Tips for Surviving Summer

by Nancy Summer

From Radiance Summer 1999

fter high school graduation in 1966, I asked my father for a summer job recommendation at the large corporation where he was employed as the chief engineer. Despite the fact that hundreds of people in a wide range of jobs worked in his division, he turned me down, saying that he and my mother didn’t think I had the right image to work for his firm. Not having the "right image," of course, meant that I weighed 250 pounds, and I was an embarrassment to them.

But my girlfriend’s father gave me a break and set up an interview for me at his firm. I had a lot of motivation to be an exemplary employee that summer, not just to reward my friend’s father’s faith in me, but to also make a point with my own father. I was so mad at my dad, I would have dug ditches on a chain gang to make my point.

In fact, the job I got was only slightly easier than ditch digging. I commuted three hours a day from the suburbs to a minimum wage position in Manhattan. In those days, the trains and buses did not have adequate air conditioning. I also had to walk several city blocks to reach my destination. Once I arrived at work, my job involved walking all day through office buildings from floor to floor, selling coffee and snacks. I would walk a city block to the first building for a morning coffee run, and then walk three city blocks to a second building to do a lunch run, and then make the long hike back to the un-air-conditioned home base for an hour of bookkeeping.

During my first two weeks on the job, New York experienced a record-breaking heat wave, with most days hotter than 100 degrees. One day, it hit 107 degrees. And I had to wear an ill-fitting white cotton uniform: a dress! From the very first day, my thighs chafed so badly, they were covered with big red welts. The worst part was the train ride home, when I was cramped in a seat with two or three other people. My sore thighs were so tightly pressed together that when I got off the train, I could barely walk. When I finally got home, twelve hours after my day began, I would throw myself into a cold tub of water and cry. But I was so mad at my father that I wouldn’t quit.

Then I got a vaginal yeast infection: the heat, humidity, and sweat created perfect conditions for yeast to grow. And it didn’t help that I wore those nylon panties with the "comfort-cotton crotch." That laughably thin panel of cotton did absolutely nothing to absorb moisture. It wasn’t long before I didn’t know what was worse: the vaginal itching or the burning pain on my inner thighs.

Twice a day, I passed a pharmacy with a big sign in the window promoting a product designed to help with "feminine burning and itching." I stared at that sign longingly, but no matter how bad I felt, I could not bring myself to walk in and buy that product. I was sure that the druggist would know exactly the condition of my inner thighs and that this problem was all due to my weight. I was fat and I was too embarrassed to ask for help.

I learned a lot that summer. I learned to really respect people in the food service industry, and I became a good tipper. I learned that I wanted to work in an air-conditioned office. I never missed a day’s work. I learned that I was tough enough to live up to my commitments, no matter how unpleasant.

And my parents learned a few things about me. They never thought I’d survive a week. I earned some respect from them. My mo-ther even began picking me up at the train station to save me that last quarter-mile walk to my house.

But I think one of the most important lessons I learned had to do with taking care of myself. I learned about the importance of cotton panties, chafe-guards, medicated powders, and seeing the doctor for treatment of a chronic condition. I decided that I would never again be too embarrassed to get the things I needed to make my life easier.

A lot has changed since the summer of 1966. In the past few decades, we’ve seen hundreds of ads for all sorts of hygiene products, from deodorant to douches, from jock itch creams to antichafing powders. There isn’t a personal health or hygiene problem that people in North America haven’t heard about in print or on television. That’s why I am always amazed at some of the customer calls that we receive at Amplestuff (our mail-order catalog with a special hygiene department for large people).

One woman told me that she’d had a serious skin irritation under her breasts for five years! She had never seen a doctor and didn’t know what to do. Another woman called and described a personal hygiene problem (she was unable to adequately clean herself after using the toilet), but when I recommended several products and solutions, she said, "Oh, I can’t do that. My husband is always after me to lose weight, and if I buy that, he’ll know I gave up."

So maybe times haven’t changed all that much for some people. Perhaps the most important tool we have for improved health and hygiene is a good attitude.

The larger you are, the more skin surface you have, and the more water you need to perspire to stay cool (a good reason to drink lots of fluids on warm days). But large people also have more areas where skin touches skin most of the time, where air doesn’t circulate and moisture builds up. These skin folds offer the perfect conditions for bacteria and yeast (intertriginous candida) to grow. Simply put, it’s a red irritation or infection where skin rubs against skin.

Thigh chafing is caused by a combination of moisture buildup (lack of air circulation) and friction. The same steps you can take to avoid moisture in other areas will also help with the inner thighs.

Any soap is fine, as long as you use it and rinse it off well. If you have a problem with skin-fold irritations that hurt rather than itch, use an antibacterial soap. If an irritation itches more than it hurts, chances are you have a yeast (fungal) infection. In that case, avoid the antibacterial soaps and use regular soap instead.

Rinse very well. A great tool for the size-friendly bathroom is a hand-held shower spray. It will allow you to direct a spray of water into skin folds and hard-to-reach places.

Talcum powders work great, but some talc samples have been shown to have small traces of asbestos and lead in them. Choose the better-known brands of talcum powder, or baby talcum powder, which we hope are of the highest quality talc.

Always use talc in a well-ventilated area that is regularly cleaned and dusted, so the powder doesn’t build up in the air you breathe.

Women should be very careful never to apply talc directly to their vaginal area. If you want to use it on your inner thighs, apply the powder after you put on your panties. (Some people claim that even small traces of talc may be a factor in cervical cancer.)

Many people like medicated powders that include talc and other elements that cool the skin. Gold Bond Medicated and Mexsana are two common brands. Get a powder that contains clotrimazole or miconazole.

Some people prefer cornstarch. It’s good for absorbing moisture and cutting down on friction, without the small risks associated with talc. However, if you suffer from yeast infections, avoid cornstarch. It just feeds the yeast. If you have chronic yeast problems or are diabetic (which makes you more prone to yeast infections), avoid cornstarch even when you are asymptomatic.

Some people use creams to protect from chafing: thick moisturizing cream, petroleum jelly, zinc oxide ointment, and diaper rash ointment that contains zinc oxide. Someone I spoke with recommended using solid antiperspirant to lubricate the skin and control perspiration. (Ed. note: I have recently heard that Baza cream works well, as do Nizoral Cream, Lotrimin AF, and Micatin.)

If you sit at a desk all day at work, consider bringing a small fan to keep under your desk. My mother would say that sitting like this isn’t "ladylike," but a cool stream of air on the inner thighs keeps the moisture from building up and helps control chafing.

Wear natural fibers, such as cotton or rayon. They breathe, pulling moisture away from your body and allowing it to evaporate. Polyester and nylon do not breathe: they trap moisture on your skin. There are wonderful sources for plus-size and supersize natural fiber clothes: many advertise here in Radiance.

Choose cotton panties, and wear a cotton panty liner or use a sanitary napkin to absorb moisture. On a really hot day, you might want to change it once or twice.

Skip the nylon pantyhose on hot days. Wear cotton pants or shorts. If you want to wear a skirt but hate the look of bare legs, use a cosmetic nondyeing skin bronzer which, if applied correctly, can mimic the look of pantyhose. If you work in a field that forces you to wear a dress and pantyhose, try wearing cotton chafe guards under the pantyhose.

If you have irritation problems under your breasts, wear a cotton bra liner under the elastic of your bra. This will control moisture and has the added bonus of being washable in hot water and bleach. (You can wash the bra in cooler water, which will extend the life of the elastic.) Or choose cotton bras, especially the type with cotton bands or cotton-covered elastic.

For chronic irritations or infections, see your doctor or dermatologist. Prescription medications may help you. For example, there are now oral (often single-dose) antifungals for vaginal and vulvar yeast infections, which some women even take monthly to keep chronic problems at bay. Some people get skin-fold infections that are both bacterial and fungal. There are special creams that work on both problems. Consult your physician before starting any treatment, including over-the-counter medications. If your doctor prescribes only weight loss, it’s time to look for a new doctor.

Investigate other sources of the problem. For instance, the elastic in bras can hold bacteria or yeast even after being washed in warm water and laundry soap. When you put on a seemingly clean garment, you might be reinfecting yourself. Wash those underthings in hot water and bleach. Another suggestion is to treat the elastic with isopropyl alcohol (not denatured alcohol), let dry, and repeat. (This will not harm elastic.) Or buy some new bras.

A friend once told me that for her, there were only two seasons: the chafing season and the nonchafing season. Finding the correct hygiene regimen for you and sticking to it will make the warmer months much more enjoyable. ©

NANCY SUMMER is the author of Ample Hygiene for Ample People, and the co-owner of Amplestuff, a mail-order catalog of products for large people. She lives in Woodstock, New York.

Resource List:

Products available through your local pharmacy or home health care supplier:

• Gold Bond medicated powder
• Mexsana powder
• Talcum and cornstarch powders
• Skin bronzers
• Zinc oxide ointment
• Baza cream, Nizoral cream, Lotrimin AF cream, or Micatin cream.

For specific conditions, ask your doctor about prescription and over-the-counter treatments.

Mail-order catalogs:

Amplestuff
Dept. R
P.O. Box 116
Bearsville, NY 12409
914-679-3316
e-mail: amplestuff@aol.com

Pambra’s cotton bra liners, Mini-max personal fan, Cliniscrub and Betadine antibacterial cleansers, and hand-held shower spray and other bath items for large people.

Decent Exposures
P.O. Box 27206
Seattle, WA 98125-1606
800-524-4949 or 206-364-4540
http://www.decentexposures.com

Cotton and Lycra bras, leggings, shorts, and nightgowns.

Junonia
800 Transfer Rd., Ste. 8
St. Paul, MN 55114
800-671-0175 or 651-647-9234
http://www.junonia.com

Activewear (some natural fibers).

Large Size Lingerie, Inc.
31 E. 32nd St., 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10016
800-527-0065 or 212-685-4062
http://www.largesizelingerie.com

Split slips and other lingerie.

One Hanes Place (formerly Just My Size)
P.O. Box 748
Rural Hall, NC 27098
800-522-0889
http://www.ohcatalog.com

Plus-size cotton panties, bras, hosiery, and so on.

Plus Woman
85 Laurel Haven
Fairview, NC 28730
800-628-5525
http://www.pluswoman.com

Clothing in natural fibers.

Making It Big
Retail and mail order catalog
Plus and supersizes
707-795-1995
http://www.bigwomen.com

Catalogs, natural fibers

Remember, this is only a taste of what's inside the printed version of the magazine!