What Is Armpit Rash?

Maddy

15 hours ago

There are many potential causes of armpit rash.

Friction Dermatitis

Friction dermatitis is a common rash. The friction created by skin rubbing on skin or clothing, also called chafing, can cause irritation.

Heat and excess sweating can contribute to chafing. Shaving also makes your underarms more vulnerable to damage from rubbing because it removes skin, adds Kathryn Durham, MD, an American Academy of Dermatology certified dermatologist with U.S. Dermatology Partners in Fort Worth, Texas.

Contact Dermatitis

There are two types of contact dermatitis: irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

Irritant contact dermatitis occurs when an ingredient or element of a product — such as cleansers, deodorants, or even clothing — disrupts the skin barrier, Dr. Farnsworth says.

Meanwhile, allergic contact dermatitis takes place when your immune system reacts to an ingredient, leading to a rash.

It can be tough to distinguish between the two types of contact dermatitis, as they can look the same. The culprits, such as fragrance or preservative, also are often the same, Farnsworth says.

Fungal Infection

Excess moisture from sweat encourages an overgrowth of yeast called Candida albicans, leading to a yeast infection.

“Yeast infections are often bright red, with bright bumps and pustules at the periphery, and often have a pungent, ‘cheesy’ smell,” Farnsworth says.

Ringworm is another fungal infection, caused by the fungi Trichophyton, Microsporum, or Epidermophyton. It can spread by skin-to-skin contact or by sharing things that touch your skin, like a towel.

Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a skin condition that features painful lumps in your skin. The lumps resemble pimples and acne cysts and often appear in the armpits, inner thighs, or groin.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is more common in Black people compared with those of other races and affects women more often than men.

Folliculitis

Shaving sets the stage for folliculitis, a condition where bacteria enter hair follicles, causing them to become infected and inflamed, Dr. Durham says. Folliculitis appears as red or white pimple-like bumps; some are filled with pus.

Anyone can develop folliculitis, but it can be more common in people who are overweight or have obesity or type 2 diabetes. Sweating without showering or changing clothes, or spending time in hot tubs or saunas, also encourages folliculitis.

Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)

This inflammatory skin condition — which can be genetic — can also show up in the armpits. Your skin may appear dry and red and feel itchy.

“Eczema loves skin folds, and armpits are one spot we might see it,” Durham says.

Inverse Psoriasis

A specific type of psoriasis, this condition leads to a painful rash in skin folds such as under your arms, which see a lot of friction, Durham says.

Anyone can get inverse psoriasis. Factors that may make you more susceptible include:

Alcohol use
Smoking
Stress
Obesity
Genetics
Vitamin D deficiency

Some Cancers

Armpit rash is a fairly rare symptom of some cancers, but there are links.

Extramammary Paget’s disease, a rare skin condition that may be associated with cancer, can show up as a persistent red, scaly, or itchy rash in the armpit.

While also rare, red raised bumps in the armpit that don’t resolve may be a sign of cutaneous lymphoma (lymphoma of the skin), particularly in males, Black adults, and people ages 50 and older.

Inflammatory breast cancer can cause swelling of the lymph nodes, small glands that help your body fight off infections, in your armpits that looks like a rash. This cancer is rare but aggressive.

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