And How To Fix Them

7 Annoying Beauty Issues That Only Happen When You Work Out—And How To Fix Them

Working out is a struggle: Waking up at the crack of dawn to pump iron before the day starts, the growing I'm-gonna-lose-my-lunch feeling threatening to cut your sweat session short, the postworkout muscle soreness intense enough to make stairs your newfound archenemy. The last thing you need is a skin-related issue to add to the workout bummer list: Chafing, breakouts, and sweat bumps are just a few.

Here's how to make sure the pain of working out is limited strictly to those achy next-day muscles:

Your thighs are rubbing together…and the chafing hurts.

Wet, sweaty skin-on-skin produces friction that can leave you red and raw, particularly between the thighs, under your arms, and even around your nipples (ouch!), says Marina Peredo, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Prevent it: Before you work out, apply a product like BodyGlide ($15; bodyglide.com); its natural waxes create a smooth barrier on the surface of your skin so it won't grip, stick, or rub as you work out.

Treat it: If your skin's already feeling the burn, Peredo recommends applying a reparative product like Eau Thermale Avene Cicalfate Restorative Skin Cream ($28, drugstore.com), which contains copper sulfate and zinc sulfate, two ingredients known to promote wound healing. Apply the cream to any chafed area 3 to 4 times per day (skip the bandage, which can impair healing) and wear loose clothing so you don't rough up raw skin further