If you plan to be active this summer (And why not? Summer is a great time to have fun exercising) make sure you take steps to protect your skin—and not just from the sun, but from yeast, ringworm, and other skin infections that can occur during sweaty sports or a poolside misadventure.
Tennis, jogging, soccer, hiking… summer is full of activities that will work out your heart, and help detox you through sweat. But those same activities can also be hard on your skin. Whether you live in a humid or dry climate, exercise can create the conditions necessary for a yeast or fungus to take over.
First: prevention. Warm, dark, sweaty spots are the most at risk for this sort of infection. Generally, this means jock itch (groin area) and athlete’s foot (feet, especially between toes). Exfoliate, wash, and dry yourself after working out. Exfoliating will remove excess dead skin (food for fungi), and washing will remove all those toxins you sweat out, and if you swam, pool chemicals. If you can’t get to a shower right away, dry yourself off. Just make sure not to share towels, that’s a great way to spread diseases like the fungus ringworm, which causes jock itch.
Second: watch for symptoms. A growing red spot? (Red may appear tan on some skin tones) A scruffy patch of dry skin? Itchiness? You might have a yeast or fungal infection.
Third: treatment. Treatment is similar to prevention—keep the area clean and dry, and exfoliate dead skin cells (this also can help with itching). Make sure you are careful about scratching and what towel you use where so that you don’t spread it to other parts, or, worst of all, your eyes. You can also try a colloidal silver skin cream to help kill the pathogen.
Share your jock itch home remedies:
