Bump in armpit - anyone have this?

[wishesuponastar]

My DD15 had a small bump in her armpit and when we took her to the pediatrician they said that is from when she shaved. We were told to put hot compress for about 10 days and it did shrink the bump. That was about 6 months ago and now DD feels the bump again. Going tomorrow to see what doctor says. I am wondering though if I should go to a specialist but don't know what kind.

Maybe dermatolgoist?? Gynecologist??

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

My DD15 had a small bump in her armpit and when we took her to the pediatrician they said that is from when she shaved. We were told to put hot compress for about 10 days and it did shrink the bump. That was about 6 months ago and now DD feels the bump again. Going tomorrow to see what doctor says. I am wondering though if I should go to a specialist but don't know what kind.

Maybe dermatolgoist?? Gynecologist??

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Probably an ingrown hair that developed into a cyst?

 

[abdmom]

Dermatologist would be the one to check it out, not a gynecologist.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Probably an ingrown hair, which it sounds like it was the first time. I would try the compress again and see if that does the trick. Moving forward maybe your daughter should try showering/shaving at night before bed and not putting deodorant on (hence at night before bed) until the morning.

I used to get them all the time. Painful little buggers. I use disposable razors, the old school yellow/orange ones and unscented dove soap when shaving my underarm area. I then throw away the disposable razor, never re-use it. If I have to put deodorant on right away, I make sure the area is fully dry before doing so.

If a trip to the Dr is needed, definitely a Derm is the place to start.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Probably an ingrown hair that developed into a cyst?

That's what I think too. I will tell DD to shave at night and not put deodorant until morning.

Thanks everyone, I was getting worried it was something worse.

 

[::danielle::]

There are mammary glands in the armpit which is why do many breast cancer rumors are found there.

I'd take her back to the pediatrician. Unless you feel like he/she was blowing you off. Then I would find a general practitioner to give you a second opinion.

 

[wishesuponastar]

Probably an ingrown hair, which it sounds like it was the first time. I would try the compress again and see if that does the trick. Moving forward maybe your daughter should try showering/shaving at night before bed and not putting deodorant on (hence at night before bed) until the morning.

I used to get them all the time. Painful little buggers. I use disposable razors, the old school yellow/orange ones and unscented dove soap when shaving my underarm area. I then throw away the disposable razor, never re-use it. If I have to put deodorant on right away, I make sure the area is fully dry before doing so.

If a trip to the Dr is needed, definitely a Derm is the place to start.

Thank you for your post. It is reassuring to know that someone else gets this problem although I'm sorry you did.

 

[deserrai]

My DD15 had a small bump in her armpit and when we took her to the pediatrician they said that is from when she shaved. We were told to put hot compress for about 10 days and it did shrink the bump. That was about 6 months ago and now DD feels the bump again. Going tomorrow to see what doctor says. I am wondering though if I should go to a specialist but don't know what kind.

Maybe dermatolgoist?? Gynecologist??

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

I've had these my entire life. I had the first one cut out as a teenager because it had gotten so bad. I hardly ever get them now because I learned how to prevent. I do not shave my underarms every day now, probably every two or three days. I also shave with the hair growth, not against it. If your razor is sharp enough, it still gets all the hair. And do not run the razor under there any more than necessary. Three swipes should be about it. If I do get one, I do not shave under that arm until it is gone. And yes, sometimes it gets pretty hairy waiting for it to go away. Having said all of that, I know how difficult it is to tell a teenaged girl she can't shave her underarms every day so she may not listen.

 

[DLgal]

Is this bump visible above the skin, like a pimple? Or, can your DD just "feel it" as though it's under the skin surface? Can you see it when you look at her armpit? Is it red at all? Painful?

It's likely an ingrown hair.

If it's just a bump she can feel but no one can see, and it's not painful, it could be glands or some sort of tumor. Get that seen by a specialist if you think it's one of those things.

 

[abdmom]

There are mammary glands in the armpit which is why do many breast cancer rumors are found there.

There are no mammary glands in the armpits. Otherwise women would be breastfeeding their kids in the armpits. There ARE lymph nodes which drain the breasts. That's why evidence of breast cancer can be found there.

 

[Christine]

There are no mammary glands in the armpits. Otherwise women would be breastfeeding their kids in the armpits. There ARE lymph nodes which drain the breasts. That's why evidence of breast cancer can be found there.

Actually there can be breast tissue under the arms. It's called axillary breast tissue. Not everyone has it. I first noticed mine when I was pregnant. Had to go see a beast specialist for it.

 

[njmom47]

One of my dds had this twice and had to have it lanced and drained.

I will mention those tips that a PP has stated though!

 

[Rylee]

I had a lump in my armpit when I was 14. It was a swollen lymph node from mononucleosis.

Does she have any other symptoms of mono?

Fatigue
General feeling of unwellness (malaise)
Sore throat, perhaps a strep throat that doesn't get better with antibiotic use
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits
Swollen tonsils
Headache
Skin rash
Soft, swollen spleen

 

[HM]

A couple of my pores(gland?) used to get blocked with deodorant and turn into hard lumps. They could be squeezed to get the stuff out (like a zit). It kept happening, so I went to the dermotologist and he took out the offending pore(gland?). No problem since.

 

[TLHB70]

Actually there can be breast tissue under the arms. It's called axillary breast tissue. Not everyone has it. I first noticed mine when I was pregnant. Had to go see a beast specialist for it.

Yes, me too. Mine got pretty big when I was pregnant with both DDs. It freaked me out in my first pregnancy because I had not noticed it prior to my pregnancy.

 

[mhsjax]

That's what I think too. I will tell DD to shave at night and not put deodorant until morning.

Thanks everyone, I was getting worried it was something worse.

I would go see a Derm, but I will also tell you not to worry. I get them a lot. I shave every morning in the shower and then slather on the deodorant. Lots of clogged pore potential in that situation. they hurt like crazy.

 

[IheartMickey]

I had a lump in my armpit when I was 14. It was a swollen lymph node from mononucleosis.

Does she have any other symptoms of mono?

Fatigue
General feeling of unwellness (malaise)
Sore throat, perhaps a strep throat that doesn't get better with antibiotic use
Fever
Swollen lymph nodes in your neck and armpits
Swollen tonsils
Headache
Skin rash
Soft, swollen spleen

You can also have swollen lymph nodes when you're menstruating. That's what the gyno told me.

 

[khertz]

I did have a small abscess under my arm once and by the time I realized it, it was really swollen, red, and painful. I had to have it lanced. Now if I start to feel one coming on, I can put heat on it and squeeze anything out before it gets as bad as that first time.

After you put the heat, does it look like there is anything you can squeeze out? Maybe an ingrown hair or even pus? If it keeps happening, definitely check with a dermatologist as it may be a cyst or something else that can be removed so she won't have to keep dealing with it in the future. It's a really painful spot that gets rubbed all the time!

 

[LiveYourLife]

I would go see a Derm, but I will also tell you not to worry. I get them a lot. I shave every morning in the shower and then slather on the deodorant. Lots of clogged pore potential in that situation. they hurt like crazy.

Agreed on not worrying, OP. Like I mentioned up-thread, if it is a must for DD to put on deodorant after she shaves/showers, make sure her armpits are fully dry - my Derm told me to take my blow-dryer, put it on the cold setting and dry away, as sometimes towel drying isn't enough to fully dry the follicles.

Also, I'm a bath and body works shower-gel maniac, I've found that because of all the perfumes and dyes, this prolongs the misery of an ingrown armpit hair. Have DD try just use unscented Dove for sensitive skin when she needs to clean her armpit area when she has an ingrown hair.

Hope this helps! I think we've all had them at one time or another!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My DD15 had a small bump in her armpit and when we took her to the pediatrician they said that is from when she shaved. We were told to put hot compress for about 10 days and it did shrink the bump. That was about 6 months ago and now DD feels the bump again. Going tomorrow to see what doctor says. I am wondering though if I should go to a specialist but don't know what kind.

Maybe dermatolgoist?? Gynecologist??

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Go see a dermatologist. If anything just to get a professional opinion from a skin doctor.

I have had my share of cysts and moles cut out of me.