Reducing Chafing Caused by Breast Sweat

Intertrigo is an inflammatory condition of the skin, usually occurring in areas that have a higher than normal amount of sweat and friction. Folds in the skin, such as are common among overweight individuals, may exacerbate this problem. However, even among people of normal weight, intertrigo can still occur anywhere that skin rubs on skin. Possible problems spots include the underarms, especially when working out, and under and between breasts in women at any time.

While men’s undershirts are relatively fitted to the body, they are far looser than a women’s bra, since they do not have the support role of the female garment. Undershirts tend to wick away sweat from the body and allow it to evaporate, while keeping the skin relatively dry. By contrast, a woman’s bra will often hold sweat close to the body, creating a rash. Because a bra must be tight fitting to perform its supportive functions properly, the rash under breasts can often not be dealt with easily.

There are two major strategies that can be followed when attempting to deal with a rash on or under breasts, caused by sweat. One method is to increase airflow by eliminating the bra. However, this is not practical for some women, and in some cases may actually make the problem worse, as skin may rub more directly on skin. Airflow might be improved, but friction is increased.

Another method is to reduce the sweat. Sweat can be reduced by using wicking materials to remove sweat, or by cooling materials to reduce the amount of sweat that is produced in the first place. Wicking materials might include an absorbent material in the bra or undershirt, or powder. However, powder is often messy and not good for a long term solution. Cooling materials are often preferred because they solve the issue at the root of the problem.

Cooling materials may take the form of a small adhesive pad that is placed under the breast, inside the bra. Filled with cool gel, these eliminate breast sweat and prevent intertrigo.

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