My thighs... they burn!
June 19, 2018 11:53 PM   Subscribe

This is embarrassing, but how do you deal with and prevent thigh chaffing, especially when it comes to wearing form-fitting jeans?

I gained a few LBs and I've noticed lately that my thighs have been chaffing when I walk around in my jeans. I don't have a car, so I walk a lot and this is a problem! It starts out minor and then turns into "holy mother of god make it stop" with every single step. What can I do?

I tried buying large band-aids and covering the point that seems to rub against whatever, but it was only moderately successful and still caused some irritation. Also concerned they will lose their stick after a long time. Any other recommended methods? I can't really tell if it's the thigh's contact with the seams in my jeans or the thighs rubbing against each other, but either way, please help with this embarrassing problem! Definitely want any solution to be discreet and not detectable in jeans. Thanks!
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (28 answers total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
This happens to me in workout clothes, and my main solution is to apply some kind of lubricant to the affected area. Helps a lot. There are a lot of brands catering to this specifically in the context of exercise, for example Body Glide. They have a semi-solid product that (hopefully) won't just soak through and leave a wet spot on your jeans. There are probably different product lines that cater specifically to wearing under street clothes but I don't know 'em.
posted by grobstein at 12:09 AM on June 20, 2018 [4 favorites]


Woman Within (formerly Lane Bryant) has long-legged panties that should shield thighs from friction. I have not tried this, but those "boxer shorts for women" must be used for something.
posted by Cranberry at 12:20 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I am obese and I have had actual open sores on my inner thighs because of ill fitting jeans. I no longer wear those jeans. My recommendation would be jeans that fit, followed by something like Spanx or cycling shorts or similar you wear under the offending jeans. If the jeans are so form fitting that this is noticeable I guess that means your jeans no longer fit if you can’t wear them without inflicting pain on yourself. By all means try the anti chaffing products. But I’d expect the heavier fabric of jeans to present a different problem compared to the fabric exercise clothes are made of.
posted by koahiatamadl at 12:21 AM on June 20, 2018 [3 favorites]


I use clear deoderant right after I get out of the shower and swipe it down my inner thighs before getting into my jeans. Works super well, especially now that it's summer and swamp butt season is upon my city.
posted by Hermione Granger at 12:28 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I'm not even obese or fat. My weight hasn't changed much. But... as I got older I guess the distribution changed and...

Anyway, I had to switch away from the Levi and Arizona jeans I had been wearing to something that fit a bit different to get away from the chafing.

Point I'm trying to make is that even if you haven't put on a bunch of weight, things change as you get older so.... It just pays to shop around. Wranglers used to not fit me at all. Now..... well, they do. I'm not super comfortable with what that says about me, but.... I'm a lot more comfortable in the nether regions so, choose your battles, I guess.

Anyway, I still have to shave my ears.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 12:37 AM on June 20, 2018


baby powder
posted by mannequito at 12:47 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


I have a friend who swears by cornflour for this.
posted by womb of things to be and tomb of things that were at 1:23 AM on June 20, 2018


Coconut oil after a bath. I'm not sure why, but only coconut oil works for me.
Also look into more lightweight, less fitted jeans.
posted by Nieshka at 1:55 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I'm with grobstein on using Body Glide, works great on stopping chafing on my inner thighs from running gear. I'm sure it would be completely undetectable in jeans.
posted by Pink Frost at 2:33 AM on June 20, 2018


One of my favorite people on Twitter swears by Monistat chafing relief powder gel for this.
posted by sockermom at 3:38 AM on June 20, 2018 [6 favorites]


Oh chub rub, how I loathe you. Arm & Hammer makes an anti-friction stick you swipe on like deodorant. Also Jockey slipshorts are key, they’re basically long shorts underwear. I use the anti-friction when I’m wearing pants or shorts and the slipshorts if I’m wearing a dress.
posted by tatiana wishbone at 5:11 AM on June 20, 2018


Friends have told me that plain deodorant swiped between your thighs is awesome for this.
posted by starlybri at 5:39 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I am a fan of Megababe Thigh Rescue for this, in a pinch I've used clear deodorant like Hermione Granger and starlybri suggest and it works just as well (sometimes I have to reapply, though).
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:07 AM on June 20, 2018 [2 favorites]


Nthing deoderant, my friend gave me her bodyglide for this purpose and my dove antipersperant worked better in the extreme humid weather while I was wearing a skirt.
posted by lafemma at 6:14 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I asked my dermatologist about this and he recommended these two things: slip shorts, like these that I usually wear under skirts or dresses (they will also work with pants), and plain old regular Vaseline on the affected area, preferably before my thighs start rashing up.
posted by PearlRose at 6:41 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Nthing Body Glide for this. Slather it on before you go out, and take a small stick with you for emergency re-application. You don't need to get the pink-washed "lady" version either, I've used the yellow and blue versions without any incident befalling my feminine virtue. I've used Body Glide for years now, and never had any problem with residue on my clothes either. Just wash normally and all is good, though I've not used Body Glide when wearing silk or similar delicate fabric.

For extra protection - especially if it's super hot and or humid - my go-to is Jockey's Skimmies Slipshorts. They're like cycle-short underwear, super comfortable, stretchy, and invisible under skirts. I've not worn them with jeans, so not sure about their visibility under trousers. They come in "normal" (pretty long) length and shorter length, plus a new "cooling" version. I bought a pair based on AskMeFi recs, and have not been disappointed.
posted by thetarium at 6:45 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


I have become a big fan of women's boxer shorts to prevent this exact issue under dresses and jeans. Personally I like the offerings from TomboyX; they are expensive but have held up well, are extremely comfortable, and you can get them in fun prints if you want. The 9" inseam length works best for me; the slightly shorter one hits at a wide part of my thigh and is uncomfortable.

Sometimes a faint outline of the leg band shows through my jeans, but it's not glaringly obvious and I have decided that my comfort level trumps this. Plus I see similar lines on other humans (male and female) on the regular. And they don't leave underwear lines on your butt where most people would expect to see them.

These days when I end up wearing my jeans with regular underpants because the undershorts are all in the laundry, I regret it.
posted by telepanda at 6:55 AM on June 20, 2018


i am very very very fat. bandelettes are what make me comfortable enough to wear a dress once a year. and, being very very very fat, i was pleasantly surprised to find they had a size that fit me. they are thin and don't roll down, and i would wear them under pants if i needed to.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:58 AM on June 20, 2018


I use some of my super-speshul silicone lube.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:09 AM on June 20, 2018


2nd the monistat gel, personally. It also makes a great makeup primer (really!)
posted by mosst at 8:17 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Wearing long slipshorts like those linked above and avoiding the offending jeans for a while will help your legs heal, and after that I'd consider changing the brand of jeans to avoid bulky inner thigh seams. Counter-intuitively, the more fabric there is, the more it can wrinkle and bunch and cause chafing. Maybe stretch jeans in a lighter-weight denim?

Credentials: I am a plus-sized lady (all butt and thighs) and I've never had inner thigh chafing from jeans, but I have had horrible chub rub from too-short shorts, pants with excessive crotch droop, and skirts/dresses without slipshorts.
posted by esoterrica at 8:43 AM on June 20, 2018


Another plus size woman here to chime in that you might want to switch jeans brands.

Also, FWIW the monistat gel gave me terrible hives, but deoderant swiped down the thighs has always helped ward off chub rub with pants (for skirts, I use the Jockey slip shorts or spandex shorts underneath). The jockey shorts always felt weird on my thighs under long pants, but YMMV. Good luck!
posted by TwoStride at 9:13 AM on June 20, 2018


Body glide for the win.

I used to use medicated "foot" powder, but it winds up acting as a lapping paste (as in, lapping steel to a mirror surface) and wears out the inner thighs of your jeans from the inside.
posted by notsnot at 9:27 AM on June 20, 2018


Nthing Body Glide and the Monistat gel and different fitting jeans and slip shorts. All of these have worked for me in the past. I think comfortable jeans plus body glide is the route I would try first, mostly because the Body Glide is easy to swipe on whereas the gel is applied with your fingers. Slip shorts for under skirts and dresses.
posted by purple_bird at 9:35 AM on June 20, 2018 [1 favorite]


Body Glide let's me go on long runs, I love it! If I know I'm going to be walking a lot somewhere in street clothes, I use Body Glide. Never noticed any staining on jeans.
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 11:49 AM on June 20, 2018


The longest-legged TomboyX boxer briefs are my preference too; the micromodal fabric is the thinnest of their options and less likely to show, if that's a concern. Before I found those I was wearing Thigh Society slipshorts and those were/are also excellent.

I do keep a little travel thingy of Body Glide in my purse for the odd day when I forget to wear the right underthings with skirts or whatever, and that seems to do the job well enough in a pinch.
posted by Stacey at 12:34 PM on June 20, 2018


Petroleum jelly saved my skin.
posted by Construction Concern at 6:19 PM on June 20, 2018


Lush sells some lovely dusting powders. I tend to do a swipe of deodorant and then powder, so the powder sticks longer. Their dusting powders have cocoa butter in them, which helps the skin not dry out.
posted by Rush-That-Speaks at 7:25 PM on June 20, 2018


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