Red, itchy armpits!

[LisaR]

I am so sick of all the political crap so I thought I'd post about my 13 yr olds armpits! She will love me for this one.

A few days ago she tells me her pits are soooooooooooooo itchy (in the whiny teen voice). I check them out and they look fine to me. I tell her to wash off the deodorant, dry them really well and put some Gold Bond Medicated Powder on them (my mom left me a bottle of it last time she stayed with us ). She does and says they feel much better. After showering today, she is going crazy again. I look and this time they are both visibly red and irritated. I figure it is the deodorant but she says she didn't put any on yet. My next guess is that her razor is dull. She says she didn't shave this morning. So all day and night today she has complained about her pits. The Gold Bond helped with the itchiness but the redness is still there.

Nothing has changed: Ivory soap for years, same deodorant as always, same laundry detergent, etc. She has never has any rash type allergies in the past. A little issue with pollen, which is really high right now, but I don't think pollen causes pit problems!

Any clue what is wrong with my kids pits?

 

[Serena]

It sure sounds like an allergic reaction to me, it's just not out of her system yet.
It could be whatever she shaves with too, or maybe a favorite top or night clothes she wears a lot?

 

[Chris2597]

My 19 yr old is just getting over what sounds like the same thing your dd has. She was super itchy under her arms, then she developed a small bump. Of course I freaked and took her to the dr. She had a infected hair folicle. The dr gave antibiotics and it cleared. Same thing again in 3 months. This time I took her to the dermatologist. he said it is a form of dermatitis and clogged hair folicles can come along with it. He gave her a cream for the itching and to clear the dermatitis, along with another round of antibiotics. So far so good...seems to have cleared.

 

[simpilotswife]

It could also be a fungal infection. Try some Lotrimin AF.

 

[*BTMRR*]

I had something like this and the doctor recommended that I try Lotrimin cream. It cleared up in a couple of days.
He also recommended blotting with some type of vinegar solution. I never tried that but I'm sure you could google and come up with something like that to try.

 

[LisaR]

Thanks! We don't have any Lotrimin (sounds familiar but I don't think I have ever used it). I will look for it at the store tomorrow.

 

[travelbug]

I had that exact problem when I was about 13 too (lots of years ago!). My underarms got so red and swollen -- think ginormous hives -- that I couldn't put my arms down all the way for a while. It was very painful to have any fabric touch my underarms, so I could only wear tank tops with large arm holes when it was at its worst. The dermatologist figured that I was grossly allergic to a deodorant I'd started to use. Even after I stopped using it, the allergic reaction continued for quite a while. He prescribed some ointment (sorry I don't remember what after all these years) and the problem eventually went away, never to return. I do continue to have skin allergies, which also started around age 13, but have never had the armpit problem again.

My sympathies to your daughter on this uncomfortable situation, and I hope you find a quick solution for her!

 

[Piecey]

If Lotrimin doesn't work, try changing laundry detergants or something.

I had this problem, switched fabric softners and it went away. (I did try three different types of deoderant, new shaving cream, new razors-- everything else FIRST... but of course, it was the last thing I tried that work...)

 

[LisaR]

The funny thing is, I have an 11 year old son that has suffered from severe hives since the age of two. His skin is ultra sensitive and he will break out in welts just from tickling him, cold water, hot weather, foods, rolling around in the grass, etc. We are so used to it that it doesn't even faze us anymore to see him covered in hives. My daughter has never in her lifetime had any type of reaction like this. So while she was complaining at dinner tonight, DS says, "Oh, suck it up already!"

 

[Michelle67]

Is she by any chance wearing school clothes that haven't been washed yet? I can't tolerate the fire retardant that is sprayed on warehoused clothing. If I wear new clothes without washing them that kind of thing will happen to me.

You said no new detergent, but is it "new and improved?" Those words are sometimes the sign of bad things to come for me.

New fabric softener or dryer sheets?

Dat's all I got. Other than that, I'm just sorry for her because I understand how miserable hives can be. Too funny about your son. I'm feeling the brotherly love. Haha.

 

[shortbun]

This happens to me when my deodorant/anti perspirant is too good. I've moved away from anti-perspirant totally because when I supress my underarms ability to sweat-they break out, get red and swollen and itch. I'm using a stone now and occassionally a commercial deodorant only. Mostly, I wash a couple times a day if it's hot. Happened to my feet once when I was at WDW and spraying with antiperspirant to avoid blisters.

Perhaps cold washcloths rechilled regularly to lessen the swelling thus lessen the itching. How about Benedryl either topical or oral but not both.

 

[luv2nascar]

My DH had that super itchy red armpit thing once and it was a yeast infection. Lotrimin cured it. It provides good relief and is sold in drug store.

 

[sms]

My five year old has the same thing. Dr. said it was dermatitis. He said it would probably come and go. He suggested hydrocortizone cream 3x/day. We use the store brand at walmart. It works!!