[Randon] Heat rash

[Michelle Williams]

Anyone have heat rash problems when cycling in hot, humid areas?  I always get large patches of red blotchy skin primarily on my quads after long rides in the heat.  It is not sunburn. In the past I have just applied some hydro-cortisone and it seems to go away after 2 or 3 days.  However, I am preparing for a 30 day tour and I am guessing the rash will never have time to heal.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Michelle from Mississippi

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[Jim House]

In most long distance riders this occurs when your reusing bibs that have not been washed.  You can avoided this by always changing to clean bibs.  Other items you can do to help reduce this is to wash your quads with a scrub brush and soap prior to your event if it is a one day event.  Also the antibacterial hand wash can be applied mid ride (at a mid point control) to help keep the area clean.

 

Good luck with this, I have had this problem when long distance hiking (over a week) as well as any rides with back to back days over 100 miles.  The scrub brush and antibacterial wash eliminated this for me.

 

Jim House

Maumee OH

---

From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michelle Williams
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 8:17 AM
To: ran...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [Randon] Heat rash

[bullcitybiker]

Hi Michelle-

I suffer from the same thing, and the more brevets I do, the more it
affects me on my chest and back, as well as my legs. (My legs always
look worse because of exposure to the sun.)

For me, it's my skin's response to prolonged exposure to my own sweat.
This never happened to me when I focused on shorter-duration events,
it rarely happens to me in the winter, and I never reuse bibs or other
clothing. I might try Jim's suggestion, since I have nothing to lose,
but I'm not hopeful since I don't believe it's the cause.

I have had a little success in making the rash more tolerable by
limiting my sodium intake, and by frequently dousing myself with water
when riding. This problem will be the first thing I mention on my next
visit to a dermatologist.

Good luck on your ride!

Branson Kimball
http://www.NCRandonneurs.com

On May 17, 9:30 am, "Jim House" <jho...@ccsol.com> wrote:
> In most long distance riders this occurs when your reusing bibs that have

> not been washed.  <snip>

>
> Good luck with this, I have had this problem when long distance hiking (over
> a week) as well as any rides with back to back days over 100 miles.  The
> scrub brush and antibacterial wash eliminated this for me.
>
> Jim House
> Maumee OH
>
>   _____  
>

> From: ran...@googlegroups.com [mailto:ran...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of
> Michelle Williams
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 8:17 AM
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [Randon] Heat rash
>
> Anyone have heat rash problems when cycling in hot, humid areas?  I always
> get large patches of red blotchy skin primarily on my quads after long rides
> in the heat.  It is not sunburn.
>

[Bill Gobie]

After I was hospitalized four years ago I suddenly developed severe rashes during long rides like you describe, on the tops of my thighs, worst under my shorts. It seemed to me the cause was a combination of sunlight and abrasion. I took to wearing calf-length climbing trousers, sort of plus-fours made from high-tech material. My wife added drawstrings to the cuffs. The rashing was much reduced.

My rash problem got less severe each year, and now is basically gone. I figure I was detoxing drug residues (oh man, I got some really good stuff in the ICU!). So there's something you might consider as an underlying cause: are you or have you taken any drugs that could cause a sun sensitivity? Any changes in diet or body products, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent, etc., that correlate with your rashes starting? You should let your own history guide you as to whether something is affecting you. (Rant: Physicians should be required to spend their vacations taking the drugs they prescribe, so they can experience first hand the "rare and minor" side effects. I think we would have an entirely different pharmacopeia then.)

Here's an example of the pants I use:

http://www.rei.com/product/795562

I know there are cycling-specific knickers available, tho I don't know if there are any that are not wool.

Bill Gobie

[Emily O'Brien]

The only time I've ever had a rash anything like that was last summer.  I was riding back to Karlsruhe from Bregenz where I'd been visiting a friend, and her mom had washed my clothing.  I got a really itchy rash all over my shorts area, which at the time I thought might have been from some plant I encountered while peeing behind a tree but then later thought might have been from whatever detergent my friend's mom used.  About a week later, on about the second day of a 1200k, that rash flared up again and made for some EXTREMELY unpleasant irritation that basically amounted to the worst saddle sores I've ever had.  It was like my shorts were full of hot coals every time I went to sit down.  Finally, I got smart and bought some diaper rash cream at an Apotheke, which took care of the problem completely, and I finished the 1200k with no further irritation, discomfort, or saddle sores at all.  So I don't think it was really heat rash per se, and it was definitely not your typical saddle sore, but in any case the diaper rash cream (active ingredient is zinc oxide, like in Boudreax's butt paste in the USA) took care of it in short order.

E

[OnHiatus]

Oddly enough, Emily's response blaming the detergent may be very close
- too many people use way too much detergent - then when you sweat,
and it's kept close to the skin - a rash develops.

Read the detergent label - you should not be able to see suds, except
a very small amount.

If you're not sure if you're using to much, re-wash a load without
detergent and open it in the wash cycle - any sudsing is from left
over detergent from the first pass.

The Laundry Expert (not)

On May 17, 5:17 am, Michelle Williams <mwilliams_s...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Michelle Williams]

Thanks for everyone's responses.  However, my rash occurs predominately on my bare skin so dirty shorts and detergents are not causing my issue.  Interestingly, it typically occurs just below the gripper band of my shorts in a two to three inch band and then splotches the lower portion of my quads and calves.

I will try Jim's suggestion of soap/antibacterial wash on the legs before they get inflamed.   

It would be interesting to see if knickers would help, but I get so hot that I hate thinking about having on longer shorts.
 
Thanks again for the ideas,
 
Michelle from Mississippi
 
 
> Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 11:02:52 -0700
> Subject: [Randon] Re: Heat rash
> From: pno...@gmail.com
> To: ran...@googlegroups.com

[NickBull]

My wife had the same problem -- blotchy rash below the grippers. We
switched to Neutrogena sun stuff, since it is supposed to by
hypoallergenic. She wears DeSoto leg coolers and arm wings, which
help quite a bit and which she says do not feel hot (http://
www.desotosport.com/products/product.asp?Category=Accessories). And
she wears looser shorts so the gripper isn't pressing as hard. She
probably also switched to different shorts, too, so the gripper
material might be different. Anyway, occasionally she'll still get a
tiny amount of rash, but it's nothing like the big, blotchy thigh-
covering rash she had on her first fleche.

Nick

On May 18, 2:54 pm, Michelle Williams <mwilliams_s...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Lloyd]

My wife and I both have a rash and red bumps, and even some minor
blistering of the red bumps. I have it worse because I ride more than
she does. What we have is known as Contact Dermatitis. It's when the
bare skin comes in contact with pollen or spores from things like
poison ivy, poison oak or other allergens. You don't even have to get
into a poison ivy patch to get it. We didn't. These plants emit
pollens that float on the air like other pollens. The pollen lands on
you and if you're allergic you get the breakout. Also oils from these
types of plants can get on your dog or cat and carried into the house.
Again, when you eventually make contact with the oils, and if you're
allergic, you'll get the rash. Sweat, from cycling, makes the pollen
stick to your skin more aggressively. It takes about 2 to 3 weeks to
get over it. Hydrocortizone cream gives some relief to the itching.
Available over the counter or by perscription for the stronger stuff.
In Florida this year, we have had an exceptionally high pollen count
now for two months. Lots of people are miserable with the same
ailment.

[thirty-six]

On 18 May, 19:54, Michelle Williams <mwilliams_s...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> Thanks for everyone's responses.  However, my rash occurs predominately on my bare skin so dirty shorts and detergents are not causing my issue.

Don't be so sure. The rash is indicative of your body reacting to an
unwanted substance which may have been absorbed elsewhere. The feet
do a good job of absorbing substances, the classic demonstration being
the rubbing of a cut garlic clove on the soles of the feet giving
garlic breath. The rash you find on your thighs is there because of
the heat of th sun opening the capillary vessels permitting the
flushing of toxins to the skins surface. Assist your body by oiling
(almond or olive) and shaving your legs with an open razor. This is
not so much to remove the hairs as to scrape away any dead skin and
rub out the toxins using the spine of the blade. Use soap to wash
cycling clothing and assist its removal with borax during rinsing.
Suspect your socks for detergent, or shoes as prime candidate for
creating rash.

>  Interestingly, it typically occurs just below the gripper band of my shorts in a two to three inch band and then splotches the lower portion of my quads and calves.
>
> I will try Jim's suggestion of soap/antibacterial wash on the legs before they get inflamed.  
>
> It would be interesting to see if knickers would help, but I get so hot that I hate thinking about having on longer shorts.
>
> Thanks again for the ideas,
>
> Michelle from Mississippi
>
>

[pamela blalock]

Interesting responses.

Over the years I have had something similar. Baking hot day, rash
occurs below the leg grippers on shorts and above the socks. The skin
turns red and puffy. Same shorts and socks on same ride on a cooler
day - I won't have the issue. It goes away after a day or so, provided
the weather improves!

It is not a sunburn, it doesn't blister or peel and that part of my
leg is no darker or lighter than other parts once the puffiness goes
away.


For me, it is warm to touch the skin and mildly itchy (but not bad).
It just looks ugly. I've found cool showers and applying powder
helps. The only way to prevent it for me is to avoid rides on 90F days
- pretty easy to do here in New England most of the time :-)


pamela blalock
watertown, ma

[Jenny]

Hi Michelle,
It sounds like it's related to your circulation since it's below the
shortgrippers and above the socks (i.e. the socks and shorts are
constricting and restrict circulation). Makes even more sense that it
occurs in the hot and humid weather because your body circulates more
body fluids to the outer tissues/skin to keep cool.

I too have experienced exactly what you describe (even on shorter
rides). I showed it to a physician and he conferred with me (I am
otherwise healthy). What has helped is getting larger shorts (I have
even cut or trimmed the gripper on some shorts) to reduce the
constriction on the thighs, not wearing socks, and when recovering off
the bike, elevating my legs, using cold compresses.

I experience the same thing walking/hiking for hours in summer heat
(in loose clothes, not bike togs). The rash appears above my socks all
up my calves but not my thighs (I don't wear gripper or constricting
shorts when hiking). When I get it, the splotchy red inflammed areas
burn like fire when I bathe them in cold water, and they don't not
fully recover until I rest off of my feet in the cool for a few days.

You should see a doctor to rule out any underlying medical
conditions.

Good luck (and good health!).

Jenny



Jenny Hegmann, MS, RD
Consulting and Sports Dietitian
The Cyclist's Food Guide: Fueling for the Distance

On May 18, 2:54 pm, Michelle Williams <mwilliams_s...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> For more options, visit this group athttp://groups.google.com/group/randon/- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[kcontzen]

Does the reaction occur in the same area even if your legs are
covered? If it only happens on sun exposure, it may be a "sun
allergy": http://forum.psychlinks.ca/medicine-medical-conditions-health-and-mental-health/22860-sun-allergy.html

Excerpt: "Allergic reactions to sunlight occur when ultraviolet
radiation triggers changes in your skin cells. These changes cause
your immune system to mistakenly identify proteins in your skin cells
as harmful invaders. Your immune system then releases antibodies that
attack the cells, and this leads to symptoms... For most people with a
sun allergy, exposing bare skin to bright sunlight during the spring
or summer triggers the allergic skin reaction."

I had this happen to me many years ago, and I found it bizarre that
one could be allergic to sunshine. Luckily, it hasn't recurred since
that one summer.

Kevin

On May 17, 5:17 am, Michelle Williams <mwilliams_s...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

[Lynne Fitz]

I get it on hot sunny days under the gripper elastic as well. I've
tried NOT putting sunscreen under my shorts on my legs, that helps
some. It only happens on the frontal area of my upper legs. Weird.
Haven't tried powder; that's next.

Lynne F

On May 20, 11:20 am, kcontzen <ks-goo...@forwardmovement.net> wrote:
> Does the reaction occur in the same area even if your legs are
> covered?  If it only happens on sun exposure, it may be a "sun

> allergy":http://forum.psychlinks.ca/medicine-medical-conditions-health-and-men...