It’s normal to be concerned when you discover a red flush or pimple-like dots on your skin, but a rash under your breast could indicate any number of things. The good news: Most are mild or easy to treat.
Still, in rare cases, a breast rash can be a sign of something more serious. Here’s a roundup of likely causes, plus when to call a healthcare professional.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Infections That Cause a Rash Under the Breast
Often, a below-the-breast rash is a sign of a mild infection.
Mastitis
Mastitisis breast pain, swelling, and itchiness or warmth, often on one side, due to a bacterial infection or irritation fromclogged milk ducts. Typically, it’s the result of breastfeeding challenges but can also affect women and men who aren’t nursing.
Along with a breast rash and fatigue, you may notice a wedge-shaped red area or nipple discharge that could contain pus. You may have flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, and nausea.
Usually, mastitis can be treated with oral antibiotics in about a week and a half. But it may take as long as three weeks to clear up. If it doesn’t, or it gets worse, contact a healthcare professional for a follow-up.
What Is Mastitis?
Cellulitis
Cellulitisis a common, sometimes serious skin infection that occurs when a crack in your skin or an injury allows bacteria in. While it can be treated with antibiotics, the infection can escalate quickly and sometimes requires a hospital stay for additional care.
If you have a fever and a rash that is red, swollen, tender, warm to the touch, or rapidly changing or growing, seek emergency medical care immediately. If you’ve got the rash but no fever, call a doctor to determine what to do next. Treatment is needed to prevent it from getting worse.
What Is Cellulitis?
Shingles
If you’ve hadchickenpox, the varicella zoster virus that causes it remains in your body. Later in life, it can reappear as shingles in the form of a painful rash.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoReproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
While shingles isn’t contagious, a person cancatch chickenpox from someone who has shinglesif they haven’t had chickenpox previously. So keep your distance if you suspect you may have it.
Your doctor can prescribe pain medication as well as antiviral medications, which can help shorten the attack. But they work best if you catch it within three days of the rash appearing, so don’t delay.
What Is Shingles?
Yeast Infection
A yeast infection can also irritate the area below your breasts when yeast enters the body through a crack in skin or injured nipples while breastfeeding.
Symptoms include a breast rash that might be painful, itchy, red, and shiny. You might have nipple irritation and—if you’re nursing—nipple pain that doesn’t end after you stop or change positions.
Yeast Infection Under the Breast
Ringworm
You can pick it up from other people, towels, or even pets. The rash may be itchy, slightly raised, or include overlapping or expanding rings or a clear or scaly area inside the ring.
Typically, an over-the-counter or prescription antifungal cream will do the trick within two weeks. If not, contact your doctor. You may need to take antifungal pills, too.
Ringworm Causes, Signs on Different Skin Tones, and Treatment
Skin Conditions That Cause a Rash Under the Breast
If it’s not an infection causing your below-the-breast rash, another possibility is an underlying skin condition.
Why There’s a Rash Behind Your Ear
Heat Rash
Aheat rashcan pop up when the sweat ducts beneath your breasts are blocked, trapping in perspiration. The result is clear, fluid-filled blisters and bumps; itchy, prickling red bumps; or goose bump–like areas on your skin.
Blame the heat, humidity, and a too-tight shirt, chest strap, or bra. Usually, cooling off with a bath, cold compress, and looser clothing is the only fix you need. If that doesn’t work, contact a healthcare professional.
How to Treat a Heat Rash
Scabies
To ease the itch, you and anyone in close contact with you will need a prescription cream, ointment, or lotion from a doctor to zap the mites. The rash or itch may get worse before it gets better but should fade within four weeks, per the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
What Is Scabies?
Hailey-Hailey Disease
Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare genetic condition that causes a blistering skin rash to pop up on the neck,armpits, skin folds (such as below the breast), and genitals. While these rashes fade and recur on their own, heat, sunlight, injury, or friction can make them worse.
Avoiding these triggers can help, but sometimes cool compresses, prescription creams, and antibiotics are necessary for more serious cases.
Rash on Breast: Stress, Hormones, or Something Else?
Hidradenitis Suppurativa
A rash that looks like cystic acne may be due to a skin condition known ashidradenitis suppurativa(HS). Also known as acne inversa, HS causes painful deep lumps in areas where skin touches skin, like under the breasts, inner thighs, and armpits.
While HS can affect anyone at any age, it is most common in Black females in their 30s. Symptoms of HS include:
HS can be painful and cause scarring. In rare cases, it can develop into a serious infection. HS can be treated with topical prescription medication, over-the-counter pain relievers, and an at-home skin care plan. In some cases, a dermatologist may drain or remove a painful lump.
Intertrigo
Intertrigois an inflammatory rash that occurs in skin folds, such as the armpits, groin, under the breasts, and within fat folds. It causes a red, moist rash that can itch, burn, and sting.
Intertrigo is more common in people who are overweight or obese, have diabetes, psoriasis, or a suppressed immune system, or wear a brace. It can be treated with barrier creams, like Aquaphor or Desitin (zinc oxide).
If the rash develops into a yeast infection, it can have an unpleasant musty smell. Intertrigo can also cause a serious infection known as cellulitis.
Pityriasis Rosea
Pityriasis roseais a rash that causes small round or oval patches of scaly pink skin that may be mildly itchy. Its cause is unknown, but it is more common between ages 10 and 35.
The rash typically clears up on its own after about six to eight weeks and does not require treatment. If it itches, you can apply lotions, lubricants, or hydrocortisone cream.
If treatment with over-the-counter topical medicine doesn’t help to relieve the itch, your healthcare provider can prescribe a stronger steroid cream or antiviral medication.
Allergic Reactions
Sometimes an allergic reaction can manifest as an itchy or swollen rash or flush ofhivesunder the breast.
Common culprits include:
Over-the-counter antihistamines like Benadryl (diphenhydramine) can often help calm hives, per the AAD.Contact your doctor if the rash is keeping you up at night, is sudden, painful, severe, or widespread, or doesn’t fade within three weeks.
If you experience signs ofanaphylaxis(a severe allergic reaction) such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, or lightheadedness, seek emergency medical care immediately.
Autoimmune Conditions That Cause Rash Under the Breast
If you have an autoimmune condition, you may experience a below-the-breast rash because your immune system has shifted into overdrive. While there’s no cure for this, you can learn how to identify triggers and keep symptoms to a minimum.
Psoriasis
Psoriasisis a chronic skin condition that sometimes causes skin lesions to develop under the breasts that appear smooth and bright red on lighter skin tones or purple, brown, or darker on skin of color.
After a diagnosis, your healthcare professional can help you learn how to manage this condition with topical creams, powders, and systemic medications.
What Is Psoriasis?
Eczema
Causes of Eczema
Pemphigus
Pemphigusis an autoimmune disease that causes a painful, blistering skin rash. It typically begins with mouth ulcers before blisters develop on the upper chest, back, scalp, and face.
Pemphigus can be fatal if not treated promptly. It is treated with steroids, immunosuppressants, and biologic drugs like Rituxan (rituximab). More advanced treatment options, like plasmapheresis, may be needed.
Cancer
While rare, breast inflammation that just won’t go away or is worsening rapidly could indicate a case ofinflammatory breast cancer (IBC). Telltale symptoms include breast swelling, warmth, and irritation, purple or reddish skin, and thickening and dimpling of the breast surface that resembles an orange peel.
It’s more common in Black women compared with White women and tends to occur in younger women under the age of 40. If treatment for mastitis doesn’t work within seven to 10 days, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor to rule out IBC, according to the American Cancer Society.
Inflammatory Breast Cancer Symptoms and Treatment
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Summary
A rapidly spreading rash or breast growth, life-disrupting pain or itchiness, swollen lymph nodes, or signs of infection like pus are your cues to visit a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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.Cleveland Clinic.Mastitis.MedlinePlus.Breast Infection.American Academy of Dermatology.Cellulitis: Diagnosis and Treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster).MedlinePlus.Shingles.American Academy of Pediatrics.Thrush and OtherCandidaInfections.Mayo Clinic.Ringworm.American Academy of Family Physicians.Heat Rash.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Scabies Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).American Academy of Dermatology.Scabies: Diagnosis and Treatment.National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).Hailey-Hailey Disease.American Academy of Dermatology.Hidradenitis suppurativa: overview.Nobles T, Miller RA.Intertrigo. In:StatPearls[Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023.Kalra MG, Higgins KE, Kinney BS.Intertrigo and secondary skin infections.Am Fam Physician. 2014;89(7):569-73.Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan.Pityriasis rosea.American Academy of Dermatology.Hives: Who Gets and Causes.American Academy of Dermatology.Hives: Diagnosis and Treatment.Zeng J, Luo S, Huang Y, Lu Q.Critical role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.J Dermatol. 2017;44(8):863-872. doi:10.1111/1346-8138.13806Elston DM.American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2021;84(2):257-258. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.09.013National Eczema Association.Eczema Causes and Triggers.National Eczema Association.What Is Eczema?National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Pemphigus.American Cancer Society.Inflammatory Breast Cancer.American Academy of Dermatology.Rash 101 in adults: when to seek medical treatment.National Health Service (NHS).Heat Rash (Prickly Heat).American Academy of Family Physicians. Familydoctor.org.Mastitis.
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