Hygiene and Skin Infections

What it is

Hygiene and skin infections is the part of training that happens off the mat: keeping yourself and your kit clean so you do not catch or pass on ringworm, staph, impetigo or herpes gladiatorum. Grappling is skin on skin, so one infected person can spread it through a whole gym. Many cases can be prevented by a few simple habits.

Where it shows up

• Ringworm: a red, scaly, itchy patch, often ring-shaped, on the skin or scalp.
• Staph: a red, hot, painful, swollen bump or boil, sometimes with pus, often mistaken for a spider bite or a pimple.
• Impetigo: red sores that burst and leave a honey-coloured crust, often around the nose and mouth.
• Herpes gladiatorum: a cluster of small fluid-filled blisters, often on the face, neck or shoulders, sometimes with tingling or a fever first.

Key details

• If you have a suspicious spot or an open lesion, do not train. See a doctor and come back when they clear you.
• Wash your gi, rash guard and belt after every session. A damp gi bag is where infections grow.
• Shower straight after training, with soap, before you do anything else.
• Keep your fingernails and toenails short, and cover small cuts.
• Wear shoes or sandals off the mat, never on it, and never walk barefoot in the toilets or changing room.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: covering a lesion with tape and training anyway. The tape comes off and your partners catch it.
• Mistake: waiting until after the next session to shower or wash the gi. It gives an infection hours to take hold.
• Mistake: ignoring a small spot because it is probably nothing. Staph and herpes spread fast and need treatment early.