According to Dr. Anjali Mahto of the British Association of Dermatology, the little rashy bumps we tend to get on our bums is a condition known as folliculitis. "It occurs due to irritation,infection (by bacteria, yeast, fungus), or blockage of the hair follicles, and looks like a red, bumpy rash on the skin." Anyone is susceptible to it and it can occur anywhere on the body where hair follicles exist”; however,it is just a bit more unspoken when we are talking about our back side.
It is often occurring because we sit and put a lot of pressure on our bums and bacteria can get trapped. It is even worse if you spend more time in your workout gear. With the latest“athleisure” trend being a rapidly growing hit, many women find themselves wearing their joggers or yoga tights beyond their hourly workout routine. This could be your downfall especially if you are lingering in the attire post workout where sweat, heat, and bacteria is just sort of piling up. So what gives? What can be done to combat this issue?
1. Shower right after a workout.
2. Try and wear more breathable fiber or fabric such as cotton which tends to absorb moisture. Polyester, nylon, or silk undergarments all trap heat and moisture.
3. Try a benzoyl peroxide wash or ointment. Suggestion- Vivant Skincare for this. They have a lot of options for treating acne and they still use BP in their formulas.
4. DO NOT EXFOLIATE- I would never tell you this if I wasn’t serious because I am the queen of exfoliation and extraction. Nothing bothers me more than dead skin or dirt. You could inflame the bumps and make it worse.
5. Try putting on an antifungal powder daily such as Desenex for a few weeks and see if it calms down, especially if you are an avid exerciser.
6. Some prescribed creams, pills, or anti-fungalmedications have been proven to work but talk to your health care professional about the severity of your condition.
If you have been embarrassed up until this point, don’t be. It is more common than many of us think. The truth of the matter is a lot of times we don’t spring into action for an easily fixable problem (particularly cosmetically) if we feel shame or embarrassed about it and if we have zero awareness of how to fix it. I am here to say, your normal and this is easily fixable with a little TLC.
