Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentCopingFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Coping
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve got eczema, you’re not alone. In fact, this condition affects more than 31 million Americans.Eczema is a skin condition that can affect multiple areas of the body, including your breasts.
This condition typically causes dry, itchy skin. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for eczema, but symptoms can be managed with medications and a good skin care routine.
This article will cover what you should know if you have breast eczema, including your options for managing the condition.
Breast eczema can affect your nipples, skin that’s around or between your breasts, or skin across your chest. Symptoms can include:
Although it’s tempting to scratch your irritated skin, this can lead to bleeding, which increases your risk of infection. Look out for swelling, pain, orpus drainingfrom your skin. See your doctor if you suspect you have an infection.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ and © Waikato District Health Board www.dermnetnz.org 2022.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ and © Waikato District Health Boardwww.dermnetnz.org2022
The underlying cause of eczema is likely a combination of genetics, immune response, the environment, and stress. Sometimes, a trigger for an outbreak can be identified, but not always.
Allergens (substances that are usually harmless but to which a person can form an allergy) can trigger or aggravate eczema. Irritants and environmental conditions can also be triggers.
Eczema can develop from exposure to chemicals in everyday household products, such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, body washes, and other cleansing products. If you have other allergies, you are more likely to develop eczema as well.
Be on the lookout for these irritants that are common eczema triggers:
Nipple EczemaEczema can affect your nipples. While it isn’t common, pain, redness, and flaking skin around your nipple can be a sign of a rare type of cancer calledPaget’s disease.See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis—particularly if your eczema symptoms don’t improve with treatment.
Nipple Eczema
Eczema can affect your nipples. While it isn’t common, pain, redness, and flaking skin around your nipple can be a sign of a rare type of cancer calledPaget’s disease.See your doctor for an accurate diagnosis—particularly if your eczema symptoms don’t improve with treatment.
What to Expect at Your First Dermatologist Visit
Patch Test
Allergic skin reactions are different than some allergies that cause immediate symptoms. Skin reactions can take hours or days to show up. During a patch test, your doctor will place small amounts of many different possible allergens on patches, which are then applied to the skin on your back.
Science Photo Library / Getty Images
The patches must be left in place and kept dry until testing is complete. After 48 hours, you will go back to the doctor to have the patches removed. The doctor will look for a reaction, or redness, under each of the patches. You might also have itching or pain in the affected area.
After another four to seven days, you will return to the doctor again for another exam. Some allergic reactions take this amount of time to show up.
Unfortunately, patch testing might have to be repeated with different substances if your first round is unsuccessful in diagnosing your allergen. However, this short-term discomfort can help you avoid your allergen and save you from long-term symptoms.
Keep a DiaryConsider keeping a diary of what you are wearing and the body washes, lotions, and other personal care items you are using to look for trends in your breast eczema symptoms. This can help your doctor identify the underlying cause of your allergy and help you avoid triggers.
Keep a Diary
Consider keeping a diary of what you are wearing and the body washes, lotions, and other personal care items you are using to look for trends in your breast eczema symptoms. This can help your doctor identify the underlying cause of your allergy and help you avoid triggers.
There’s no cure for breast eczema, or eczema on other parts of the body. The best treatment for breast eczema is avoiding the allergen that’s causing your symptoms. This might require you to change up your hygiene products or avoid wearing bras or shirts made out of a particular material.
Prescription medications or creams might be needed to treat your breast eczema, butother treatmentscan help reduce your symptoms during a flare-up.
Breast Milk for EczemaBreast milk contains antibodies and other substances that help repair skin cells. In many cultures outside the United States, breast milk is used to treat skin problems such as eczema and diaper rash.If you’re breastfeeding, your options for cream and ointment treatments will probably be limited if your symptoms are on or near your nipples. Rubbing a few drops of breast milk into your nipples can help soothe irritated skin.
Breast Milk for Eczema
Breast milk contains antibodies and other substances that help repair skin cells. In many cultures outside the United States, breast milk is used to treat skin problems such as eczema and diaper rash.If you’re breastfeeding, your options for cream and ointment treatments will probably be limited if your symptoms are on or near your nipples. Rubbing a few drops of breast milk into your nipples can help soothe irritated skin.
Coping With Stress
There are several things you can do to help decrease your stress levels to help control your breast eczema flare-ups:
Use caution when exercising—getting hot and sweaty can aggravate your symptoms. If you sweat a lot, be sure to shower and change your bra and shirt soon after your workout.
Coping With the Emotional Impact of Eczema
A Word From Verywell
While breast eczema can negatively impact your quality of life, there are many lifestyle changes that can help reduce symptoms. Each person will experience different triggers, so seeing a dermatologist to assess your allergies can be helpful. A doctor can also work with you to find your best options for treatment.
Frequently Asked QuestionsEczema affects many parts of the body, and over 31 million Americans have been diagnosed with this condition.Breastfeeding has not been shown to affect your risk of developing eczema.Breast milk can soothe sore nipples, but more research is needed to determine if it is effective for the treatment of eczema.
Eczema affects many parts of the body, and over 31 million Americans have been diagnosed with this condition.
Breastfeeding has not been shown to affect your risk of developing eczema.
Breast milk can soothe sore nipples, but more research is needed to determine if it is effective for the treatment of eczema.
An Overview of the 7 Types of Eczema
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.What is eczema?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Skin infections.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Breastcancer.org.Eczema of the nipple.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch testing can find what’s causing your rash.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eczema and atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional wellness.Witkowska-Zimny M, Kamińska-El-Hassan E, Wróbel E.Milk therapy: unexpected uses for human breast milk. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):944. doi:10.3390%2Fnu11050944
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Eczema Association.What is eczema?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Skin infections.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Breastcancer.org.Eczema of the nipple.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch testing can find what’s causing your rash.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eczema and atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional wellness.Witkowska-Zimny M, Kamińska-El-Hassan E, Wróbel E.Milk therapy: unexpected uses for human breast milk. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):944. doi:10.3390%2Fnu11050944
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Eczema Association.What is eczema?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Skin infections.National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.Breastcancer.org.Eczema of the nipple.American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch testing can find what’s causing your rash.American Academy of Family Physicians.Eczema and atopic dermatitis.National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional wellness.Witkowska-Zimny M, Kamińska-El-Hassan E, Wróbel E.Milk therapy: unexpected uses for human breast milk. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):944. doi:10.3390%2Fnu11050944
National Eczema Association.What is eczema?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Skin infections.
National Eczema Association.Eczema causes and triggers.
Breastcancer.org.Eczema of the nipple.
American Academy of Dermatology Association.Patch testing can find what’s causing your rash.
American Academy of Family Physicians.Eczema and atopic dermatitis.
National Eczema Association.Eczema and emotional wellness.
Witkowska-Zimny M, Kamińska-El-Hassan E, Wróbel E.Milk therapy: unexpected uses for human breast milk. Nutrients. 2019;11(5):944. doi:10.3390%2Fnu11050944
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