What will cure the irritated spot on my scrotum?

[jacode]

For the past few months, I have had a roughly quarter-sized spot that is red, slightly swollen, itchy and hairless on my scrotum.  

It appeared after I started taking probiotics.  I thought it was dry/irritated skin.  Aveno lotion seemed to help, but didn't produce lasting results.

Tea tree oil helps.  It burns on application the first couple of days.  But, then the symptoms disappear.  I have used the oil for about two weeks in a row at most.  However, when I stop the oil, the problem returns, and the skin dries out.  When I start the oil again, the dry skin peels off immediately and the problem improves in a couple of days.  This cycle has occurred several times.

I tried vitamin E oil.  It seems to soothe the discomfort, but it’s not as good as the tea tree oil, and the redness and discomfort remain.

I read that jock itch is typically on the groin, but not the scrotum. My spot is nowhere else but the scrotum and has not spread.  So, I have not tried any OTC anti-fungal medications for jock itch.  Will they help this?

I have wondered if it was an irritation to soap, because the spot gets irritated with washing.  I have washed the area with whatever soap we have, currently Dove, or whatever shampoo we have.

I have wondered if it was chafing.  I walk on the treadmill, wearing Under Armour boxer jock shorts that are made for support.  They're comfortable, and they get washed after every use.  During the day, I wear cotton boxer shorts, like t-shirt material.  The spot is in a location that probably rubs against my inner thigh.  Again, there is no irritation on my thigh, but maybe the scrotum skin is rubbed in a way that exacerbates the problem.

I have been married 11 years, with no extramarital sex, and doubt STDs are the problem.

This problem is relatively minor and tolerable, but annoying.  The tea tree oil works.  But, I would like to solve this permanently.  Are there other OTC remedies that will work?  Will the hair ever grow back?  

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

If it's on the scrotum, this is most likely irritation or eczema, not fungus, and certainly not an STD.  Try over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone and avoid irritation to the extent possible.  If you don't clear it up in 2 weeks or so, see a doctor then.  I'm confident that one way or the other, the hair will grow back.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[jacode]

Thank you for your very prompt reply.  

I have delayed going to my MD for various reasons.  For one, the skin problem seems relatively minor. Further, over the past 16 months, I had numerous medical issues that resulted in many trips to his office, visits with two specialists, as well as a number of tests and procedures.  I am sick of being "sick".  And, unfortunately, I believe my doctor was starting to consider me a hypochondriac.  I am finally getting past most of the previous problems, but then this new skin issue showed up.  Honestly, I was doing my best to live with it and manage it with OTC products.  But, that was not solving the problem.

This morning, after suffering the burning sensation of trying the tea tree oil again after skipping a couple of day, I finally was feeling frustrated enough to call my doctor for an appointment.  But, looking online, I fould this site.  I was skeptical, and assumed I wouldn't get a reply any time soon from a real doctor.  Yet, in less than 20 minutes, I got your reply on the forum.  

Had I gone to my primary care MD, I likely would have waited an hour in the doctor's waiting room, plus at least another half hour in the exam room before he could see me.  I would have paid the $25 co-pay, and he would have billed my insurance for more.  And, for all that, I still would not have gotten input from a dermatologist.  I am confident his recommendation would have been to start with the same tip you suggested, the OTC hydrocortizone cream.  As it happens, we had 2.5% cream some on hand for my daughter's eczema.  Almost immediately after applying it, the burning/itching sensation reduced.

I am writing here solely to thank you for your prompt reply, your suggestion and to give kudos to this site.  This was absolutely worth the $19 fee!  I am very pleased to have found a place to get simple questions answered without the hassle of a doctor's office.  Of course, if the recommendation doesn't end up solving my particular problem, I will go see the doctor.

THANK YOU!