If you notice something that seems different: Do not train! A pimple in a place you
don’t normally get pimples, an area that is unusually sore, an itchy area of skin.

Below we provide some tips to help prevent infection.

Early recognition: There are many different ways a skin infection can initially present, and often at first it may seem like nothing, this is the time you are at most risk of continuing to train and potentially spread it. If something seems odd, don’t train and get medical advice.
Early Intervention: Early recognition and treatment of skin infections can mean minor inconvenience and faster return to training. If extremely early may be treated with topical cream, most are treated with oral antibiotics, while late interventions can be more serious and require hospitalisation.
Often bacteria can remain on your clothes, on-going wash all of your training gear on hot, with disinfectant, and place it in the dryer.
Perform a decolonisation protocol to remove staph that may be living on your skin (more information below).
Place dirty training gear in a separate compartment of your bag to where you place your fresh training gear.
Wash immediately after training with soap or chlorhexidine. The longer you wait, the more chance the bacteria has to settle in.
Wear long sleeve rash guard, and spats (no gi).
Wear a rash guard under your gi.
Cover any scratches so they are less exposed. Do not attempt to cover a skin infection in an attempt to train, this is not sufficient to prevent spread.
Moisturise your skin: Dry cracked skin allows greater access for bacteria
Wash your hands before you train. You may unwittingly pick or scratch at a pimple or something that seems “different”. This may leave the infectious agent on your hands, the main thing you use to contact your training partner.
Wait until the infection is completely cleared before returning to training.
If you see something- say something. A major part of the propagation of skin infections is people training when they should not be. If you notice something suspect please either discuss with the person or notify your coach, and there is any suspicion of a skin infection that person should be removed from training.