For 33 years I've wondered as a male why I have nipples, I have now leant that they are there to rub against my t shirt while running, ensuring that no mater how much effort I put in buying good fitting runnig shoes, completeing weight sessions to prevent injuries and correct warming up and down....one part of my body will be in pain and on fire.
This was first brought to my attention after my first 1/2 marathon 2 months ago and after a run last night (in the pouring rain) THEY are back.
What can I put on/wear on these nasty little useless peices of male skin to prevent this. Luckly we have a baby so I have an endless supply of nappy cream which is helping when applied every hour but I now look like I'm lactateing under my suit shirt....no a good look in the construction sector!!
Comments
I believe the classic cure/ preventative measure for this is sticky plasters, although I know some people who use vaseline!
vaseline or body glide.....
or you could try the female solution..........wear a bra
Damn u seren
+1 for bodyglide
vaseline wrecks your tshirts / vest
plasters fall off after a while due to sweat
Compression top does the job for me. No vaseline/bodyglide needed for me.
Acres of plaster works for me, although ripping it off afterwards removes a few kg's of chest hair
+1 for me. it only took 1 cold/windy/rainy run last year for me to find out the hard way
after trying many things over the years, only 2 things are guaranteed to stop chafing
as NM says, a lycra rich compression top
OR tape - preferably something like Strapall like physios use to support joints as that stuff sticks better than anything else and doesn't sweat or rub off. the only downside is getting the bloody stuff after if you have a hairy chest
'glide or Vas doesn't cut it at all
Run topless. Guaranteed to stop nipple chafing.
Or cut your nipples off*.
* Don't try this at home. Don't try it anywhere. If you're stupid enough to follow obviously bad advice from internet fora, don't try anything.
Wet cotton tops are an absolute killer. Avoid!
I use a zinc oxide tape from Boots. For me, that survived a marathon... and every other run I've ever done. Sweat/rain is no problem.
The beauty is that 2 minutes in a hot shower, and it just starts to peal off... no pain, no hairs attached!
EDIT.... just noticed that this is the Triathlon forum. I've not tested swimming in cold water. I think it would be ok... but really cannot be at all certain.
I've tried lanacane, vaseline & body glide with and without compression tops but sweat so much thet 8 miles is the max that they work. Tape won't stick - sweaty and hairy (form an orderly queue ladies)
Only thing that works, and so far I've tested up to marathon distance, are nip guards. Pricey but well worth it
DW - try Strapall tape - it really does stick well (and I'm a hairy sweaty one as well)
Guy in my club ends every race of even 5 miles in length with bleeding nipples. When I suggested sticking plasters he said he didn't like the idea of pulling them off.
I mean, how much pain does bleeding nipples compare, to pulling of a couple of plasters?
Not given to insults but this guy is an irrational tool. I refuse to speak to such people for the sake of my own quality of life.
🙂
Bleeding nipples is yukkie, and agony when you shower after the race...
did the Chester half on Sunday and met up with my OH at the finish and she pointed out I was bleeding..... My club vest I have run in hundreds of times ith no problem
Microporous tape for me. Who admits to screaming in the shower after when they forgot?
Yep Micropore works fine for me and stays on for IM distance so shouldn't rub off easily.
micropore for me too - whoever said zinc oxide tape, i think that overkill, save it for your feet for ultras
strange - I have tried micropore - rarely last more than a couple of miles which is why I always use a decent tape instead as that stays on
Horses for courses. I have put micropore tape on before a marathon. Sometimes it was days before I remebered to take it off. Never even came off in post marathon bath!
+1 for strapall: micropore falls off when wet (in my experience: I guess there are different types). Compression tops can work, but can get a bit warm.
Little square of toilet paper to go over the nip itself, then a cross of strapall tape. For marathons, I tend to do three pieces of tape across it, and then some vaseline across the top (belt and braces). The longer it stays on, the more secure it is, but this is a balance. If you are doing a long run, you might want to put it on the night before to make sure it is really secure. The quicker you take it off after the run, the less painful it is (but it really isn't that painful, and I am reasonably hairy).
Pre -race routine open jar of vaseline. start with toes & feet, arm pits (just where the club vest rubs & then nipples. copius amounts. Not normally an issue then.
I lost my left nip to friction during Madrid Marathon this year. Micropore had never previously failed me but in this instance it did, sadly.
Zinc oxide tape is the toughest out there. Although I have the benefit of being relatively bare chested. Furrier competitors may chose the nipple friction over the post race hair removal.
For dedicated nipple lovers, there a purposfully designed and manufactured 'nip guards'. A hexagonal pad with something akin to loctite used to adhere to nipple. A friend and former bloody nippled runner swears by them but at £8.99 for a pack of ten they're only for the most paranoid.
Sorry - did you say you "lost" your nipple?
Thankfully my nipple dna is not dissimilar to that of a salamander and it (my nipple) has in the last few weeks regrown, almost completely.
Is your avatar a picture of your nipple?
Not nearly enough red to reflect the real-time trauma!
Thanks for all of the responses, I still have some Zinc Oxide and some micropore type tape in my kit bag from my rugby playing days so I'll give both ago and see which performs better for me.
I now feel a bit of a wimp complaining of a sore nipple when Proven Robbie W lost one!!!!