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Can Coconut Oil Treat Jock Itch? Why it Benefits in Jock Itch

Have you ever heard of Jock Itch? Just the name is cringe-worthy. Hearing those two works together conjures up images of rashy looking male genitalia. Except jock itch isn’t just a men’s health issue. Nope – women can get it too.

 Can Coconut Oil Treat Jock Itch? Why it Benefits in Jock Itch

The relentless vandalism of skin diseases is one of the usual problems of people nowadays, especially when the weather is hot.

Men and women, whether athlete or not, suffer from different kinds of infections. One of these stubborn ailments is the jock itch (tinea cruris), a fungal infection that mostly affects the skin in the moist and warm areas of your body.

This infection usually occurs on people who sweat a lot, such as men and athletes, hence the name. It appears as an itchy, red, circular rash that is often inflamed and flakey.

Much like any other fungal infections, there are many treatments, natural or otherwise, that can help with relieving this problem. One of the famously known procedures is the usage of coconut oil for jock itch.

What is Jock Itch?

Jock itch is a fungal infection usually caused by sweat. The word “jock” references athletes who are often prone to this fungal infection as they sweat heavily and often wear tight underwear /clothing.

Athletes are not the only people at risk of procuring a case of jock itch though. Just about anyone can get jock itch.

Jock itch affects the genitals and inner thighs, producing an itchy red rash around warm and moist areas of the body. The most common symptom of jock itch in both women and men involves a burning or itching sensation in the affected area.

This is usually followed by redness and flaking skin in the region. If not treated promptly, jock itch can spread further to the inner thighs and buttocks as well. In some cases, the rash may develop into bumps, scales or blisters on the skin surface.

How Coconut Oil Helps in Jock Itch

1.Promotes Skin Healing

Coconut oil has wonderful skin health properties. Coconut oil increases the activity of the chemical components responsible for the healing of the skin and also provides essential elements that increase blood circulation to the affected area.

This oil is also rich in Medium Chain Triglycerides (caprylic, capric, and lauric acids), which also helps in the healing of the jock itch and protects the skin from further infection.

2. Coconut Oil has Antimicrobial Properties

Jock itch is caused mainly due to a fungal infection and sometimes due to bacteria. Coconut oil has an anti-microbial property which acts against bacteria, viruses, and fungus.

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, and it has proven to kill various gram-positive bacteria and some viruses.

This oil has also shown great antifungal properties against Candida and can thus be used in the fungal treatment. Thus the topical application of coconut oil to the affected area may reduce the fungal growth and promote healing.

3. It minimizes scarring and pigmentation

After the reduction of the infection, the scars can be left behind which can sometimes be disgraceful. These can be removed by the chemical or surgical method, but have lots of side effects and also prove to be expensive.

Coconut oil is rich in vitamin E and lauric, caprylic and capric acid and these help the oil to act as an excellent aid to fade the scars.

4. Coconut Oil Reduces Inflammation

Jock itch causes inflammation in the groin area. Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory properties, which helps in the reduction of the inflammation by influencing the synthesis and release of the mediators of inflammation.

Read Also: Easy Way on How to Use Coconut Oil for Sinus Treatment

How to Use Coconut Oil for Jock Itch

To use coconut oil for jock itch, you won’t need to do anything complicated. Liberally apply coconut oil to the affected area twice a day (morning and evening).

To be safe, you can also use coconut oil to the nearby areas to avoid it from transferring to another area.

After several hours of application, you’d feel the coconut oil taking effect to help ease your jock itch. Just apply it regularly until your jock itch disappears.

If you want to mix coconut oil with other essential oils, here’s an essential oil recipe for jock itch.

Garlic and Coconut Oil for Jock Itch

While raw garlic can cause skin aggravation in certain cases, combining it with coconut oil would help create a protective barrier on the skin surface. This would ensure that the garlic is able to do its job of killing the jock itch fungus without harming the skin in the process.

What you need

Garlic Coconut oil – 2 to 3 tbsp

Directions

  • Peel a few cloves of garlic and fry them in 2-3 tbsp of coconut oil for about 10 minutes.
  • Let the oil cool down and strain it.
  • Apply this oil directly on the infected area.
  • Leave it on for 2-3 hours and then wash it off with lukewarm water.
  • Air-dry the area.
  • Do this 2-3 times on a daily basis to get rid of jock itch quickly.

Alternative Tips for Jock Itch  

  1. Good personal hygiene is a must during this period.
  2. Keep the infected area clean and neat. Also make sure that the area is dry as the fungus that causes the infection thrives in a moist environment. Always make it a point to dry the area with a soft towel after showering.
  3. Shower immediately after exercising or if you sweat heavily as this would otherwise give more room for the fungus to grow and spread to other parts of the body.
  4. Avoid bath products that contain chemicals in them as this can aggravate the condition.
  5. Use only a mild soap like this one.
  6. Prevent moisture accumulation in the infected area by dusting with some healing clay powder. Do this before wearing your underwear to prevent the fungus from growing.
  7. Refrain from wearing tight clothes that can possibly increase perspiration in the infected area. This would create a moist environment for the jock itch fungus to grow and spread.
  8. Wash your clothes with this natural laundry detergent to get rid of any residual fungus that might be clinging to them without causing more of an irritation to the area because of harsh chemicals.
  9. Eat a diet rich in probiotics. Foods like milk, yogurt and curd increase the levels of the good bacteria in your body. These good bacteria will power your body to fight off jock itch in an effective manner. However, if your jock itch is caused by candidate, dairy isn’t a good idea.
  10. Take a break from exercise. If your rash is severe, avoid strenuous physical activities that would aggravate the rash further. Take a break from your regular exercise routine until the infection has completely cleared. This would prevent it from recurring. As much as you might be tempted to do so, do not scratch the infected area. This will only worsen the condition.
  11. And finally, do not share your personal belongings like towels and clothes with others until you get rid of jock itch completely. Jock itch is contagious and can easily move to anyone who uses your belongings.

FAQs

1. What Causes Jock Itch?

One of the causes of jock itch is an irritation caused by tight underwear, sweating, skin rubbing, allergic problems, bacterial overgrowth, and fungal infection. Your body becomes more vulnerable when you don’t have proper hygiene. It’s mildly contagious if you had skin to skin contact with someone who has jock itch.

2. Can a man give a woman jock itch?

Jock itch isn’t classified as a Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), but it can be transmitted sexually. It’s a fungal infection that likes living in warm, dark and moist places.

This infection also likes friction. When having sex, these conditions are often present when you make love with your partner. So if you’re partner got jock itch hanging out in the right places, then yes, you might get yours too.

Final Say

Coconut oil has made its way in the present market as edible oil, cosmetics, and medicine. It has been used in numerous ways to treat various ailments. Also, it can prove as a great treatment for jock itch because of its antimicrobial property, anti-inflammatory activity, healing power and affinity to improve the immune system.

It can also be useful for removing the scars caused due to jock itch. Thus coconut oil acts as a cheap and effective way to treat jock itch.

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