MayoClinic.com reprints
This single copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. For permission to reprint multiple copies or to order presentation-ready copies for distribution, use the reprints link below.
· Order reprints of this article now.
Breast rash
By Mayo Clinic staffMayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Definition
Breast rash describes redness and irritation of the skin on your breast. A breast rash may not cause any symptoms. But sometimes a breast rash can be itchy or painful. A breast rash can cause skin to blister, break and flake, or become scaly.
Some causes of breast rash are specific to the breast. Other causes of rash aren't specific to the breast. Other terms used to describe a rash include dermatitis and hives.
Causes
Causes of rash that occur only on the breast may include:
Causes
General causes of rash that can affect any part of the body, including the breast, include:
- Atopic dermatitis (eczema)
- Cutaneous candidiasis (especially under the breasts)
- Dermatitis
- Hives and angioedema
- Psoriasis
- Scabies
- Seborrheic dermatitis
When to see a doctor
Make an appointment
Breast rash is rarely an emergency. Make an appointment with your doctor if your breast rash is accompanied by:
- Fever
- Severe pain
- Sores that won't heal
- Signs and symptoms that are getting worse or last longer than a week
Self-care for breast rash
In the meantime, you may find some relief with self-care measures for your breast rash, such as:
- Take a warm bath or place a warm washcloth over the rash for a few minutes.
- Apply a fragrance-free moisturizer to the area.
- Take care of your skin. Don't scratch the rash.
- Avoid extra stress, since stress can make a rash itchier or make you more likely to scratch.
- Investigate common rash causes, such as new soap or scratchy clothing. Stop using any new products that may have caused your rash.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2009: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:667.
- Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. Columbus, Ohio: McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008.
- Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:2351.
- Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 3, 2009.
