pants and shirts I would, but the spandex shorts alone gave me a bit of a monetary heart attack, and they were on sale!!! But thanks for the suggestions.
posted by Planet F at 4:47 PM on June 1

A wetsuit skin is not Spandex, it's just a cheap lightweight synthetic material of some kind. They are $50-$70, less on ebay.
posted by fshgrl at 5:38 PM on June 1

Another possibility, if Gold Bond doesn't do the trick, is to try using antifungal powder sold for treating/preventing athletes foot. Look for the "-azole" class of antifungals, like miconazole. Tinactin, Desenex, and Zeasorb are some brand names to look for.

I'm prone to getting what are basically yeast infections of the skin. The rash looks red and is somewhat itchy--it's not little dots like classic babies' prickly heat rash. Stuff like talcum powder and Gold Bond are good for keeping my skin dry, which wards off infection, but they don't treat it once it starts. The "foot powder" does.

During the summer I give myself a good dusting with talc and then a little bit of the foot powder stuff. That seems to do the trick to keep the funky skin stuff at bay.

Hope it helps. Good luck!
posted by Sublimity at 5:40 PM on June 1

Something to keep in mind is that regular Gold Bond, in the yellow can, is talc-based. Talc has been linked to ovarian cancer. I prefer the high-zoot variety of Gold Bond called Gold Bond Ultimate Comfort, which is cornstarch-based. It has a slightly more feminine fragrance but it's not baby powderish, and it works as well for me as regular Gold Bond.
posted by workerant at 7:38 PM on June 1 [1 favorite]

Wouldn't simple linen/cotton undergarments would be historically accurate and prevent chafing?
posted by desuetude at 8:31 PM on June 1

Pant Liners, like a slip, but to wear with pants.
posted by anastasiav at 6:56 AM on June 2

desuetude: linen and cotton are notoriously fire-catching... we play with gun powder, so that would be a safety infraction (sadly)

I think i'm going to go with the gold bond ultimate comfort powder stuff, I don't want cancer!
posted by Planet F at 3:08 PM on June 2

A historically accurate fire hazard, though!

I've always heard heat rash as referring to a rash brought on by heat/exposure to sun, more than the rubbing/chafing/sweat rash. (I am very fair-skinned and have been known to get itchy blotches that are almost hive-like just by being very hot in bright sunlight.)

But regardless of what it's called, it's worth a trip to the dermatologist, who may be able to prescribe some ointment that will a) help heal this as quickly as possible b) be intended for long-term use, which some are not.
posted by desuetude at 4:24 PM on June 2

Following up--I'm aware of the talc powder vs. corn starch concerns. In my case, I'll take my chances with talcum powder, since corn starch can essentially end up feeding the yeast that cause my skin rash and so defeats the purpose.

How much information is TMI on Ask MeFi? Suffice to say that I do take care to apply the talc to the rash-prone areas *near* my girlie bits, but don't apply it directly on the bits, so as to keep the particles from getting anywhere near my ovaries.

I'll bet if the OP puts it on her legs while she's wearing her underwear, it won't be much of an issue.
posted by Sublimity at 7:28 PM on June 2

As a knitter, I've learned that wool is NOT inherently "itchy" as most people think. What causes your skin to itch in reaction to wool is actually an allergy. This is why some people can wear alpaca or merino but not wool - even though they're all hair from closely related animals.

So you may have a wool allergy, and the fact that it's coming back sooner and sooner lends strength to that idea - allergies do that as your body recognizes the irritant and tries to combat it sooner. Unfortunately for you.

Try taking some over-the-counter 24-hour allergy meds, like Claritin. (You can get these really cheaply from Costco). Do that for a couple weeks and see if it helps.

(If you can stand it, I'd be interested in seeing whether it'd work without the Gold Bond; then you'd really know what caused it to get better.)
posted by GardenGal at 7:50 AM on June 6