Booby trap! Help!
October 20, 2023 5:26 AM Subscribe
My boobs have recently started to trap sweat in the underboob (is that a word?) area. It's now causing a rash. I'm not as fit and firm as I'd like to be, but not significantly overweight either. Anyone else have the same issue? Any tips to deal with the chafing?
Best answer: Is it intertrigo? I have had this but not for a very long time. I haven't had it since I started wearing much better fitting bras. Clearly this is anecdata but it might be something to consider as a longer term solution. I think the all things I tried at the time are listed on that Cleveland Clinic link but mainly what worked for me was drying very carefully, using an antiperspirant, and adding a fabric layer to directly protect the chafed skin. I also made I wasn't sweating while I slept by adjusting the warmth of my bedclothes.
posted by plonkee at 5:35 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by plonkee at 5:35 AM on October 20, 2023
Baby powder;
A light bralette just to keep the girls 1. apart and 2. separated from your skin, they make bralettes now that'll fit even if you're chesty;
Drying your underboobs again with a clean cloth after you've already towel dried after a shower, the residual dampness already on the towel doesn't do it for me;
A trip to the derm if it looks scaly or doesn't clear up in a day or two in case you've got a candida rash and need a cream.
posted by phunniemee at 5:37 AM on October 20, 2023
A light bralette just to keep the girls 1. apart and 2. separated from your skin, they make bralettes now that'll fit even if you're chesty;
Drying your underboobs again with a clean cloth after you've already towel dried after a shower, the residual dampness already on the towel doesn't do it for me;
A trip to the derm if it looks scaly or doesn't clear up in a day or two in case you've got a candida rash and need a cream.
posted by phunniemee at 5:37 AM on October 20, 2023
Best answer: This is super duper common! Even if you’re not overweight it’s still an area that is sensitive, has sweat glands, and the tissue is flexible and prone to movement.
If you have never before experienced lots of sweat there and this is a sudden change, it is worth asking a doctor about it, especially since you have a rash. Excessive sweat can be caused by hormonal changes. Might be indicative of other things having gone or about to go awry, like perimenopause or intense stress or any number of super fun things.
Different things to try to help:
- a gentle antiperspirant swiped under your breasts after a shower can really help. Don’t use anything with strong scent or aggressive ingredients; I’ve had good luck with dove antiperspirants for this. Probably avoid this though until your rash is under control.
- Body powder comes in many forms and products these days. Again because of the rash go for the simplest and gentlest thing first. Some people like a spray application, some like a puff, there’s also solids that dry to a powder. It’s basically like antiperspirant but specifically intended for sweaty crevices that are not armpits.
- Change your towels and sheets and put on fresh pajamas every night. If you wear bras every day be sure to give them each a couple of days to fully dry between wearing them again and ideally wear one freshly washed every day (but let’s be real, how many people do that…) and yes, if the rash gets worse or changes you probably have a yeasty thing happening and you should go straight to a doctor to get the good stuff and not waste your money on OTC creams. It happens to the best of us!
- If you have a blow dryer, use it to dry under and between your boobs both when you get out of the shower and when you are sweaty during the day. Keep it on a cool temperature. It is so much gentler than wiping against the skin.
posted by Mizu at 5:46 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you have never before experienced lots of sweat there and this is a sudden change, it is worth asking a doctor about it, especially since you have a rash. Excessive sweat can be caused by hormonal changes. Might be indicative of other things having gone or about to go awry, like perimenopause or intense stress or any number of super fun things.
Different things to try to help:
- a gentle antiperspirant swiped under your breasts after a shower can really help. Don’t use anything with strong scent or aggressive ingredients; I’ve had good luck with dove antiperspirants for this. Probably avoid this though until your rash is under control.
- Body powder comes in many forms and products these days. Again because of the rash go for the simplest and gentlest thing first. Some people like a spray application, some like a puff, there’s also solids that dry to a powder. It’s basically like antiperspirant but specifically intended for sweaty crevices that are not armpits.
- Change your towels and sheets and put on fresh pajamas every night. If you wear bras every day be sure to give them each a couple of days to fully dry between wearing them again and ideally wear one freshly washed every day (but let’s be real, how many people do that…) and yes, if the rash gets worse or changes you probably have a yeasty thing happening and you should go straight to a doctor to get the good stuff and not waste your money on OTC creams. It happens to the best of us!
- If you have a blow dryer, use it to dry under and between your boobs both when you get out of the shower and when you are sweaty during the day. Keep it on a cool temperature. It is so much gentler than wiping against the skin.
posted by Mizu at 5:46 AM on October 20, 2023 [2 favorites]
Totally normal for anyone whose boobs are big or heavy enough to hang over their upper stomach area, this has nothing to do with fitness or firmness. As others said, dry an extra time, soft bra or bralette (I keep trying to find a supportive wool one but no luck) on all day. I would go for the anti-chaffing products last just because I wouldn't want any extra product on my skin or bra. And if all that doesn't help, there are bra liners, such as this one. I've never tried them so not necessarily recommending this one, just showing an example.
posted by dabadoo at 5:47 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by dabadoo at 5:47 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Bras wired or not do loose elasticity. Maybe time for a new undergarment that will help lift your tissue off if skin on skin contact?
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 5:56 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by tipsyBumblebee at 5:56 AM on October 20, 2023
Nthing all the tips above. I'm large busted and often struggle with rashes. My doctor suggested it was probably due to a fungal infection and told me that I could use over an over the counter Clotrimazole as an anti fungal cream. I find it in my local pharmacy and it works great for me as my rashes tend to be caused by fungal overgrowth. Any time things seem to be headed that way (itchy, red rash, hot tissue) I use the cream and it usually clears up in a couple days. Could be something else to try!
posted by snowysoul at 6:06 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by snowysoul at 6:06 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Quick wash under boobs with mild soap morning and evening (and/or after doing sweaty things), then gentle towel dry is working pretty well for me. I consider bralessness to be a nice perk of living as a hermit on a farm, so I don't want to try to fix things with bras.
posted by Rhedyn at 6:32 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by Rhedyn at 6:32 AM on October 20, 2023
Bra liners are preferable to various anti-chafing powders/gels for me. That may just be my own sensory issues but it might be worth an experiment to see if they work well for your body/bra configuration.
posted by Stacey at 7:02 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by Stacey at 7:02 AM on October 20, 2023
wash and dry thoroughly, cover with diaper rash cream like Desitin or there are some "natural" alternatives
posted by cda at 8:25 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by cda at 8:25 AM on October 20, 2023
Once you’ve cleared up the rash, you could try a heavy duty antiperspirant like Certain Dri or Drysol to reduce or eliminate the sweat, preventing the rash.
posted by shock muppet at 8:30 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by shock muppet at 8:30 AM on October 20, 2023 [1 favorite]
Monistat makes an anti-chafing cream that I use when the weather is warm. I make sure the under area is clean and dry before applying. It lasts the whole day for me.
posted by dorkydancer at 8:41 AM on October 20, 2023
posted by dorkydancer at 8:41 AM on October 20, 2023
Yep, normal!
Assuming that you need to do sweaty things (for me gardening and house repairs), immediately change out of any damp clothing when you take a break/stop for lunch/etc. This means I may change undershirts/underwear 3+ times during a daylong project.
I also wear an undershirt (mine contains spandex or I'd recommend it) - it ends up tucked up under my boobs so movement doesn't cause chafing.
When you're done with whatever, shower, gently dry as best you can and then air dry. Specifically I lie down in front of a fan until my body temp drops enough to stop sweating and my entire body is fully dry. Then put on loose cotton, etc.
It's a lot, but that's what I do when I know I need to do something sweaty. The removing damp clothes immediately and complete air dry seem to be most important.
posted by esoteric things at 9:53 AM on October 20, 2023
Assuming that you need to do sweaty things (for me gardening and house repairs), immediately change out of any damp clothing when you take a break/stop for lunch/etc. This means I may change undershirts/underwear 3+ times during a daylong project.
I also wear an undershirt (mine contains spandex or I'd recommend it) - it ends up tucked up under my boobs so movement doesn't cause chafing.
When you're done with whatever, shower, gently dry as best you can and then air dry. Specifically I lie down in front of a fan until my body temp drops enough to stop sweating and my entire body is fully dry. Then put on loose cotton, etc.
It's a lot, but that's what I do when I know I need to do something sweaty. The removing damp clothes immediately and complete air dry seem to be most important.
posted by esoteric things at 9:53 AM on October 20, 2023
Lots of great suggestions above, but I also had to get a prescription for ketoconazole, as my rash appears to be fungal. I also tried washing with dandruff shampoos that have ketoconazole as an ingredient (it helps some folks) but it didn't make a difference for me.
posted by mcgsa at 12:38 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by mcgsa at 12:38 PM on October 20, 2023
If regular creams and powders haven't worked, definitely try a fungus cream like clotrimazole. In some countries this is sold over the counter.
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:19 PM on October 20, 2023
posted by Jane the Brown at 2:19 PM on October 20, 2023
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posted by corb at 5:33 AM on October 20, 2023