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Armpit irritation.

For about 2 weeks I have been fighting a rash in my left armpit.  It is a red bumpy rash that is at times painful and itchy.  It worsens and gets angry if I get hot and or sweat.  It also seems to get more irritated near the end of the day when my deoderant has worn off.  It it directly in the crease of my arm pit and is not blotchy or random but rather linear.  It came on after I had worked outside at home one Saturday in the heat without putting on any deoderant in the morning as I usually do.  I've put on powder which only provided some temporary relief of the itching and didn't do anything towards getting rid of the rash.  I also put on some prescription steroid cream my daughter was given for diaper rash but it didn't seem to phase it.  I'm looking for help now because when I looked at it tonight I could see it possibly starting to spread with red spots starting that are completly separate from the main rash.  I'm going to try some Hydrocortisone OTC but I'm not expecting much since the prescription stuff didn't work.  Any suggestions??? Your help would be much appreciated.    
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Avatar universal
Hi,

This could be sweat dermatitis, folliculitis, allergic reaction. In most individuals there are outbreaks of folliculitis from time to time.

Folliculitis is infection and inflammation of the hair follicles. The condition may be superficial (i.e., on the surface of the skin) or deep within the follicles.The most common cause of folliculitis is infection by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

Folliculitis symptoms can appear independent of infection. Exposure of the skin to certain chemicals, especially oils and tars, can trigger an outbreak. People with depressed immune systems, diabetes, or obesity have a greater risk of contracting folliculitis than the general population.

Patients with chronic unresponsive folliculitis may require investigation into the source of the infection. S. aureus bacteria can live in the patient's nostrils, periodically triggering a folliculitis outbreak.

Individuals who are predisposed to folliculitis should be extremely careful about personal hygiene. Application of antiseptic washes may help prevent recurrences. A topical antibiotic cream, mupirocin (Bactroban®), has been effective at reducing bacterial colonization in the nostrils. It is applied twice daily for a week and is repeated every 6 months.

If there any of the mentioned medical causes then treating those will reduce the occurence of the condition.
http://www.dermatologychannel.net/follicle/folliculitis.shtml

Some stubborn cases of folliculitis have been responsive to laser-assisted hair removal. This process uses a laser to destroy the follicle. This reduces the scarring that results from folliculitis.

Let us know if you need any other information and consult a skin specialist if the lesion is persistent.

Regards.
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Avatar universal
Hi, I had same problem for quite some time. The only thing that finally did work for me was a very strong steroid cream called Betamethethasone Dipropionate Cream USP, 0.05%. When I told my dermatologist that I was using it she told me it was Way Too Strong for armpit area. But for a long time that was my only way to get relief. I had my Primary prescribe it. Also I learned it could be from shaving. and also from fragrance. I now use Keihl's deoderant.
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