There are two things going on here; one is the mechanical act of chafing/abrasion from the act of riding. Chamois creme stops the worst of the abrasion by allowing the chamois to slide on your skin. You get the worst chafing in two different circumstances; in the rain, where micro bits of grit get onto your shorts and skin, and in the dry, where the sweat you produce dries and the salt crystals rub your skin.

So, my recommendation is to use chamois creme.

The type matters much less than the consistency and the amount. Try basic moisturising cream or Assos, or any of the other types out there.

Never, never, never ride with a dirty bum; wash yourself properly after having a poo; you should be able to eat your dinner off your anus.

Put lots of cream on; start at the back, squidge some in the crack, then apply a decent splodge to your perineum, rub a bit around your nads, and finish off with a little smear over the top of your willy.

The second part is the infection. Gotta break the chain of infection, so cleanliness is key, although I would hesitate to recommend using Hibiscrub; I've used it after getting MRSA through work, and it is not a pleasant thing to be putting on any sensitive areas.

I would suggest to TJ that you start again, dump all the creams and potions, ride short distances, use chamois cream as above, and for gods sake, take your underpants off…

TJ, man of many words and opinions. And always right 🙄

I only use a clean flannel, as the dirty ones I keep damp and rolled up on the floor only seem to make matters worse…

Old is good because it's rougher. Abrading as far as removing dirt, and the salt water treatment comes recommended by health professionals. It's not comfortable, but it works for me. Try it.

Kona – I am a healthcare professional and a believer in evidence based practice – and the evidence says salt water is ineffective at best and harmful at worst. Its a practise that was common 30 yrs ago but not any more as the evidence base has built up.

The other two points – a matter of interpretation perhaps. Again the evidence base shows that abrasion damages the skin. Perhaps you are more gentle than I thought from your post.

I did say if it works for you then fine.

Crikey – I don't get chaffing or abrasion at all and again the evidence shows that creams do more harm than good on unabraded skin. Its different if chaffing is an issue but it simply isn't for me. If you get chaffed then creams are the best thing no doubt – but if chaffing is not an issue then its very dubious at best.

I tend to agree with you about hibiscrub – but this is the recommendation from a consultant dermatologist. Don't seem to have made any difference. Do remember that this infection is not gut bacteria but skin bacteria.
I do shower before and after every ride but these bacteria – Staph Aureaous are always on your skin as part of the normal flora

I have tried padded lycra with no pants – I find it sweatier than cotton but am persevering with it. Remember for me at least chaffing is not the issue at all.

Ta all for your imput tho.

The only other thing I can suggest is a kind of adaptation process…

But I really don't know how you go about toughening up a perineum without just riding a bike; I do tend to suffer from the odd saddle sore (more like folliculitis in one or two spots) when I've been off the bike for a while. But it seems to go away the more riding I do, which suggests it's my bits getting used the work demanded of them.

Saddles can also set me off, but that's definitely a mechanical issue, and is always associated with some chafing.

Dunno….

I know that current Tissue Viability stuff suggests that along with all the moist wound healing malarkey, an important preventative measure is keeping skin well moisturised; we get through gallons of bog standard moisturiser now on ITU, and that, coupled with my own experience, tends to make me suggest that chamois creams are a good thing, but maybe not in your case.

Hmmmmm. stumped..

crikey – Member

I know that current Tissue Viability stuff suggests …………… keeping skin well moisturised;

Does that mean the advice is changed again Am I out of date here? Not too long ago the advice was to put nothing on healthy skin 😕 which was a change from the previous position of "use barrier creams". I go back to the days of rubbing bottoms with soap on water

Thing is its only recently this has been an issue and I have ridden for many years. I have no idea of what has changed. Never used creams and previously never lycra with no ill effects The boils are not perineal – they are actually just below the skin fold between bottom and leg so on the leg

Barrier creams tend be reeled out for the torrential diarrhoea folk, although the flexiseal (http://www.convatec.co.uk/engb/cvtuk-oursltnfuk/cvt-portallev1/0/detail/0/1189/2141/our-solution-flexi-seal-fms.html is a godsend, but yes, moisturising healthy but potentially at risk skin is all the rage.

Is it a kind of folliculitis do you think? if so, maybe some hair removing thing?

Not folleculitis I ain't a hairy type.

s'funny – nowhere I work are any creams used on healthy but at risk skin. Care of elderly and rehab. Actively discouraged unless incontinent due to risk of pore clogging. Is this a general thing or is it one of those ITU oddities 😉 I used to work in ITU and they had all sorts of odd practices without rationale. Not saying this is but I wonder.

I shall investigate this one further

It's from the horses mouth, if I'm allowed to call our Consultant nurse in Tissue Viability a horse….

…and yes, I do have that ITU nurse scepticism regarding any specialist nurse, but it does seem to help in my experience.

I'm still trying to work out why it should be a problem suddenly; you've not put on weight at all? I'm thinking pilonidal sinus-ey but in a different fold…

several different sites on both sides so not a sinus, not much weight increase, I'm stumped as well.

Tandem Jeremey, i had a Pilondial abcess, and its not nice, had an incision about 4 inches long and an inch deep according to the nurses who came every day for 7 weeks to pack it and clean it.

Got told by a few nurses and a female freind who had a few that they can spread under the skin, and pop out at various places, can be caused by poor diet ,stress and anaemia, all things i had at the time.

As for pictures, its a bit difficult,due to location,and nobody wants to be the photographer.

Project – ta and I feel your pain but it deffo ain't one.

http://www.pilonidal.org/knowledge_base/howugot.htm

Heres some pictures, open with care as they contain naked flesh.

http://pilonidal.fotopic.net/c156093.html

thankfully they where are not of me.

PFB Vanish is worth a go, it helps keep the sores away. I also use antibacterial washing solution in the wash with the detergent, also called Vanish but a completely different company.
I use Assos Mille bib shorts. Euro Style Chamois Buttr and all this helps along with washing and changing straight after a ride.

I used to use Endura Singletrack baggies with a padded liner – I was riding my full sus at the time and I used to regularly get sores. I now have some Raha bibs and ride a fully rigid bike and I’ve never had a problem. I don’t use any creams either.

Holy dead thread batman!

FOLKS THIS THREAD IS OVER A YEAR OLD NOW

I’m not sure jonb wants reminding of his infected hairy ass 😉

Holy dead thread batman!

Well, what better time for a zombie thread than 31st October?

EDIT: Just poured my heart out about ‘lumps down there’, before spotting the thread was a year old and everyone has moved on. I’ll save it for the next time it comes up – the topic not my lump.