What is Skin Breakdown?
Some suggestions on how to prevent this nasty skin affliction
Your skin is incredibly sensitive, and despite that, if you’re an athlete, you subject your skin to extreme conditions, regardless of whatever sport you’re involved in. Skin breakdown is usually associated with inactivity, yet it’s known to affect close to two million people annually. Commonly known as bedsores, it can occur if you spend plenty of time in an immobile position, due to illness and also conditions where your skin tends to press down into a chair or a bed. It also greatly affects seniors as well.
The same could be said for bicyclists who find themselves seated in the same position for long amounts of time. Even having your thighs rub against one another while running can cause skin breakdown. Friction is a nasty contributor to skin breakdown, as it can lead to blisters. This isn’t solely attributable to athletes, it can happen say if you’ve been painting a house all day, or if you’re learning to play drums, yet imagine if you’re starting to run for the first time and you’re just getting used to a new pair of running shoes. Blisters can eventually develop due to friction: this can be due to breaking in the new shoes, or maybe they just don’t fit properly.
If any blisters should happen to pop, then you’re in for some severe pain as the friction against a raw, open wound can be excruciating. Toes are especially susceptible and you’ll find yourself using a bunch of remedies, including antiseptic and bandages, which while helpful, can also rub off and increase friction.
Part of the problem is that skin breakdown isn’t just a surface problem. It can have serious repercussions such a gradual loss of skin and eventually seriously deep sores that can go all the way to the bones. Skin breakdown has been reported to greatly affect such areas as the hips, ankles, and lower back.
Think of how hunched over you are on a bicycle seat. The perineum (the area of the body encompassing the genitals and perianal region that contacts the bicycle seat) is greatly susceptible to skin breakdown. If you ride a bicycle with very low handlebars, you run the risk of perineal compression which can lead to great pain. Even more frightening is that recent studies have shown that this type of pressure not only increases skin breakdown, but it can cause bladder infections in women and, in some cases, erectile dysfunction in men. Scary stuff, right?
Much of this can result directly from the bicycle seat. You can reduce this perineal pressure with a proper bike fit. Also a cut out design saddle may help in reducing these problems, once you get used to it.
One way to help confront this head on is by using Doc’s All Natural Saddle Sore Ointment, which can help soothe and heal not only skin breakdown, but also chafing and other related afflictions.
If you take these precautions to alleviate any type of unnecessary pressure as well as having some Doc’s on hand, then you can kiss skin breakdown goodbye.