Ever experience nipple chafing so painful after a run that your chest feels like it’s been brushed against a cheese grater? Or cross a finish line, realising that the spectacle of your blood-streaked shirt is eliciting horror from spectators?
Chafing, a runner’s rite of passage, is the result of friction that occurs when skin rubs against itself or clothing. As anyone who has endured an excruciating post-run shower on freshly grazed skin knows, prevention is all-important.
Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience among distance runners. With tips from Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Running Strong, here’s what you can do to help alleviate this painful experience of bloody nipples and other types of chafing.
What everyone's reading
Published: 08 January 2025
- When you feel your nipples chafing against your shirt, take your shirt off (if you can). If that’s not an option, you can pull your shirt away from your nipples, but clearly this isn’t the most efficient way to run, and if you are competing in a race, you will probably choose to endure the discomfort to the finish.
- After the race, clean your chafed nipples with hydrogen peroxide, which will, yes, sting like crazy and might incite you to spew some not-for-print language. Next, apply some antibiotic ointment and cover your wounds with an adhesive bandage or gauze secured with tape.
Best products to treat chafing
can protect your inner thighs from abrasions
How to prevent nipple chafing
We have one word for you — protection. You can try using a waterproof adhesive bandage across each nipple, but sweat might make them come loose. Newer soft-fabric products work better. If you want the gold standard, we recommend NipGuards. These bad boys are small, round adhesive pads that cover your nipples. Pack a few extras in case they come off in the middle of your run or race.
They are made to last for one workout or a race — even a triathlon or marathon. Some runners simply put Band-Aids over their nipples before heading out for a run.
Cover them up anti-chafing cream like BodyGlide, a lubricant made especially for athletes that reduces friction in areas prone to chafing like nipples, thighs, and underarms. It looks like a stick of deodorant and you apply it directly to the the skin in all those 'high-risk' places before a workout.
Prevent chafing all over
Body Glide
Johnsons Baby Powder
Best wireless headphones
1. Ditch cotton: It absorbs sweat and stays wet. Wear synthetic, sweat-wicking fabrics. The layers of clothing closest to the skin should be a moisture-wicking fabric, delivering sweat away from the body and minimising rubbing or irritation.
2. What to eat before a 10K: Seams and tags on a running top How to prevent runners nipple.
3. Strava reveals the running habits of 2025 so far: A too-snug sports bra How to treat 15 common running injuries underwear, socks and base layers with an ergonomic fit, that's just right. Loose-fitting garments, combined with sweat will increase the chances of rubbing. That said, our feet can swell when running, particularly in hot weather, so it’s good to wear apparel with a certain amount of give. Check the materials for the presence of elastane which will indicate this.
4. can protect your inner thighs from abrasions: Go seamless and tag-less running tights A new study is challenging the 10 percent rule.
5. Cover them up: Best Garmin deals. NipGuards The best anti-chafing creams for summer running.
6. Get greasy: Apply lubricant to chafe-prone body parts. Vaseline is a classic salve, and it’s cheap but it contains petroleum jelly, which might stain gear and can’t be used on neoprene wetsuits in a triathlon.
7. Hydrate: Fluids are so important to keep on top of. Not only to keep the body hydrated and functioning at its best, but also to reduce the risk of chafing. If you are dehydrated, your body is unable to flush salts away from your skin as easily. Drink lots of water before, during and after exercise, allowing you to perspire freely so the perspiration doesn't dry into salt crystals that can enhance the chafing.
8. Moisturise: Skin that’s well moisturised is less prone to chafing.
Ali is Runner’s World UK's e-commerce editor, specialising in testing and reviewing the latest running shoes, gear and tech, as well as finding the best deals during sales events such as Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday. She has tested hundreds of products from the biggest running brands, including Nike, New Balance, Adidas, Hoka and more. Ali speaks to some of the world’s top experts across footwear, running apparel, fitness equipment and nutrition to help runners make smart decisions when shopping online, from glucose monitors to help you nail your fuelling strategy to compression boots to aid your recovery. Ali has worked in health and fitness journalism since 2017. Before joining Runner’s World, she was health editor at Future Plc, working across brands including Coach, Fit&Well, T3, TechRadar and Live Science. A Boston qualifier, she’s completed 12 marathons, including four of the World Marathon Majors (only Tokyo and Boston left). Her proudest achievement to date? Running a five-day 220km ultramarathon across Tanzania. Just don’t ask her to race a 10km…
