Male cyclists and benefits of waxing below the belt

Posted: January 7, 2018 By:

It’s come to my attention via my male clients who are avid riders that all sorts of issues are created from riding. Saddle rash or saddle sores are the most common terminology and are caused by the friction from the seat to the inside of the thigh and groin area. The hair follicle gets infected usually from the sweat and bacteria and causes a very uncomfortable cyst or boil. Even using barrier creams doesn’t alleviate the problem all together.

By removing hair in certain areas, you are removing the bacteria that surrounds the hair and hair holds bacteria. If you shave the hair from the testicles, perineum and butt/crack area you can cause more issues by irritating the skin with the razor, nicking yourself as well as the issue of the hair growing back right away. By removing this hair from the follicle via a trained esthetician, it will take longer for the new follicle to grow out and will allow you more time to ride in between waxings. Typically, you should return to get waxed between 4-6 weeks depending on how fast your hair grows back. During peak riding season 3-4 weeks is probably ideal.

It’s best to wax 24 hours before any friction induced exercising and then follow that with the usual protocol by using barrier creams, showering as quickly after a ride as you can. If you can’t then cleanse the area with tea tree oil diluted with water, applying an ointment like A&D ointment not cream or even Aquaphor and put on clean, dry garments will help tremendously. If you’re prone to the saddle-sore problem then I would always keep a pack with the dry clothes, diluted tea tree in a spray bottle and the ointment in case you’re not able to shower.

Tea tree oil is found over the counter at most drugstores or health stores. It works best when diluted with water, do not put tea tree directly on the skin as a pure oil can burn the skin. Ointments following help keep the skin moisturized which is important to avoid any further irritation. After you are able to shower, you should follow the same steps to keep the skin clean and free of bacteria and sweat.