Skin Conditions and Sports Participation (Care of the Young Athlete)

Most skin conditions do not affect sports
participation. As a general rule, young people with skin conditions should be
allowed to participate in sports as long as there is no risk of blood or body
fluid coming into contact with other athletes. Skin conditions that may affect
participation can be divided into temporary and long-term conditions.

Temporary skin conditions

Temporary skin conditions that may affect sports
activities include

• Skin injuries. Injuries
  like cuts and scrapes must be covered to prevent blood or body fluid
  from coming into contact with another player.

• Friction blisters. These
  can be prevented by drying the feet, lubricating with petrolatum, and
  ensuring proper shoe fit. Blisters already formed can be left alone and
  covered with a bandage or carefully drained. The top of the blister
  generally should not be removed.

• Jogger’s nipple.
  Friction of fabric against the nipples can cause chafing and bleeding.
  It can be prevented in women by the use of sports bras, and in men by
  applying petrolatum or tape, or wearing synthetic or silk shirts.

• Poison ivy/oak. This rash
  is due to allergy to the plants. It is not contagious. However, open
  sores or blisters must be covered so that no fluid can come in contact
  with another player.

Skin infections

Athletes with visible signs of skin infection
should not be allowed to participate in contact, collision, or limited-contact
sports. This can help prevent the spread of infection to other athletes. These
include

• Fever blisters and cold
  sores. These are caused by the herpesvirus. They look like
  clusters of small blisters that soon dry out and form scabs.

• Herpes gladiatorum. A type
  of herpes infection in wrestlers causing lesions on the skin. This
  infection is very contagious and can spread quickly among teammates or
  opponents. These look similar to fever blisters at other places on the
  head.

• Boils and impetigo. Boils
  are tender red knots with small white or yellow pus heads on top.
  Impetigo has large blisters filled with pus or shallow raw areas covered
  with yellow scabs. These infections are usually caused by
  Staphylococcus bacteria. Sometimes the
  Staphylococcus can be treated easily with
  antibiotics. At other times, however, it may be an antibiotic-resistant
  strain (also called MRSA). This resistant germ can
  cause serious illness if not recognized and treated early.

• Ringworm. This infection is
  caused by a fungus, similar to the fungus that causes athlete’s
  foot. It may look like a round or oval patch with pink or red raised
  edges covered by fine flakes of skin. The center may look normal.
  Ringworm fungal infection in wrestlers is commonly called tinea
  gladiatorum.

• Scabies. A very itchy rash
  that is highly contagious. It looks like small pink or red bumps and is
  often found on the hands between fingers and on the wrist.

Long-term skin conditions

Athletes with long-term skin problems are not
usually limited in their sports participation. Some conditions require special
care to prevent making the skin problem worse. This includes

• Psoriasis and vitiligo.
  Athletes need to protect their skin from scrapes to avoid making the
  skin problem flare.

• Sun sensitivity problems.
  Athletes should use sunblock and wear hats and sun-protective
  clothing.

• Inherited blistering
  disorders. Athletes must use protective padding and avoid
  friction injuries as much as possible.

• Hives. Athletes may have
  flares during sports activities and should have medicine available.