2017 Volume 58 Issue 10 Pages 833-841
We conducted a survey on sportswear-caused skin friction that targeted 102 young women. Affected areas included the chest, groin, inner thigh, and armpit. Many of the respondents wore undergarments made of polyurethane material during exercise, and more than 60% wore tight-fitting undergarments. We then conducted a study by selecting 10 subjects. Using four samples with different composition and structure under two environmental conditions, we applied friction to the inner thigh and examined its effect on the three-dimensional microstructure of the skin's surface. The results showed that the coarseness parameter SRz, which represented the maximum value of the distance between the sulci cutis and crista cutis, was low under hot conditions, and the friction of knitted garments under hot conditions significantly lowered this value. It is thought that perspiring and softened skin became smooth as a result of the friction of slip-resistant knitted garments. The result suggested deserves attention when designing stretchable undergarments.
