Rush under armpit is a common skin problem that can affect anybody, male or female, adults or children. Underarm itchy and rash can show up due to various health conditions, including heat rash, candidiasis, STDs, HIV. It manifests itself as red or dark painful or burning patches. It can affect adults or children (babies or toddlers). Explore pictures causes, signs and symptoms of armpit rash. Also, learn how you can get rid of it with medical treatment and home remedies.
Signs and Symptoms
Any skin condition that is attributed to the symptoms of redness, inflammation and burning sensation on your skin might be a rash. The skin rash is usually associated with painful raised bumps, pimples, pustules, boils, lesions, flat spots and flat irregular itchy patches.
Your armpit is one of the vulnerable parts of the body that can easily develop various types of skin problems including rashes. The reason why your armpit is a prime spot for rashes it that this area has a cavity that tends to be more hot and sweaty.
The natural condition of hot and sweaty skin in your armpit cavity can lead to skin problems like heat rashes. In addition, the accumulation of sweats around these parts might encourage the growth of harmful disease-causing microorganism to breed and causes a skin rash.
Rash in armpit can manifest in different forms. This means that the underarm rash might not look similar. The can vary from one person to another. Also, the color of armpit rash may vary as red, brown, pink, yellow, and white depending on your skin tone.
The signs and symptoms of rash under armpit might also have a slight difference. Despite the variation of skin rash, it is easy to identify a rash by considering their common symptoms that can show up on your skin.
Generally, the armpit rash is usually characterized by the following signs and symptoms that are outlined below:
- Burning sensation or itching skin on armpit
- Redness, inflammation, and tenderness of skin
- Tiny pimples or large itchy bumps in armpits
- Few or numerous bumps on the skin of the underarm
- Pus-filled boils or fluid-filled blisters that burst, weep and crust
- Dry, scaly or flaky skin in the armpit
- Pink, red, white or yellow spots, lesion, and marks in armpits
- Painful and swollen lymph nodes in armpits
Apart from these signs and symptoms, you can also experience other strange symptoms such as body fever, excessive sweating, coughing, sore throat, headache, and pain in joints. For this case, it is advisable to seek the consultation of the health provider.
Underarm Rash Pictures
Armpit rash can show up itself in different forms. To see how it might look like, we have provided descriptive pictures of a rash under armpit in different parts of this post to give you a visual understanding.
You may use these pictures to evaluate your skin condition around the armpit and get a clue about your health condition. In case you notice that your armpit has a health problem that slightly resembles a rash in the provided picture, you can visit your dermatologist who can give the appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Causes of Rash Under Armpit
What can cause a rash under the armpit? There are various causes that can lead to a skin rash under your armpit. These causes can lead to either harmless skin condition or more serious health problem that needs medical concern.
The armpit rash can develop due to the following causes that include:
1. Heat Rash
Heat rash is also called sweat rash. This is a common cause of skin rash under the armpit. You can develop sweat rash in your armpit as a consequence of blocked sweat ducts. Heat rash often affects people who tend to sweat a lot. Heat rash can show up in babies, infants, toddlers, teens, and adults.
High temperature and armpit chafing is the risk factor that can encourage tiny pimples to appear in your armpits. Hot weather condition that may lead to overheating of the body and sweating can trigger heat rash to appear in the armpits.
Also, physical activities that may result in chafing and friction that generates heat around the armpits can lead to heat rash. For instance, you might develop armpit rash after practicing physical excises that involve the movement of arms due to friction and heat generated in your armpit.
2. Fungal Infection
A rash under armpit can show up as a result of candidiasis infection. The overgrowth of yeast or fungi in your armpits can lead to the development of tiny red, pink, white itchy spots or patches. It can as well lead to the dry, scaly and ashy skin in your armpit.
You can develop yeast infection under your armpits to develop a rash when you are exposed to risk factors that encourage the growth of candidiasis. Some of the predisposing factors that may lead to fungal infection in armpits include:
- Hot and humid environment that can lead to overheating of the body and sweating to occur
- Sweaty armpits that can create moist condition for growth of harmful fungus on the skin
- Poor skin hygiene that can result in the accumulation of sweats, grease, and dirt that can provide suitable condition for overgrowth of skin fungus
- Weakened immune system due to underlying infection like HIV and diabetes
- After the used of strong antibiotics that kill bacteria which helps to moderate the growth of yeast on your skin
3. Razor Bumps
If you develop a rash in your armpits after shaving, it could be symptoms of razor bumps. These bumps can show up after shaving the hair by using inappropriate techniques. Razor bumps are usually characterized by painful raised spots that range in size from small to large bumps.
Ingrown hair bumps is another type of skin rash that can show up after shaving the hair under your armpits. Ingrown hair rash can happen due to curling or sideways growth of hair inside the hair follicles beneath the surface of the skin.
4. Contact Dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis is a skin condition that can lead to skin rash. This condition happens due to direct skin contact with allergens or irritants. Similarly, the skin of your armpits can develop a strange rash after you are exposed to a harmful substance that can trigger rashes to show up.
Some of the common skin allergens that can lead to allergic rash in your armpit include harsh detergents, fragrance, caterpillar fur, dust particles, poison ivy or any other harsh household chemical that can irritate your skin.
A rash under armpit after swimming is another common problem that you might encounter. This condition is not related to pathogenic infection but due to an allergic reaction that might occur as a consequence of heavily chlorinated water in the swimming pool.
Hives are types of rashes or bumps that can show up few hours or day on your skin due to an allergic reaction.
5. Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition that occurs due to overproduction of oils or sebum on the skin. This condition is characterized by flaky skin with oily patches that are either white or yellow in color. It can affect armpits, face, scalp, and ears.
A baby skin is more susceptible to be affected by Seborrheic dermatitis compare to teens and adults. But the condition can affect anybody.
6. Folliculitis
Folliculitis is a skin condition that is associated with painful rashes or bumps in area that has hairs. You can develop this condition due to the fungal or bacterial infection of the hair follicles in your armpits. Folliculitis can occur after shaving the hair under your armpits by using contaminated tools or equipment that lead to the infection of hair follicles by bacteria or fungi.
7. Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Hidradenitis suppurativa is another skin condition that can lead to the development of a rash under your armpits. Similar to folliculitis, this condition is caused by an infection of the oil gland on the skin by the bacteria or fungi.
8. STDs
Skin rash in armpits and genital area might be a symptom of sexually transmitted disease (STD). Syphilis and HIV are some of STDs that are associated with a rash on underarm, genital area, face, leg, trunk or any other parts of the body.
9. Psoriasis in the armpit
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that can lead to chronic red itchy rash in the armpits or any other parts of the body. This condition can show up as silvery shiny white rash that are surrounded by irregular patches.
10. Eczema in the armpit
Eczema is another autoimmune disease that can affect your armpits to develop itchy rashes and large patches on the skin. Eczema rashes are usually accompanied by large red patches that resemble a burn on the skin.
11. Pityriasis rosea
Pityriasis rosea is a skin condition that can result in scaly itchy rash on the skin. This condition can occur anywhere on the skin including the armpit. This condition often affects babies and women. Under rare cases, it can also occur in men.
12. Lymphoma cancer
Cancer of the lymph nodes of the armpits is a rare condition that can result in chronic itchy rash on surface of the skin in area affected. Lymphoma cancer can show up as an armpit rash or bumps that won’t heal easily and has a characteristic of bleeding if something touches.
13. Other rare causes
A rash under armpit can develop due other rare causes such as diabetes, scarlet fever, chickenpox, lupus, insect bites or any other skin diseases. Also, armpit rash can show as an effect of change of hormones during pregnancy, menstruation and menopause period.
Rash Under One Armpit
In most occasions, a rash can appear in both left and right armpits. However, it can also appear one side either the left or right armpit only. The rash in one armpit might show up in from small bumps, large lumps like boils, blisters or scaly dry patches.
The fungal and bacterial attack is one of the infections that can affect one or both armpits. The hot and moist environment on the cavity of the underarm can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi that can lead to folliculitis and rashes on the skin.
In general, other causes of a rash under armpit can also affect one of your armpits to develop rashes. some of these causes are already been discussed in the relevant section of this post and they include contact dermatitis, heat rash, razor bumps, eczema, psoriasis and others.
Rash Under Both Armpits
According to American Academy of Dermatology, skin rash can in both armpits is an indication of either benign or more serious health problems. Heat rash, contact dermatitis, candidiasis are an example of harmless skin condition that can cause armpit rash on both sides.
A more serious skin condition such as lymphoma cancer, STD infection, psoriasis, and eczema can also affect both armpits. If you notice that your armpit has a strange itchy rash, it is advisable to see your dermatologist to help you in diagnosis and treatment.
Underarm Rash That Won’t Go Away
An underarm rash that won’t go away easily might be a symptom of a more serious skin problem that needs medical concern. If you notice a chronic rash or bump in your armpits that refuse to heal, you can visit your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.
Lymphoma cancer is a known rare condition that can lead to a rash under the armpit that might refuse to heal. Cancerous condition on the skin is usually associated with a chronic rash that won’t go away and they can bleed easily if something touches on it.
Other autoimmune skin disorder such as eczema and psoriasis can also be the reason behind chronic rash in your armpit that won’t go away easily. Eczema and psoriasis can be controlled and treated with special medication.
How to Get Rid of Rash Under Armpit
You can get rid of armpit rash by using various treatment methods depending on your skin condition. Home remedies are one of the treatment methods that can be effective for mild rashes on your armpits that are caused by less harmful causes such as allergic reactions and heat rash.
Medical treatment is another alternative you can go for if the rash in the armpit is likely to be a serious health problem such as skin cancer, psoriasis eczema or any other chronic skin condition.
Treatment of Rash under Armpit
If you develop a chronic skin rash on armpits, you can visit your doctor for medical treatment. After visiting your doctor, he/ she may decide the appropriate plan for diagnosis and treatment that can help you to solve the health problem.
Your doctor might use the following methods to treat your skin condition:
- Prescription of oral drugs that include antibodies, antifungal, and antivirus that can help to cure the underlying condition that causes skin rashes
- Prescription of ointment and best cream that can help to cure skin rashes
- Laser treatment method that uses strong beam of light to kill malignance cells that lead to a rash in your armpits
- Surgical incision to remover malignant tissue that leads to chronic rash in the armpits
Home Remedies for Rash Under Armpit
In case you have a mild rash in your armpit such as heat rash, no need for you to go for medical treatment. You can use the following home remedies to get rid of armpit rash:
- Castor oil
Castors oil contains natural vitamins that can help to nourish the skin to facilitate the healing of skin rashes. The oil also can help to moisten dry and scaly skin with rashes.
How to use:
- Use warm water to clean your armpits and pat dry it with a towel
- Apply the castor oil directly to the affected area of the skin with the rash
- Allow the oil to stay on your skin for the whole day
- Repeat to apply it three times in day for few weeks until a rash under the armpits go away
- Instead of castor oil, you can alternatively use other essential oil such as coconut oil, Neem tree oil, almond oil and olive oil
- Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is an effective natural home remedy that you can use for the treatment of skin rash in your armpits. The herb has antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties that can help to heal armpit rash.
How to use:
- Clean the affected area with warm water and pat dry it with a washcloth
- Apply the Aloe Vera cream, gel or juice to the affected parts of the underarm
- Allow it to stay on your skin for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off with water
- Repeat this procedure three times in a day for few weeks until the skin rash under armpit go away
- Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an effective antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory reagent that can help to relieve itchy rash in the armpit.
How to use:
- Get ¼ glass of apple cider vinegar and dilute it with equal amount of water
- Use a cotton ball to apply the solution to the affected parts of your armpit with rashes
- After 30 minutes, rinse your skin with cold water
- Repeat this treatment twice in a day for few weeks until you notice a change
- Baking soda
Baking soda is a natural astringent reagent that can help to heal fluid-filled blister and oozing rash in your armpits. Also, it can help to restore normal skin pH in order to control the overgrowth of fungus and bacteria.
How to use:
- Get one teaspoon of baking soda and add few drops of water to make a smooth paste
- Use your fingers to apply the paste to the affected area of the skin
- Leave it few minutes to dry off before rinsing with warm water
- Repeat the treatment three times in a day for few weeks until skin rash clear away
- Raw honey and lemon juice
A combination of honey and lemon juice is an excellent and a powerful natural remedy that can help to clear away various types of skin rash within few days of application. The citric acid in the lemon juice has the antiseptic property that can help to kill harmful disease-causing microorganism on the skin.
The raw honey has also medicinal values that can help to cure skin rash. Furthermore, honey is natural skin moisturizer that you can apply to the dry scaly skin with rashes.
How to use:
- Mix one teaspoon of raw honey with equal volume of lemon juice
- Apply the mixture directly to the affected parts of your skin with rashes
- Leave it to stay on your skin for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off with water
- Repeat this procedure three times in day until skin rash in your armpits go away
When to See a Doctor
You can see your doctor over a rash under armpit if you notice the following condition:
- If a rash on your skin has persisted form more than three weeks without healing
- When the rash on your armpits are too itchy and makes you feel a discomfort
- When an armpit rash is spreading to other parts of your body
- If the rash in your armpit has a characteristic of hard lumps or tumors that can bleed easily
- If your baby, infant, toddler or child had developed strange armpit rash that looks worrisome
- When the armpit rash is accompanied by other symptoms such as body fever, headache, pain in joints, vomiting, sneezing, causing or any other
Sources and References
[showhide type=”links” more_text=”Show Sources and References” less_text=”Hide Sources and References”]
- Rash under the armpits: https://www.helpfulguides.com/diseases-conditions/lump/armpit-rash-causes-pictures-painful-itchy-red-symptoms-treatments-remedies-tips
- Underarm rash: https://www.belmarrahealth.com/armpit-rash-causes-symptoms-and-home-remedies/
- Signs and symptoms of armpit rash: http://diseasespictures.com/armpit-rash/
- Cause of skin rash in the armpit: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/common-rashes#1
- Rash under the armpit causes: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/Red-Rash-Spreading-Around-Armpits/show/1257723
- Rash in one armpit: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/rash-under-one-armpit/show/1407175
- Rash in both armpits: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/Weird-symmetrical-rash-underneath-both-armpits/show/1249802
- How to get rid of a rash under the armpits: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-rid-of-an-armpit-rash
- How to heal armpit rash: https://www.wikihow.com/Heal-Armpit-Rash
- Home remedies for armpits rash: http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/get-rid-of-armpit-rash/ [/showhide]
