How to Prevent Chafing From Underwear: Fabric, Fit & Care

Chafing from underwear happens when fabric rubs repeatedly against skin, breaking down the surface layer and causing redness, rawness, or a burning sensation. The right combination of fabric choice, fit adjustments, and protective products eliminates the problem for most people. This guide covers every evidence-based method to stop underwear chafing before it starts.

Why Underwear Causes Chafing

Underwear chafing is a friction injury. The American Academy of Dermatology defines chafing as repetitive mechanical irritation that damages the stratum corneum, the outermost skin layer, leading to inflammation and pain.

Three variables drive the damage: friction force, moisture levels, and contact duration. Moisture from sweat softens skin and increases the coefficient of friction between fabric and skin by up to 40%, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Skin Research and Technology.

The inner thighs, groin folds, and waistband zone are the highest-risk areas. Skin-on-skin or fabric-on-skin contact in these regions can exceed 1,000 repetitive cycles during a single hour of walking, based on biomechanical gait analysis data from the Journal of Biomechanics.

Underwear that fits incorrectly compounds all three variables simultaneously. A too-loose waistband shifts and rubs. Leg openings that gap pull fabric against the inner thigh with each stride. Understanding this mechanism makes every prevention strategy easier to apply correctly.

The root cause of most underwear chafing is a combination of poor fabric choice and improper fit, and correcting either one alone reduces friction injury significantly.

Choosing the Right Fabric to Prevent Chafing

Fabric selection is the single most impactful decision for preventing underwear chafing. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends moisture-wicking, smooth-finish fabrics for anyone prone to skin friction injuries.

Moisture-Wicking Synthetic Fabrics

Nylon and polyester blends with moisture-wicking finishes pull sweat away from skin and disperse it across the fabric surface for faster evaporation. This keeps the skin dry and reduces friction by preventing moisture-softened skin from gripping against fabric fibers.

Look for underwear labeled with at least 80% nylon or 85% polyester combined with 10-20% spandex or elastane for stretch. The spandex component allows the fabric to move with the body rather than dragging against it.

Key Specifications for moisture-wicking underwear:

• Fabric: 80-88% nylon or polyester, 12-20% spandex/elastane
• Finish: moisture-wicking or quick-dry treatment
• Seam type: flatlock or seamless construction preferred
• Leg opening: non-binding elastic or silicone-grip hem
• Care: machine washable, retains wicking properties for 50+ washes

Bamboo and Modal Fabrics

Bamboo-derived viscose and Modal (a beechwood cellulose fiber) are natural-origin options with notably low friction coefficients against skin. A 2018 study in the Journal of Natural Fibers found bamboo fabric produced 23% less surface friction against human skin than standard cotton in wear trials.

Modal fabric absorbs moisture 50% better than cotton by weight, according to Lenzing AG, the manufacturer of the fiber. This keeps the skin surface drier than cotton alternatives during moderate activity.

Why Cotton Increases Chafing Risk

Cotton absorbs moisture but holds it against the skin rather than dispersing it. Once saturated, cotton fabric becomes heavy, stays wet, and increases friction force against skin. The Mayo Clinic lists “staying in wet clothing” as a primary chafing risk factor for this reason.

Standard cotton underwear is the most common fabric found in cases of chronic inner-thigh chafing because it retains up to 27 times its weight in water before feeling wet to the touch, which means significant moisture accumulates at the skin surface before the wearer notices.

Switching from 100% cotton underwear to a nylon-spandex or bamboo blend is the fastest single change that reduces chafing frequency for most people.

Getting the Right Underwear Fit to Eliminate Friction

Fit errors cause more chafing cases than fabric choice alone. A review published in the British Journal of Dermatology identified poorly fitting clothing as the primary mechanical cause of friction dermatitis in otherwise healthy adults.

Waistband Fit

The waistband should sit flat against the skin without rolling, folding, or leaving a red indentation after 30 minutes of wear. A waistband that rolls outward indicates the underwear is too small. A waistband that digs into the skin and leaves marks that last more than 20 minutes indicates the same.

A waistband that shifts position during movement is too large. Movement-related shifting means the fabric edge makes repeated scraping contact with the same skin area, which is the mechanical definition of chafing.

Leg Opening Fit

The leg opening should lie flat against the skin at the inner thigh and groin crease without gaping, bunching, or cutting into the skin. A gap between the leg opening and the thigh allows the elastic edge to lift and snap back against the skin with each stride.

Underwear with too-tight leg openings cuts into the groin crease. This creates a pressure ridge where the elastic sits, and sweat accumulates in that fold, softening the skin and accelerating friction damage.

Coverage and Style Considerations

Boyshort-style and shorty-cut underwear provide the most protection against inner-thigh chafing because they extend fabric coverage past the groin crease to the mid-thigh. The fabric replaces skin-on-skin contact with fabric-on-skin contact, which produces less friction when the fabric is smooth and well-fitted.

Thong and bikini styles leave the inner thigh uncovered, which means skin-on-skin friction is the primary cause of chafing in those areas rather than the underwear itself. For people with inner-thigh chafing while wearing minimal-coverage underwear, the solution is either adding anti-chafe product to the thighs or switching to a higher-coverage style.

Use the table below to match your primary chafing location to the underwear style that addresses it most directly.

As the table shows, the inner thigh benefits most from extended coverage, while groin-crease chafing responds primarily to non-binding leg openings rather than coverage alone.

Matching the underwear style to the specific chafing location removes the guesswork from fabric shopping and delivers faster relief.

How to Use Anti-Chafe Products with Underwear

Anti-chafe products create a low-friction barrier between skin surfaces or between skin and fabric. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends barrier products as a first-line prevention method for friction-prone skin areas, particularly in warm or humid conditions.

Balms and Stick Applicators

Solid anti-chafe balms (sometimes called body glide sticks) contain waxes, silicones, or petroleum derivatives that coat the skin surface and reduce the coefficient of friction. Products in this category typically include ingredients such as carnauba wax, dimethicone, or lanolin.

Apply a thin, even layer to the inner thighs, groin crease, and any area where the underwear edge contacts skin. One application lasts 4-6 hours under moderate activity conditions. Reapply after swimming, heavy sweating, or showering.

Powder-Based Products

Talc-free body powders, cornstarch-based powders, and products containing zinc oxide absorb surface moisture and reduce skin-to-fabric friction. The FDA notes that talc-free formulations using cornstarch are the preferred option for use in body folds and groin areas because they carry no respiratory or long-term safety concerns associated with talcum powder.

Powder is most effective in low-to-moderate humidity conditions. In high-humidity environments, powder can clump and create an abrasive paste rather than a smooth barrier. Under those conditions, a silicone-based balm outperforms powder.

Petroleum Jelly and Silicone-Based Options

Plain petroleum jelly (petrolatum) is one of the most studied skin barrier agents. A 2012 paper in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology confirmed petrolatum’s efficacy as a mechanical friction barrier, with a skin-surface friction reduction of 35% compared to untreated skin in standardized testing.

Petroleum jelly is inexpensive and widely available, but it can transfer to fabric and is difficult to wash out of lighter-colored underwear. Silicone-based stick products offer similar friction reduction with less fabric staining.

The right anti-chafe product depends primarily on your activity level and humidity exposure, so choosing a silicone-based balm for high-sweat situations and powder for dry conditions gives the most consistent protection.

Seams and Construction Details That Cause Chafing

Seam placement and construction are underestimated contributors to underwear chafing. A seam running along the inner thigh or through the groin crease can produce more localized friction than the base fabric because the seam creates a raised ridge that contacts skin with concentrated pressure.

Flatlock vs. Raised Seams

Flatlock seams are sewn so that the two fabric edges lie flat against each other rather than folding one over the other. This produces a seam with no raised ridge on the skin-contact surface. Sportswear manufacturers use flatlock seaming specifically to eliminate seam-related chafing in high-friction zones.

Raised or overlocked seams fold one fabric edge over the other and stitch through both layers. This creates a raised ridge 1-3mm high on the inside of the garment. During repetitive motion, this ridge acts as a micro-abrader against skin.

Seamless Construction

Seamless underwear is knitted as a single continuous tube using circular knitting machines, eliminating seams entirely in the body of the garment. The only structural seam is often a small join at the crotch gusset, which can be placed away from high-friction zones.

Seamless underwear is the most effective construction choice for chronic chafing sufferers because it eliminates the raised ridge entirely rather than minimizing it. Multiple activewear brands including Spanx, Skims, and Nike offer seamless underwear lines that specifically address friction reduction.

Key Specifications for seamless underwear construction:

• Body construction: circular-knit seamless, no side seams
• Gusset: cotton or moisture-wicking liner, flat-stitched edges
• Leg opening: silicone-grip hem or knitted cuff (no cutting elastic)
• Waistband: knitted fold-over or flat elastic panel
• Fabric weight: 160-220 g/m2 for balanced coverage and breathability

Gusset Construction and Placement

The gusset is the small reinforcing panel at the crotch of underwear. A poorly placed or stiff gusset creates friction at the perineal and groin areas. The gusset should be made of soft cotton or moisture-wicking fabric, fully enclosed so that no raw edge contacts skin, and wide enough to cover the full groin floor without bunching.

A gusset that is too narrow bunches and folds during movement, creating a rope-like ridge in the most friction-sensitive area of the garment. Gusset width of at least 3 inches across the narrowest point prevents this for most body types.

Checking the seam construction inside an underwear garment before purchasing is one of the fastest ways to filter out styles that are structurally likely to cause chafing.

Managing Moisture to Reduce Chafing Risk

Moisture is the primary amplifier of friction damage. Dry skin requires significantly higher friction force to sustain abrasion than moisture-softened skin, according to tribology research published in the journal Wear in 2015. Controlling moisture at the skin surface is therefore as important as choosing the right fabric.

Moisture-Wicking Underwear Performance

Moisture-wicking fabrics work through capillary action. Tiny channels or hydrophilic fiber surfaces draw liquid away from the skin surface and spread it across a larger fabric area where evaporation occurs faster. This keeps the skin surface measurably drier than cotton retention fabrics.

A consumer study conducted by textile testing laboratory Intertek found that nylon-spandex moisture-wicking underwear reduced skin-surface moisture by 31% compared to standard cotton briefs during 60 minutes of moderate walking. Lower moisture levels correlate directly with lower friction injury rates.

Breathability and Ventilation

Breathability refers to the rate at which water vapor (sweat) passes through fabric to the outside air. Fabrics with higher moisture vapor transmission rates (MVTR) maintain drier skin surfaces. According to testing standards set by ASTM International, activewear-grade nylon fabrics achieve MVTR ratings of 8,000-15,000 g/m2/24hr, compared to 2,000-4,000 g/m2/24hr for standard cotton.

Loose-fitting outer garments worn over underwear also affect moisture buildup. Tight-fitting pants or leggings that compress underwear against skin trap moisture between layers. Adding a moisture-wicking base layer and wearing looser outer garments reduces accumulation in high-friction zones.

Changing Out of Wet Underwear Promptly

The Mayo Clinic recommends changing out of wet or sweaty clothing as quickly as possible to prevent chafing and friction dermatitis. Sustained moisture exposure for more than 30-45 minutes at body temperature significantly softens the stratum corneum and increases susceptibility to friction damage.

Keeping a dry change of underwear available during long workdays, travel, or post-exercise is a practical low-cost prevention step that dermatologists consistently recommend alongside product interventions.

Controlling moisture through fabric choice and timely garment changes removes the single biggest amplifier of underwear chafing risk.

Adjusting Underwear Choice for Specific Activities

Different activities generate different friction patterns, moisture volumes, and contact durations. The American Council on Exercise notes that chafing rates increase significantly during activities exceeding 45 continuous minutes, particularly when core body temperature rises above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and sweat rate increases.

Running and High-Impact Cardio

Running produces repetitive hip-flexion cycles at rates of 150-180 steps per minute, which translates to 9,000-10,800 fabric-to-skin contact cycles per hour. At this cycle rate, even a small friction coefficient difference between fabrics produces dramatically different outcomes over a 60-minute run.

Running-specific underwear uses flatlock seaming, minimal coverage in low-friction zones, and extended coverage in high-friction zones. Popular options in this category include the Runderwear Anti-Chafe Running Briefs (97% merino wool, 3% elastane) and the ExOfficio Give-N-Go briefs (94% nylon, 6% spandex).

Key Specifications for running underwear:

• Fabric: 90%+ nylon or merino wool with spandex
• Seams: flatlock throughout, no raised seams in groin or thigh
• Leg length: 2-4 inch inseam to cover inner thigh friction zone
• Waistband: non-roll, low-profile elastic or knitted waistband
• Moisture management: MVTR rating above 8,000 g/m2/24hr

Everyday and Office Wear

Sedentary or moderately active daily wear produces lower friction cycle counts than exercise, but longer continuous wear duration (8-12 hours) means even minor fit issues accumulate damage over time. The groin crease and waistband zone are the highest-risk areas for office wear because sitting compresses fabric against these points continuously.

Seamless everyday underwear in modal or bamboo fabric addresses both the friction and moisture components of office-wear chafing. Modal fabric maintains its soft hand-feel and shape after repeated washing better than cotton, reducing the risk of waistband stiffening over time.

Hot Weather and Summer Conditions

Ambient temperature above 80 degrees Fahrenheit increases sweat rate and accelerates moisture accumulation in groin folds. The combination of heat, sustained moisture, and friction creates the conditions for friction dermatitis to develop within 2-3 hours of activity, compared to 6-8 hours in cooler conditions.

Anti-chafe summer underwear prioritizes maximum moisture dispersal over coverage. Styles with mesh panels at the inner thigh or perforated zones in the groin area increase airflow and evaporative cooling in the highest-risk friction zones. Applying an anti-chafe balm in addition to fabric selection provides a compounded preventive effect in hot conditions.

Matching underwear construction and fabric to the specific demands of each activity type is the most precise way to eliminate chafing across all areas of daily life.

Here is the step-by-step guide to applying anti-chafe products correctly before any activity that causes friction skin irritation.

Treating Chafed Skin and Preventing Recurrence

Active chafing injuries require immediate care to prevent worsening and secondary infection. The National Eczema Association notes that broken chafed skin provides a direct entry point for bacteria, and untreated friction dermatitis can develop into infected folliculitis within 24-48 hours in humid groin environments.

Immediate First Aid for Chafed Skin

Stop the friction source immediately by changing out of wet or offending underwear. Gently clean the area with lukewarm water and mild soap, then pat dry completely without rubbing. Rubbing a freshly chafed surface extends the abrasion and delays healing.

Apply a thin layer of a barrier healing product such as zinc oxide ointment (at least 15% zinc oxide concentration) or petrolatum to the cleaned area. Zinc oxide has both barrier and mild anti-inflammatory properties confirmed by the FDA for skin protection. Avoid applying anti-perspirant or alcohol-based products to active chafing as both cause stinging and slow epithelial repair.

Healing Timeline and When to See a Doctor

Mild chafing with surface redness but intact skin heals within 2-4 days with proper care and friction avoidance. Moderate chafing with broken skin or weeping heals in 5-10 days. Persistent or worsening redness, swelling, warmth, or discharge after 48 hours indicates possible infection and requires medical evaluation.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (whose friction wound protocols apply to any skin surface) recommends seeing a healthcare provider when chafed skin develops pus, shows red streaking extending outward from the wound, or causes fever above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Identifying the Root Cause to Prevent Recurrence

Recurring chafing in the same location signals a structural problem with underwear fit, fabric, or seam placement rather than a temporary moisture issue. Document which underwear style caused the injury and check specifically for tight leg openings, raised seams in the affected area, or fabric that showed visible wet marks after wearing.

Replacing the offending garment with a seamless, moisture-wicking alternative in the same size, combined with applying an anti-chafe barrier product to the previously affected zone, reduces recurrence rates by addressing both the structural and moisture-related causes simultaneously.

Treating chafed skin correctly and identifying which fit or fabric variable caused it turns a painful reactive situation into a solvable, preventable problem.

Best Underwear Types for Chafing Prevention

The underwear market includes specific styles designed around friction reduction. Understanding which construction and fabric features distinguish genuinely anti-chafe products from standard options helps buyers make faster, more accurate purchasing decisions.

Seamless Boyshort Underwear

Seamless boyshort underwear provides the widest coverage of any standard underwear cut, extending from the waist to mid-thigh in a single seamless knitted piece. This eliminates both the raised seam problem and the inner-thigh coverage gap simultaneously.

Key Specifications for seamless boyshort underwear:

• Inseam length: 3-5 inches to cover inner thigh friction zone
• Construction: circular-knit seamless body with covered gusset
• Fabric: 85% nylon / 15% spandex or 92% modal / 8% elastane
• Waistband: knitted fold-over or flat 1-inch elastic
• Sizes: typically XS-3X, with plus-size versions extending to 4X

Compression Short Underwear

Compression short underwear uses graduated compression (typically 15-20 mmHg in the thigh zone) to hold fabric firmly against the skin surface without movement or shifting. When fabric cannot shift, the relative motion between fabric and skin is reduced, and friction drops proportionally.

Compression shorts are the highest-performance option for runners, cyclists, and people with high body mass index scores who experience chronic thigh chafing. They are also the heaviest option and may feel restrictive in sedentary use, so they are best reserved for high-activity situations.

Moisture-Wicking Brief and Bikini Styles

Moisture-wicking briefs in nylon-spandex or bamboo blends address the groin and waistband chafing zones without the extended coverage of boyshorts. They are the best choice for people whose chafing is confined to the groin crease or waistband area rather than the inner thigh.

The most effective options in this category use a covered elastic waistband (elastic fully enclosed within folded fabric) rather than exposed rubber or latex elastic, which degrades faster with sweat exposure and develops a rough texture that increases friction against skin over repeated washings.

Use the table below to compare the three most effective underwear types for chafing prevention across the key variables buyers need to evaluate.

The compression short delivers the highest protection for high-intensity activity, while the seamless boyshort covers the widest range of everyday use cases at a lower price point.

Selecting the right style based on activity level and specific friction zone produces noticeably faster improvement than switching to any new underwear without those criteria.

Anti-Chafe Thigh Bands as a Supplementary Tool

Anti-chafe thigh bands are standalone accessories worn around the upper thighs, independent of underwear. They serve a specific function: preventing skin-on-skin inner-thigh friction in situations where underwear coverage is insufficient or where the wearer prefers minimal underwear for other reasons.

Anti-chafe thigh bands are particularly useful with skirts and dresses, where wearing boyshort underwear may create visible underwear lines or feel overly warm. Popular options include the Bandalettes lace thigh bands and the Thigh Society anti-chafe shorts, both of which use silicone-grip interiors to stay in place without elastic that cuts into skin.

Key Specifications for anti-chafe thigh bands:

• Stay-up mechanism: silicone grip strip on inner circumference, no elastic band
• Coverage width: 3-5 inches of fabric at inner thigh contact zone
• Fabric: nylon-spandex or lace over silicone grip backing
• Sizing: measured by thigh circumference at contact point, typically 18-32 inches
• Care: hand wash cold, lay flat to dry to preserve silicone grip

Thigh bands address inner-thigh skin-on-skin chafing specifically and work as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, well-fitted anti-chafe underwear.

Caring for Anti-Chafe Underwear to Maintain Performance

Moisture-wicking and seamless underwear loses its performance properties faster than standard cotton when washed incorrectly. A study published in the International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology found that nylon moisture-wicking fabrics washed in hot water above 140 degrees Fahrenheit experienced a 42% reduction in MVTR after just 10 wash cycles.

Washing Correctly

Wash moisture-wicking and seamless underwear in cold water (below 86 degrees Fahrenheit / 30 degrees Celsius) on a gentle or delicate cycle. Hot water degrades the polymer fiber structure of nylon and polyester, reducing their moisture-transport capacity and causing elastic fibers to relax and lose stretch recovery.

Use a mesh lingerie wash bag to protect seamless underwear from abrasion against zippers, hooks, and rougher garments in the same load. Abrasion during washing damages the surface fiber structure that creates smooth, low-friction contact with skin.

Drying Correctly

Air-dry moisture-wicking underwear rather than machine-drying. The heat in standard dryers (typically 125-135 degrees Fahrenheit) accelerates elastic degradation and can permanently deform seamless knit structures after 20-30 cycles. A garment that has lost elastic recovery will not maintain proper fit, and poor fit is the primary mechanical cause of chafing.

Lay seamless styles flat on a drying rack rather than hanging them. Hanging wet knit garments stretches the fabric in the direction of gravity, which can alter the leg opening diameter and waistband tension over repeated drying sessions.

When to Replace Underwear

Replace underwear when the waistband no longer returns to its original position after stretching, when fabric has thinned visibly in the inner thigh zone, or when any seam has begun to unravel. Worn-out elastic produces irregular waistband tension, and thinned fabric loses its moisture-management properties and develops surface roughness from fiber breakdown.

Most performance underwear manufacturers, including Knix and ThirdLove, recommend replacing active-wear underwear every 6-12 months with regular use (3-5 wears per week), and standard everyday underwear every 12-18 months. Cotton underwear degrades faster than nylon-spandex when washed frequently because cotton fibers break down into shorter lengths that create surface roughness with each washing cycle.

Proper care extends the performance life of anti-chafe underwear and keeps the fit, moisture management, and surface smoothness that prevent chafing intact over time.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Prevent Chafing from Underwear

What type of underwear is best for preventing inner-thigh chafing?

Seamless boyshort underwear made from nylon-spandex or bamboo-elastane fabric is the most effective style for preventing inner-thigh chafing. The extended inseam length (3-5 inches) covers the full inner-thigh contact zone, and seamless construction eliminates raised seam ridges that abrade skin during repetitive movement. Look for styles with at least 80% nylon or bamboo viscose content and a flatlock or seamless gusset edge.

Does underwear fabric type really matter for chafing?

Fabric choice is one of the two most impactful variables in chafing prevention, alongside fit. Nylon and polyester moisture-wicking fabrics reduce skin-surface moisture by approximately 31% compared to cotton in standardized wear trials, according to Intertek consumer textile testing. Drier skin sustains friction injury at significantly higher force thresholds than moisture-softened skin, so switching from 100% cotton to a nylon or bamboo blend is one of the most effective changes a person can make.

Can anti-chafe products be used with any underwear style?

Anti-chafe balms, powders, and silicone-based products can be used with any underwear style and provide meaningful protection regardless of fabric or construction. They are most useful as a supplement when wearing underwear styles that do not cover the inner thigh, such as thongs or bikini cuts. Apply product to the skin surface rather than to the fabric, and allow 30 seconds for balm to bond to skin before dressing.

How do I know if my underwear is causing chafing or if something else is?

Underwear-caused chafing produces redness and irritation at specific contact points: the inner thigh at leg-opening level, the waistband line, and the groin crease. The irritation pattern will mirror the exact shape of an elastic edge, seam, or fabric boundary. Skin-on-skin chafing (not fabric-related) occurs midway between the leg openings, independent of any elastic line. If the redness exactly follows a seam or elastic line, the underwear construction is the cause.

Is chafing from underwear a sign that the size is wrong?

Chafing at the leg opening or waistband frequently indicates a fit problem. A leg opening that digs into the groin crease or leaves a visible indentation after 30 minutes of wear is too tight. A waistband that rolls or shifts during walking is either too tight or too loose. Both conditions create repetitive friction in a fixed location. Sizing up one size and checking fit while moving (not just standing) corrects most fit-related chafing cases. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also notes that fit issues worsen during pregnancy when standard sizing no longer accommodates body changes.

What should I do immediately when underwear starts to chafe?

Change out of the offending underwear as quickly as possible and remove moisture from the affected area by gently patting the skin dry with a clean cloth. Apply zinc oxide ointment (15% concentration or higher) or petrolatum to the cleaned, dry skin surface. Avoid reapplying the same underwear style until the skin has fully healed and the fit issue has been identified and corrected. Mild chafing with surface redness and intact skin typically heals within 2-4 days with proper care and friction avoidance.

Can underwear cause chafing even if it fits correctly?

Correctly fitting underwear can still cause chafing if the fabric is cotton (which retains moisture and increases friction), if raised seams run through high-friction zones, or if the wearer is in hot and humid conditions that accelerate moisture buildup. A 2013 study in Skin Research and Technology confirmed that moisture alone increases skin friction coefficient by up to 40% regardless of fabric type. In those conditions, even well-fitted underwear benefits from an anti-chafe barrier product applied to inner-thigh and groin areas before dressing.

Preventing chafing from underwear comes down to three consistently applied principles: choose smooth, moisture-wicking fabric; wear a style that correctly covers your specific friction zones without binding or shifting; and use a barrier product when conditions demand extra protection. Start by evaluating your current underwear against the fit criteria in this guide, identify the one or two variables causing the most friction, and address those first. Most people find that one fabric switch combined with one fit correction eliminates their chafing entirely within the first week.