Saturday, March 22, 2014

Chafed Nipple Angst



My nipples have been useless since, well, the day I was born. Although useless, they have really never bothered me, and I will go years without giving them a second thought. That all changed a month ago when I finished a long run in pain from nipple chafing. The constant rubbing of sweat soaked tech fabric on sensitive appendages is a recipe for suffering. Once the outer epidermis is scraped off and blood is exposed, the salty sweat quickly reminds me, once again, that my nipples are still there.

So I read up on what to do about it. I didn't want to end up like those guys at the end of a marathon with streaks of blood running down their shirts:



I figure I could either opt for a red shirt, run with my hands pulling my shirt away from my body, or solve the problem. I'm not complaining much really. I mean, I wouldn't trade all guy probs for even one girl prob, but if nipple chafing can be prevented, it should be. 

Since it fixes everything else, I started with duct tape. 


It worked for five miles then slipped off due to sweat.

I next tried chap stick. That wore off too and only delayed the inevitable. I was down to Nip Guards that I have heard so much about, waterproof band aids and mole skin. 




The problem with Nip Guards is that they cost two dollars per run. Who wants to pay that much? Mole skin is second most expensive so I decided to try the waterproof band aids. 


These did the trick. I ran 15 miles with them, sweated so much that my shirt about stood up by itself after my run, and had some difficulty peeling them off after my shower. They cost about $.25-$.35 per long run, and they let me forget about my nipples again for a few years. Oh, and one last things, Make sure you shave the area the band aid will cover.




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