Have you ever woken up horrified by the sight and feeling of irritation below the belt? For some, this can be a sign of more serious health issues, but for most, this calling card of a very common condition known as jock itch. While on the surface jock itch can appear pretty frightening and painful, it is generally curable within a few days. To avoid ever having to face a showdown with some thunder from down under ever again, we can provide sure-fire tips for men with jock itch towards staving off future occurrences.
What is Jock Itch?
Jock itch is a common form of ringworm caused by fungus growing on the top layer of skin. This sounds terrible, but ringworm isn’t actual worms at all, rather a common term for fungal infections of the skin. What makes jock itch different from infections on the rest of your body is location, location, location.
This fungal infection causes an uncomfortable rash in clammy, warm bodily areas... we think you can guess where.
What Does Jock Itch Look Like?
Jock itch symptoms include a blistered, red, or bumpy rash in the skin around the groin, inner thigh chaffing, and the buttocks, usually stopping short of spreading on the scrotum or penis. Like the name implies, jock itch’s most common victim are male athletes. Fungi like jock itch thrive in warm, moist areas, making athletes particularly at risk due to exposure to sweat soaked clothing.
How Long Does Jock Itch Last?
Sadly, jock itch isn't something that can be treated and disappear in a few days. With the appropriate diagnosis and medications, most jock itch cases go away within 2 to 8 weeks. The most uncomfortable symptoms like itching and irritation should be faced quickly, while redness may linger a bit longer.
How Does Jock Itch Start?
You can contract the fungus that causes jock itch through skin-to-skin contact, sharing clothing, or touching the feet and then the groin (by way of the hands or a towel).
No one has the answer to how to cure jock itch immediately. Antifungal body lotions and soaps can prevent infection or reinfection and speed up the healing process. These products help manage symptoms, but shouldn't be used as an outright cure; always follow the directions of your doctor.
The following section describes what you might feel during the onset of jock itch.
Itching and Discomfort
As the fungus multiplies, the outer layer of the skin becomes inflamed and irritated. As a response, the skin gets itchy and often painful as a way to alert you that something is wrong. Once you notice the discomfort and rash, you can see a doctor to find out how to stop jock itching in its tracks.
Try Using Fresh Body Powder
Using body powder after a shower or before a workout can keep the area dry, preventing the excess moisture that causes an outbreak and relieving the symptoms of an active one. Remember, a moist environment is the best for jock itch to thrive - preventing it before it even begins is the best thing you can do.
Redness
By the time you're asking how do you get rid of jock itch, you likely can see the red rash. Jock itch appears red and dark and is usually confined with clear boundaries. Like other injuries, the body sends extra blood to the area to fight it off. The resulting redness is a response to the body fighting off the infection.
Purifying Body Soap for Men
While looking to avoid and cope with jock itch, men should keep the groin clean enough to fight off infection with a gentle charcoal soap. Unlike harsh soaps that strip away much-needed natural oils, this soap uses coconut and palm oil to restore hydration while cleansing bacteria and germs.
Burning Sensation
Many sufferers experience a burning sensation due to the inflammatory response of the infection. This is often accompanied by dry, flaky skin. When seeking jock itch treatment, make sure to also ask your doctor how to prevent jock itch in the future; after the first time, you won't want to catch it again.
Rash or Raised Skin
Severe reactions may progress to a situation where the rash is visibly raised with a bumpy feel. This, too, is the inflammation taking its course and you should take it as a sign to go see a healthcare professional to find out how to get rid of jock itch.
All in One Wash
The last thing you want to do is damage skin that's working overtime to fight infection. For an all-over clean, try our All in One Wash, a cleanser that's simple and gentle enough to be used all over, even to prevent maskne, for instance. While this wash won't treat jock itch in males, it can certainly help.
How to Get Rid of Jock Itch
On a basic level, getting rid of jock itch means keeping your groin area clean and dry. A jock itch treatment routine will most likely include washing your groin area two to three times a day, thoroughly drying and applying hydrocortisone cream on the infected area. This usually will help cure jock itch in a week or so.
Practicing these steps regularly will prevent you from discovering a nightmare in between your legs.
Wash Your Groin Area Regularly
Preventing jock itch in men starts like most good men’s grooming routines, during your morning shower. Regularly wash your groin area with soap bars or body wash, making sure to rinse completely when complete.
Generic body soaps often contain chemicals that you don’t want polluting down south while also causing excess drying of the skin. It’s true that you want to prevent surplus moisture from collecting in this area, but drying the skin through the chemicals in your soap can cause irritation that gives jock itch a head start at ruining your day.
Exfoliating Body Wash
Exfoliating Body Wash can clear up lingering dead skin cells that are clinging to an infection. Be sure to wash carefully and avoid any rough scrubbing.
Polishing Body Scrub
The fastest way to get rid of jock itch involves cleanliness. Scrub away impurities with our Polishing Body Scrub, a natural mixture that soothes the skin while it cleanses.
Invigorating Body Wash
To maintain essential moisture while you treat jock itch, try this Invigorating Body Wash, a gentle and hydrating alternative.
Pat Yourself Dry After Showering
At the end of your shower, make sure to fully pat dry your groin area. Any moisture left lingering here is trouble so try to avoid a quick and sloppy wipe dry. When you are sure that you are completely dry, throw on a clean pair of proper fitting underwear before getting ready. Even on laundry day, try to avoid throwing on even lightly used underwear as bacteria laying latent in the fibers creates a friendly environment to unfriendly fungi.
Use All-Natural Body Lotion
Whenever you are not planning to throw layers of clothing back on or be active, liberally apply an all-natural body lotion for men to the groin area when clean and let dry before being active again. This will help condition the skin without running the risk of adding to the excess moisture that can lead to jock itch in men.
You need healthy, nourished skin to get rid of jock itch. Our Deep Moisture Body Lotion protects the skin from moisture loss and soothes dry, chapped areas, even the groin.
Get Rid of Jock Itch with Skincare
We hope this article answers what is jock itch in male and its terms for you. It's a red, itchy rash between the legs caused by a fungal infection fed by moisture and warmth. It's preventable, treatable, and not a life sentence by any means.
For more hygiene products, check out our complete collection of men's grooming kit. It's got anything you could possibly need for a killer skincare and haircare routine. With natural ingredients backed by science, you'll be mad you didn't get it sooner.
