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At a loss to figure out what's wrong with them

Whenever I buy my sons new swim shorts, they get a rash. The problem is they only get this rash in certain areas, usually around the waist (but not all the way around, just in 2-4 spots), and their thighs at the bottom of the shorts. AND they only get it in our pool, not when we go to the lake.

We've checked the pool chemicals, and check them daily, and they are at the levels they should be. They've been checked for allergies, and are not allergic to any of the chemicals in the pool. They do have a mild allergy to latex, which may be in the elastic of the shorts, but this doesn't happen when they wear other things like underwear that have latex in the elastic. It also, again, doesn't happen everywhere, just in certain spots. We've changed brands of chemicals, too.

The weirdest thing is it's only when they're new. My boys usually can wear the same shorts 2-3 years. The summer before last, they were new and we had this problem. Last year, same shorts - no problem. This year, new shorts - problem.

I've washed the new shorts repeatedly in case there was something on them causing it. I know it's not the laundry detergent because this doesn't happen with any other clothing.

I'm at a total loss here. Does anyone have any suggestions for anything I haven't thought of yet? The rash is kind of red, not raised, and doesn't itch. But it does sting and hurt, they say. But it only stings and hurts while in the pool. Please help if you can!

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wendythewriter

Asked by wendythewriter at 5:03 PM on Jul. 9, 2012 in Kids' Health

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Answers (11)
  • Before I read that they were allergic to latex, that was my first thought! I'm allergic to latex, and some things bother me, while some things don't. Underwear, bras, and socks I have to replace often when they start to wear through a little, but one pair of argyle socks burned little squares all over me from whatever was in the threading there. It would be my guess that something is different with the swim trunks and it is bothering their allergy.
    Mom-2-3-Girlz

    Answer by Mom-2-3-Girlz at 5:40 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • Bump. Hope you get your answer.
    theMOMmission

    Answer by theMOMmission at 5:05 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • Could be the dye that is used in the shorts reacting with te pool chemicals and causing the rash. Most likely at the bottom and band because that is where the material is folded over and dyes can get trapped
    KristiS11384

    Answer by KristiS11384 at 5:07 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • What happens if you wash them 2 or 3 times before wearing them. I used to get a reaction on my underwear at the waist in the elastic, but it turned out to be Tide. They changed their formula and made it stronger too. I had to get all new underwear. As a kid I was also allergic to the chlorine in the pool.
    robinkane

    Answer by robinkane at 5:12 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • What happens if you wash them 2 or 3 times before wearing them. ~robinkane

    I did that this year. The last time this happened was when I figured out it was new shorts. So when I bought them this year, I washed them about 5 times before we even started swimming. I considered the detergent, but like I said, this doesn't happen with any of their other clothing.
    wendythewriter

    Comment by wendythewriter (original poster) at 5:15 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • Try a soak and scrub, paying close attantion the the areas of material where the rashes originate from. Rinse thouroughly and wash in a regular cycle. If that doesn't work it looks like you'll be back finding new swim trunks
    KristiS11384

    Answer by KristiS11384 at 5:19 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • Mom-2-3-Girlz, what you've just said is new to me. I also have a latex allergy, that's how we found out they have it. I went to school for phlebotomy, and was wearing latex gloves one night waiting for my turn to show my instructor I could do a particular blood draw, and my hands started itching all over. And that's always been my reaction to it - itching all over wherever the latex has touched. That's why I discounted it, because it wasn't all over. But it never occurred to me that there might be something different about it in the shorts. I think it might be time to chat with their doctor again. Thank you!
    wendythewriter

    Comment by wendythewriter (original poster) at 5:55 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • "And that's always been my reaction to it" - that was supposed to read that it's always been their reaction to it - the same as mine. Sometimes my fingers get ahead of my thoughts. lol
    wendythewriter

    Comment by wendythewriter (original poster) at 5:56 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • I'm willing to bet there is some latex in the waist. I have such skin issues the Dr. used to tell me I was allergic to my own skin. Some are just more prone to skin problems.
    m-avi

    Answer by m-avi at 6:14 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

  • Wow...similar to how I figured out I had my allergy. They think mine was thrown on by pregnancy, because I was in contact with latex gloves every day when I worked in mental health, and one day I put them on and after a minute they started itching, burning, and I broke out in hives. I didn't mean for it to sound like my feet didn't itch from those socks (they did!), but it felt like they were on fire from being exposed to whatever was in them for a somewhat prolonged time. It looked like when you get "pillow marks" or whatever from having something pressed against your skin, but instead of being indented, it was raised up. Is that kind of what it looks like on your boys? Or is theirs more splotchy/pimply like a "regular" rash?
    Mom-2-3-Girlz

    Answer by Mom-2-3-Girlz at 6:56 PM on Jul. 9, 2012

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