Anytime you get an injury from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, you get bummed out. It sidelines you indefinitely for days, weeks or months. While your peers are getting better, you sit out with an injury itching to get back. With skin infections, it is the same deal except there are added elements. Here you’ll learn the belt levels of skin conditions and whether to train or not based on the severity. You will learn how to manage these skin conditions, and which products to use to get back to training sooner!

White Belt – Acne

The most common form of acne is the pimple which is its most recognizable form. This is the form of acne that is circular, has a raised surface, and looks like it’s ready to pop! However, there are other forms of acne: blackheads, whiteheads, papules, nodules, cysts, and staph acne.

Acne is the body’s mechanism to regulate sebum which is the human’s natural oil. This is in charge of ensuring proper lubrication of skin and hair. This prevents the skin from drying out as it cycles through dead skin and hair for new ones.

The bacteria involved with this process is called cutibacterium acnes. This bacterium is safe and predominantly lives on the skin. In fact, it’s said that it helps with homeostasis of the skin. Unfortunately, too much sebum and dead skin on the body can cause the bacterium to cultivate acne. It is important to note that it is non-contagious and wholly separate from the sinister bacteria of staphylococcus.

These are the safest form of acne, but there are still levels to them. With nearly all of these forms, it is safe to continue training. But, keep reading for the hierarchy of acne and other BJJ-related skin issues.

Types of Acne Pimples

First-stripe – Blackhead:

Blackheads are open pores which are plugged with dead skin cells, sebum, and bacteria. Like the name, the pores look like it is engorged with dirt so it looks black in nature. These are non-inflammatory meaning they do not feel inflamed.

Second-stripe – Whitehead:

Whiteheads are closed pores which were formed because they were plugged with dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria. These are non-inflammatory meaning they do not feel inflamed.

Third-stripe – Papule:

These are small, tender bumps on the skin that look like aggravated forms of the whitehead. These are considered the first form of inflamed acne. This means that it causes physical sensations like pain, itchiness, etc. Moving forward, these skin issues become more inflamed, so watch out!

Fourth-stripe – Pimple:

Also known as the pustule, this is the stage when it is filled to the brim in pus. You can even see its opaque nature just cresting the surface. It’s about ready to pop! This is the at-risk stage where you should manage it before or after training begins. While you can still train, you should be careful if it pops. Any infectious bacteria on the mats or from other people can transfer into it. This can lead to blood infections and progress into life-threatening forms. You should not train if you have any pimples that are about to burst. This can leave your skin vulnerable to infections.

How to Manage White Belt Level Acne:

With each progression of the belt, from the first to the fourth stripe, the acne complicates. So it’s imperative that you have a system in place to manage acne build up. Systems that also prevent cuts or scrapes as much as possible. Jiu Jitsu requires a lot of friction and skin-to-skin contact so there are some principles that you must adhere to.

Managing these is important otherwise it can lead to increased skin aggravation and severity. While you can train during all 4 stages, you must manage your skin properly before and after training. This is because acne can lead to more severe forms of bacterial infections that can sideline you for months.

1. The first principle is understanding that your skin is a factory for acne. Every day there are different areas of your skin at varying stages of acne development. By understanding this, you realize that you must manage acne before it builds up. It takes days or weeks for acne to arise. So, having preventative measures in place ensures you to train longer with less breaks.
   
2. The second principle is managing all cuts and scrapes after training. Proper post-training systems is important for your skin to have highest probability recovery.
   
3. The third principle is realizing that the skin must not be too oily or dry. The body naturally secretes oil called sebum that lubricates the skin. But sometimes, due to hormonal imbalances, diet, or stress, it can produce too much oil. This causes the skin’s pores to be clogged. Sometimes, if you wash your body often, it can become too dry which also is bad. Sebum acts as a barrier to intrusive bacteria or foreign substances. If your body is too dry, it can create a vulnerability.
   
4. The fourth principle is knowing the difference between a normal pimple versus a staph pimple. We will talk more about this later so keep reading.

Best Practices:

Take a hot shower 1 or 2 times a day 3 to 4 hours before training time. This makes sure your skin has time to build sebum which protects your skin throughout the day. This is also to make sure your pores are thoroughly cleaned and properly closed. This thoroughly cleans the pores when they open up due to the hot water. This also optimizes the effectiveness of facial creams.

Directly after the hot shower, pat-dry yourself with a towel but ideally air dry your entire body. This is to make sure your skin is moisturized and not dried out. The air-drying helps with moisturizing the skin while closing the pores as it cools down.

Recommended body soap are ones that contain kojic acid, pyrithione zinc or sulfur. Many BJJ enthusiasts use Hibiclens. It’s a medical grade soap which typically only medical professionals use. But BJJ practitioners use it as a skin preventative. It has a powerful antimicrobial agents called Chlorhexidine Gluconate which is a powerful disinfectant and antiseptic. Avoid these near the eyes or leaving them on for more than 3 minutes as they dry out the skin.

If I have a pimple on my skin, I soak the affected area with these soaps up to 3 minutes. Leaving them on for more than 3 minutes dries out the skin and creates more breakouts.

The best shampoos are ones that contain olamine piroctone or ketaconazole. But avoid shampoos that contain too many chemicals aside from the main ingredients mentioned. You’ll learn more about why these shampoos are so important later on.

Directly after a hot shower is optimal time to spot treat your skin with salicylic acid cream. Before I do, I use antimicrobial hypochlorous mist spray to shower my body and face. It helps moisturize my skin while providing antimicrobial benefits. This helps to dry out acne or prevent it from appearing. If your skin feels dry, put a thin layer of moisturizing lotion on your skin.

This is also the best time to treat any cuts and scrapes to prevent infections. Use a topical ointment that includes powerful chemicals and natural ingredients like tea tree oil. You can even use liquid bandaid before training to prevent any infections. To protect cuts even further, there are some fantastic waterproof tape that you can use. I’ve used them for training with great results! There are also pimple patches that you buy on Amazon which will isolate pimples and extract dead skin or sebum.

Taking a shower after training is a best practice because it quickly washes the skin of any bacteria. Using the above creams and products before bedtime helps your body to recover from any potential bacteria. Sleep is the best form of recovery. The body truly is a healing machine!

Blue Belt – The Nodule and the Cyst

The next level of skin issues are nodules and then cystic lesions. Generally, these issues develop due to autoimmune responses from external or internal sources. They can be painful or painless. Depending on the causes, you should decide whether to train or not.

First and Second stripe – Nodules:

Nodules are solid lumps at least 1 centimeter in size located underneath the skin. Many things can cause nodules, but for jiu jitsu, it is normally due to skin inflammation or infections. Typically for jiu jitsu, it stems from external physical contact or internal inflammatory responses. This is tricky to navigate but you must decide whether it is infectious or benign.

Third and Fourth stripe – Cysts:

Cysts are like evolved forms of nodules. They are small pockets of tissue filled with pus and fluid. In jiu jitsu, they normally occur in response to physical contact, inflammation, or infections. Also, what can trigger this are hair follicles being blocked.

Each progression of acne from White to Blue range from non-inflammatory to inflammatory. Blackheads and Whiteheads are non-inflammatory. But papules, pimples, and nodules/cysts are inflammatory acne. You should not train if you have any form of pimple that is about to burst or is already burst. This can cause you and your training partners to be susceptible to staph.

Best Practices:

If you are dealing with an inflamed form of acne, avoid touching the area or popping it. Consult with a professional to determine what the best action is. Popping them will worsen them and sideline you for weeks or months instead of days.

If you are experienced with popping acne, use best hygiene practices. These are washing your hands, sanitizing tools, sanitizing the pimple, and isolating the pimple using things like liquid bandaid.

Many times, these nodules or cysts are directly caused by shaving. No matter how much you sanitize the shaving tool, or how well you shave, you may still aggravate the pores. These pores are also where follicles reside so they might get infected or inflamed. Managing the inflammation so it does not pop or grow in size is key. You may still train depending on if it is not infectious.

Consider owning an electric shaver that does not aggravate the skin. This may save you money long term while increasing longevity for your BJJ training. Disposable razors can create nicks and cuts on your skin which can lead to increased chances of skin infections. Owning an electric shaver that specializes in preventing nicks and cuts will decrease your chances for skin infections.

Shave your skin at least 2 to 4 hours before training begins. Ideally, you want to do this with the most amount of time beforehand. This allows your skin to heal, close pores, and create sebum that will act as a protectant. If you do have nicks or cuts, this helps you manage them giving you a sense of security to train.

Always sanitize your shaving tools. Avoid touching your skin as much as possible until it’s time to train including aftercare.

Purple Belt – Regular Acne or Staph Acne?

This is the danger zone. As a good training partner for your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym, you should err on the side of caution. If you feel like you have staph, it is best to stay home or consult with a doctor.

The difference between normal acne versus staph acne is hard to discern. Basically, safe acne is caused by the safe bacteria Cutibacterium. Staph acne is caused by the highly contagious and infectious Staphylococcus bacterium.

The general rule is, if the acne quickly spreads to other parts of the body, it may be Staph. Normal acne is not contagious and the pus doesn’t easily infect other areas of the body. However, staph acne is contagious and will spread to other parts of the body readily.

Discern whether other symptoms persist. If your body feels fatigued, feverish, and other immune responses, you may have staph.

Best Practices:

Act quickly. Disinfect the area and figure out if you need to have a second opinion from the doctor.

1. You do this by practicing normal hygiene practices such as washing hands, cleansing the affected site, and sanitizing utensils.
2. Then you take a q-tip and put hydrogen peroxide solution on it and cleanse the site. Hydrogen peroxide is a debriding agent and oxidizes porous surfaces. It kills most germs this way.

If hydrogen peroxide and salicylic acid creams do not provide significant results, it may be staph acne. You should consult a doctor right away for treatment options.

Brown Belt – Staph Acne

This is when you know for certain that the acne you have is a direct result of staphylococcus bacteria.

Best Practices:

Wear loose fitting shirts that don’t aggravate the skin and avoid touching affected areas.

Constantly monitor the area for improvements and consistently stick to the protocol mentioned above.

1. What you need to do consistently is practice safe hygiene and wash the area with good soap. Soaps like Hibiclens are powerful antimicrobials and are sensitive to the skin for most people.
2. Avoid heavy soaps or use them with discretion. Soaps with pyrithione zinc or kojic acid can be too harsh on the skin and could create more aggravation.
3. If you must moisturize the area, do so with a q-tip or other isolating tool.

Having a doctor’s opinion is the best course of action here because it will reduce training wait times significantly.

Black Belt – MRSA

This is life-threatening staph and is often resistant to traditional antibiotics. This is when you need to see a doctor or face severe consequences, even death. There is even a level further than this with “Super Staph.” Craig Jones mentioned this in an interview. Someone he knew died after contracting a rare case of Staph in Thailand. There, the Staph developed immunity to many antibacterials that it infected various parts of his body through the blood.

Best Practices:

Never let it get to this point. Practice the above best practices and go a step further. Develop a protocol for isolating gym rash guards, spats or shorts before and after training.

1. You can do this by getting scented trash bags for the gym apparel and another for your sandals. You can even get a third for post-training laundry. This way, you will keep the insides of your gym bag clean.
2. Always wear sandals to the bathroom and take them off in the main lobby of the locker room.
3. Do laundry within 1 hour of training to prevent staph bacteria getting trapped within the polyester or spandex microfibers.
4. Do the smell test: If it stinks after laundry, throw it away. To create longevity for your gym attire, do laundry ASAP. Bad smell indicates bacteria is trapped within the microfibers.

Green Belt – Contact Dermatitis

Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction to soaps, detergent, fabrics and other things that cause immune responses on the skin. In BJJ, this normally could be caused by using a new detergent that has powerful compounds. Or due to the rash guard irritating your skin. Normally, it looks worse than what it is and you can resume training since it isn’t contagious. But, if it is caused by staph bacteria, you need to get it treated by a professional. If you have other symptoms like oozing pus or flaky skin, talk to the medical professional. Otherwise, you just have to deal with the crazy looks from your fellow gym peers.

Author’s note: I’ve had this before due to a rash guard that had bad stitching. My body itched for weeks and I had some looks from my peers, you’re not alone. But if you are unsure, seek a doctor’s opinion to get their approval. If you are confident that you will not infect anyone, you should be okay. Get hydrocortisone cream to manage the itching. Afterwards, burn, destroy, or throw out that rash guard! 😤

OSS

To recap: You must understand your own body and how it works. If you never had acne before, but all of a sudden you get them, question if it is staph. Practice proper gym etiquette and communicate with the professors what you’re experiencing. In BJJ, your gym teammates are trusting you to practice proper skincare. It is on you to maximize your training longevity and for your training partners as well.

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