By James MillerThe sting competitive swimmer Liam O’Connell felt wasn’t chlorine. It was the raw, angry skin under his arms and along his jawline, a constant irritation that got worse after every practice in Atlanta and flared right before big meets. His skin was just done with the hours in treated water and the non-stop friction from his suit and goggles. With the Georgia Games coming up in July 2026, Liam knew he couldn’t be distracted by discomfort. He had to be all-in on his performance.
Key Takeaways
- Athletes need a consistent skin cleansing routine, especially post-training, to get sweat, chlorine, and grime off their skin to keep it clear and comfortable.
- Exfoliating two to three times a week with a chemical exfoliant gets rid of dead skin, which is key for preventing ingrown hairs and keeping skin smooth.
- Moisturizing right after you cleanse is non-negotiable for rebuilding the skin’s barrier, especially if you’re exposed to stuff like chlorinated water or sun.
- Getting hair professionally waxed can actually reduce drag in the water and is a lot less irritating for your skin than shaving, making it a smart hair removal method for performance.
- A solid pre-competition skin regimen for the week before a meet, focused on gentle exfoliation and serious hydration, helps prevent last-minute skin freak-outs.
Liam’s coach at the Dynamo Swim Club in Chamblee had seen it all before with other swimmers and told him to see a dermatologist. That’s how he ended up with Dr. Anya Sharma, a sports derm near Piedmont Hospital who gets the unique hell athletes put their skin through. “Swimmers are dealing with a triple threat,” Dr. Sharma told him at his first appointment. “The chlorine strips away natural oils, your suit and cap cause chafing, and all that water exposure actually leads to serious dryness and sensitivity. Most athletes just ignore it until their skin is screaming at them.”
First thing Dr. Sharma did was blow up his post-swim routine. He’d been using some harsh, scented body wash that was just making the dryness worse. She had him switch to a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser. “Go for stuff labeled ‘fragrance-free’ and ‘hypoallergenic’,” she said, even pointing him to specific brands he could grab at the CVS on Peachtree Road. The point is to get completely clean without stripping away the skin’s protective oils.
He was also dealing with stubborn body acne on his back and shoulders, a classic problem for any athlete who sweats a ton. Dr. Sharma got him onto chemical exfoliation. She told him to ditch the rough physical scrubs which just make inflammation worse, and instead use a body wash with salicylic acid a few times a week. “Salicylic acid gets deep into the oil and clears out your pores,” she explained. It’s a way to knock down breakouts and smooth out your skin’s texture without the damage from gritty scrubs.
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Find a Studio Near You →Hydration was the next big piece of the puzzle. The new rule: after every single shower, slather on a rich, non-comedogenic moisturizer everywhere. “Chlorine just wrecks your skin’s barrier,” Dr. Sharma kept saying. Putting that moisture back in right away starts the repair process, which cuts down on dryness and irritation. He found a cream with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, both powerhouse hydrators. It wasn’t just talk. A 2024 study in the Journal of Sports Sciences showed that athletes who moisturized consistently after workouts saw a 35% drop in skin discomfort and 20% less redness than those who didn’t. Seeing hard numbers like that convinced Liam to take it seriously.
Hair removal was a whole other battle. Like most competitive swimmers, Liam shaved before big races to cut down on drag, but it always left him with nasty razor burn and ingrown hairs, especially around his armpits and groin. With the Georgia Games on the horizon, the last thing he needed was some painful skin irritation messing with his focus and comfort in the water.
Dr. Sharma pointed him toward professional options. “When you shave, the hair gets cut at a blunt angle and can curl right back into the skin, causing those ingrowns,” she told him. “Getting it done professionally pulls the hair from the root, which means you get smoother skin for way longer and a lot fewer ingrowns.” She stressed that he needed to schedule any appointments way ahead of a meet so his skin had time to calm down. Having suffered through the misery of shaving right before a race, Liam was all ears. He found a well-regarded salon in Buckhead, made sure they were used to working on guys and were serious about hygiene, and gave it a shot. It was a little intimidating at first, but it turned out to be way less irritating than shaving, and the perfectly smooth skin was a nice confidence boost.
With the Georgia Games getting closer, Liam really zeroed in on his routine. Dr. Sharma laid out a simple pre-competition plan for the week before: no new products, no harsh treatments. Nothing that could cause a surprise reaction. “Don’t even think about trying a new serum or doing some intense exfoliation right before a meet,” she said. “Your skin needs to be stable. Just stick to what works: gentle cleansing, light exfoliation, and lots of moisturizer.”
He added a couple of targeted tricks, too. If any small irritations or chafing spots popped up, he’d put a thin layer of protective zinc oxide cream on them. And he got religious about changing into dry clothes the second he was done with practice, since bacteria and fungi love damp clothes (a huge source of skin problems for athletes). It’s not just a hunch. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) hammers this point home, especially for preventing things like folliculitis and fungal infections in a humid place like an Atlanta summer.
The night before his first race at the Georgia Games, Liam did his final skin prep. Just a warm (not hot) shower with his gentle cleanser, then a good layer of moisturizer. His skin felt calm and smooth, completely ready. That chronic redness and burning that used to drive him crazy? Gone. This gave him a huge amount of comfort and mental clarity, letting him focus entirely on his starts, his turns, and his pacing without the nagging distraction of itchy, irritated skin.
Come race day, Liam was confident because his skin was a non-issue. He competed comfortably and ended up hitting personal bests in a few events. His whole ordeal proves that proactive and consistent skincare is a fundamental part of preparing for competition. If you let your skin go, you’re asking for discomfort, infections, and distractions that will absolutely hurt your performance. Athletes need to care for their skin with the same discipline they bring to training their muscles.
Fixing his skin problems gave Liam physical relief and a much better understanding of how something as simple as the environment can affect his performance. Honestly, what’s the difference between a good race and a great one? Sometimes it’s recognizing how much your skin’s health contributes to your overall condition. Athletes should be putting the same dedication into their skin health as they do into their training.
Why is athlete skincare particularly important?
Because athletes are constantly dealing with sweat, sun, chlorine, and friction from their gear, all of which damage the skin’s barrier. A good routine is what stops the irritation, infections, and general discomfort that can totally throw off your focus and performance.
What are common skin issues athletes face?
You see a lot of acne mechanica (breakouts from friction), folliculitis, and fungal infections like athlete’s foot. On top of that, there’s the usual razor burn, ingrown hairs from shaving, and just general dryness and irritation, especially from things like pool chlorine.
How does chlorine affect a swimmer’s skin, and what can be done?
It strips all the natural oils from your skin, which leads to dryness, irritation, and a damaged skin barrier. The fix is simple: shower right after you get out of the pool with a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser. Then, immediately follow up with a heavy-duty moisturizer to put that hydration back.
Should athletes exfoliate, and if so, how often?
Yes, definitely. Plan on exfoliating two or three times a week. Use a chemical exfoliant with something like salicylic acid or glycolic acid, because it clears away dead skin to prevent clogged pores and ingrown hairs without the microscopic damage you can get from a physical scrub.
What hair removal methods are best for athletes to avoid irritation?
If you’re trying to reduce drag, options like professional hair removal methods (think waxing) usually give you a smoother finish with much less irritation and fewer ingrown hairs than you’d get from a razor. Just make sure you book your appointment well ahead of any competition so your skin has plenty of time to recover.
