Redness under the breasts

A red ‘sweat rash’ under the breasts is called intertrigo. It may be sore and itchy, and you may have it in your armpits as well. The rash has a definite edge, and there may be some whitish material on it. It is usually caused by skin-on-skin friction and by Candida fungus or Corynebacterium bacteria, both of which like to live in warm, moist places. If you are overweight as well as having large breasts, the skin crease underneath them is ideal for Candida. Candidaalso likes skin that has been slightly damaged; this makes it easier for the fungus to take hold.

What you can do

Get a supportive bra to lift your breasts up. Although underwired styles give good support, they tend to trap sweat under the breasts so choose a non-wired style. Cotton is better than a synthetic fibre, because it allows sweat to evaporate. Wash it in a non-biological (non-enzyme) detergent and do not use a perfumed fabric conditioner.

Wash carefully under the breasts with a non-perfumed soap (some perfumes can damage the skin). Do not put any disinfectants in the water. Rinse well to ensure no lather remains in the skin crease. Dry thoroughly but gently – pat dry with a soft towel or use a hairdryer. Do not wash your hair with shampoo in the shower – the shampoo may contain perfume that trickles down and irritates the area under your breasts.

Stop applying creams. If you have been applying creams from the chemist, stop using them, even if they say ‘for Candida’ on the label. You could have become sensitized to one of the ingredients, and the cream could be making it worse. Instead, simply follow the instructions above for 2 weeks. If at the end of that time the rash is no better, see your doctor, who will be able to prescribe a different cream.

Lose weight, if you need to. If you are obese, you may find the rash difficult to eliminate completely unless you lose some weight.

See your doctor to check it is not eczema or psoriasis.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Saturday, February 13th 2010

Useful contacts for Redness under the breasts

Click to see all the contacts that you may find useful in relation to breast problems | Redness under the breasts

Useful contacts

Tell us your thoughts

Did you find what you were looking for?

Submit

Add a comment

A problem shared is a problem halved: help others by sharing your frustrations or successes at tackling your health problem.

We have noticed that many of your queries are answered on the website, so please search for your problem before submitting a comment. As all comments are moderated, there will be a delay before your comment appears.

Display Name Age: Sex: Country: Comment:

Submit

Discussion content reflects the view of individual participants only. Health Press Limited bear no responsibility for accuracy of participant comments and will bear no legal liability for discussion results. Comments will be moderated before posting and Health Press Limited reserves the right to delete any material. See About our site for our moderation policy

Comments on this article

Posted by Teresa on 06/11/2009 at 04:23:00 am

I had this problem but I found the solution. www.swoobies.com

Posted by Anonymous on 13/02/2009 at 01:59:00 pm

I seem to have had tender breasts for the last 3 months usually around my cycle but lasting a lot longer sometimes 3 wks at a time, sometimes it is painful and sometimes twinges also a little itchy more than painful, also it seems under one there is a whitish patchiness to the skin and lower part of the nipple. I am being checked but have to wait 2 wks obviously a concern, what are you views please? No lumps or bumps felt by doc.