Runner's Nipple Treatment & Prevention

Jogger's or Runner's Nipple is a common affliction occuring during physical activity which causes rubbing and chafing..

Are you prone to sore nipples when running? It is very painful and symptoms are irritation, redness of the skin, soreness and dryness. When the nipples are irritated for long periods, this leads to cracking and even bleeding.

Causes

Friction from a T-shirt or running vest causes Runner's nipple. The shirt repeatedly rubs against the skin. Initially you feel nothing, however, eventially mild irritation turns into painful soreness.

In other words it is a friction burn, very much like a blister only on a particularly sensitive part of your anatomy.

You are far more likely to suffer with a wet shirt or vest. Or if you run longer distances.

Preventing Runner's Nipple

Prevention is by far the best cure for joggers nipple. So if you suffer from Runner's nipple, or expect to run for longer when your shirt may get wet, then try the following:

Tape up

Apply zinc oxide sports tape over your nipples. This is especially effective because it means the tape rubs on your shirt, not your skin. The higher quality 'Tan tape' works best as it sticks for longer, even in the wet.

Blister plasters

Another option is to apply a specialist blister plaster. These stick easily to the skin and stay stuck even under the toughest conditions. Make sure your skin is dry before applying and for best results warm the blaster up in your hands first. Be aware though, once stuck in place they are not as easy to remove as tape.

Treatment for Runner's Nipple

However, if you are unlucky enough to get caught out on a long run then there are some things you can do.

Petrolium jelly

As an emergency measure apply a liberal amount of Petrolium jelly over the area. This provides instant relief. However, it only lasts a short time, because heat from your body melts it. As a result, you may need to keep re-applying it. It's a good idea to keep some in your personal first aid kit.

Skin creams

When you have finished your run, apply cream over the sore area. There are a number of over the counter creams available including Sudocreme 'nappy rash' cream which the auther has found exceptionally effective on running related friction burns.