What is Vaseline?
Vaseline is a jelly made from petroleum that aids hair and skin care. The extensive uses of vaseline make you wonder, why do fighters put vaseline on their faces? This product uses a lot of processing to bring out more than jelly.
The manufacturers remove all kinds of impurities from crude oil to give the best moisturizer. So why do they put vaseline on UFC fighters?
Let us dive deeper:
Why Do Fighters Put Vaseline on Their Faces?
After a few rounds, fighters may find themselves wounded mostly with cuts. So why do boxers use vaseline? Vaseline helps reduce the amount of blood loss. Vaseline is a good coagulant. After applying the vaseline, the fighter can be safe from further damage to the facial area.
During fights, when a fighter’s skin gets cut, it may be very likely that bacteria may penetrate inside. Vaseline also comes here to prevent any kind of germs and bacteria from getting their way inside. In other words, vaseline is a temporary medicine for injured fighters during matches.
During a match, punches on the face may lead to swelling. Cuts on the skin after the fight may also lead to some swelling around the area. Vaseline comes in to prevent skin swelling or at least minimize the swelling. Vaseline also prevents blisters from forming on the injured sections of the skin.
In other words, vaseline acts as a temporary medicine during matches. During breaks after matches, it is essential to use vaseline and adrenaline-infused vaseline with some water. The water makes the application of vaseline on the skin easy. The water on the vaseline also makes it friendly on the injured section.
Vaseline also protects leather gloves from causing injury to the face. Once the opponent punches the soft sections of the skin, the leather may cause some damage. Since leather is hard, soft skin sections can barely escape bruises. Vaseline comes in to prevent the leather from causing different kinds of harm, such as cuts.
Vaseline also allows the skin to stretch more. Once the skin gains additional levels of elasticity, it may be hard to get skin tears. Proper stretching of the skin makes the punches have less effect on every corner of your facial skin. Such reasons answer the question of why do boxers put vaseline on their faces.
How Much Vaseline Is Applied to Their Faces?
The amount of vaseline put on fighters’ faces can be any amount. In most cases, the referee may be the one to decide how much vaseline is for use on the face. In some fights, no rules determine the amount of vaseline for use. However, the application of vaseline should be manageable for some reasons.
Too much vaseline and adrenaline-induced vaseline on a boxer during a match may cause other problems. For instance, one of the main problems is the vaseline getting into the eyes. Once extra vaseline gets into the eyes, it may lead to destruction due to itchiness. The itchiness level from vaseline on the eyes may range from mild to severe.
Cutmen should only apply vaseline on the important sections of the face. When applying vaseline on the face, the ears, nose, cheekbones, and jawbones are the most critical areas to look at. Application of vaseline to these sections should always remain minimal.
What is a Cutman?
The cutman applies vaseline or adrenaline-infused vaseline on the fighters during a boxing match. When you look at the side of the ring, you will most likely see a cutman. The cutmen always stay close to monitor the players for any form of injury before the end of the match. A cutman also treats wounds, bleeds, swellings, and cuts.
In most cases, during a match, each fighter always has their cutman. The cutman looks after the player after every one-minute break. One minute of proper care means only a true expert can take on the cutman task. A different outcome can come in the match due to the changes a cutman makes on the fighter.
A cutman only uses vaseline on the face of the fighter. The game’s rules do not allow cutmen to use vaseline on other body parts. Using vaseline on other body parts on the face can lead to a foul game for the opponent fighter.
Other Facial Items Used During a Fight
Apart from vaseline or adrenaline-infused vaseline, a cutman can use several other products on a fighter’s face. The boxing management allows those additional items. The additional items for use during fights include:
- Ice
- Water
- Adrenaline chloride
- A metal plate or enswell
Ice
Apart from vaseline, ice also works well in treating the face temporarily during boxing matches. Just like vaseline, ice helps reduce the level of swelling on a fighter’s face. The cutman must apply ice quickly on the injured section. A quick application of ice on the injured area quickens the healing process.
Methods of Applying Ice
There are several ways in which a cutman can apply ice to the injured section. These application methods ensure that the face gets as much relief as possible before the next round. Below are some of the main techniques that a cutman may use to apply ice on the face of a fighter:
- Ice bag
- Ice cups
Ice Bags
Using an ice bag is primarily the best method of applying ice on a fighter’s face. All that a cutman needs to do is add ice cubes inside the bag. The cutman should crush the ice properly before inserting it into the bag. Some minor addition of water in the ice may also work well with the injury.
Ice Cups
Cutmen can use ice cups just the same way as ice bags. Filling the ice cups with ice cubes is the primary process. The next move is to rub the cups around the facial skin with injuries. Water may also come in the same way as in the ice bags. The water will perform the same purpose, just as in ice bags.
Water
Water helps the fighter to cool off properly. The cutman can throw dumps, wet towels, or clothes on the fighter. Some water can also go to the face for quick cooling. The legs and the shoulders are the primary places to put the wet towels. The fighter can also drink some of the water.
Adrenaline Chloride
This substance aids in quickening the blood clotting process. Adrenaline chloride is a suitable coagulant, meaning that a single application would help close the wound quickly. Cutmen can apply adrenaline chloride on the face quickly to improve its efficiency on the face.
Metal Plate or Enswell
A metal plate or enswel is another product the governing council allows fighters to use during matches. This product reduces swelling of the skin around the facial area. Enswell is a type of metal in ice. The cold properties of this product improve facial wounds.
How is Swelling Treated During a Match?
Swellings are common after a fighter gets punched around the face. After a punch on the ace, blood tends to flow to the tissues around the injury. The blood and other fluids lead to swelling of the area. Ice is one of the best methods of treating swellings during boxing matches.
The ice usually prevents blood from flowing to the tissues with damage. Once there is less blood in these tissues, swelling will reduce. Ice prevents swelling from becoming more significant, meaning the fighter can continue with the match. Ice also plays a massive role in reducing and controlling the pain in the swelling sections.
Cutmen usually apply the ice on the fighter during the fight to enable them to continue playing. After the match ends, the player can continue using the ice on the injured area. Continuous use of the ice usually reduces the level of swelling and any other future damage to the facial skin.
How are Cuts Treated Between Rounds?
So what do they put on boxers’ faces to stop bleeding? Application of pressure on the wound is the first step that a cutman takes during a match. The pressure on the wound usually attempts to close the wound almost instantly. Adrenaline chloride is the best product for treating cuts during boxing matches. Adrenaline chloride reduces bleeding quickly.
After using the adrenaline chloride, a cutman also adds vaseline to the wound. Remember that the vaseline does not go directly to the cut section. It is only advisable to apply the vaseline around the wound.
The Final Say
Natural vaseline and adrenaline-infused vaseline prove to have a lot of benefits on the skin. The benefits also come to the ring during boxing matches. So far, vaseline has proven to get fighters in shape and make them sustain at least more minutes in the ring.