Having chafed skin is one of those things we all try and avoid. The chaffed area of your skin remains itchy and irritated, with the chance that an infection can form if you leave it untreated. Of all the causes of chafing skin, there is the recurrent theme of friction being on the affected area that leads to the chafing. Let us look at some of those causes.
Having wet skin is a common cause. A little bit of wetness, from sweating, for example, can cause the skin to chafe. A solution for such a condition is to put on dry clothes. There is nothing good that comes from wearing wet clothes, as your skin becomes chafed, and you have poor hygiene. Remember to take a shower when you change clothes.
If your skin is unusually dry right before you exercise, it is likely to chafe. During exercises, your skin tends to rub together. If there is no lubricant on the skin, expect the friction to lead to chafing.
You may also cause your skin to chafe if you wear clothes made of cotton. Clothes made of cotton are not the issue in themselves, but the vigorous activity you engage in while wearing them. As you proceed with the intense physical activity, all the sweat you produce will be held in place by the material. Cotton fails to lose all that moisture in time, leaving you with unnecessarily wet skin.
You can also chafe the skin by wearing clothes that do not fit. You need to have running or workout clothes that fit well. Tight fitting clothes will cut into your skin, not to mention cause enough friction to lead to chafing. There will also be no airflow between the material and your skin. Loose fitting clothing is also a problem since there is excess material rubbing against your skin.
You may also suffer friction from the tags and seams in the clothes. If those clothes happen to be those you wear to exercise, expect plenty of irritation. Go for those with no tags, or with tags on the exterior sections of the garments. You need the seams to also be tucked away comfortably. View here for further details.
Another cause is dehydration. A dehydrated person tends to produce extra salty sweat. Such sweat is known to irritate the skin and cause friction much faster. Take water to minimize the saltiness in your sweat.
The moment you realize your skin is chafing, stop that activity and dry off that patch. You need to then go take a shower, and change in to clean clothes. Applying petroleum jelly on that area helps cool off the irritation. You need to then look for runners chafing stick, to ensure you do not suffer the same later. Keep in mind that it is important you keep your skin dry, take water to keep it hydrated, and avoid cotton or any other material that could irritate your skin.
Find more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chafing_(skin)