WTF are these rashes below my belly button/above my crotch? (NSFW)
April 18, 2013 1:17 PM Subscribe
Please help me figure out what these itchy bumps are and how to get rid of them! Belt buckle rash? Tinea cruris? Acne outbreak? Scabies?!?! Something else?
NSFW Photo
Seriously, what the hell's going on here? I've been searching Google and past MetaFilter posts to find out what exactly this unsightly flare-up of rashes is so I know how to treat it, but I'm still clueless, because it seems like it could be any one of those things, if not something else. I first noticed these spots a couple of weeks ago, but there were just a couple of them that I thought were pimples and would go away on their own. Much to my dismay, they seem to have multiplied...
Some details:
The rashes are not sex-related.
I shower daily with soap and water (scrubbing my nether regions thoroughly), put on a fresh batch of underwear right after, and do laundry weekly (cold water with Tide Clean Breeze Detergent + Distilled Vinegar). During showers, I place my towels on a shelf beside the shower, which I share with three roommates. I hang my towels on hooks in my room and switch towels after a few uses (probably use 2 towels per week), throwing them in the washer with my clothes each week.
I only have and use ONE belt, which I've had for a long time and use when I go out. I've never washed it. It just occurred to me that it might not be a bad idea to do so, or at least clean/disinfect the buckle. In all the years I've used the belt, I haven't ever had a problem like this, but could it be the belt that's the source of the problem?
I recently bought Gold Bond Medicated Powder to alleviate the itching in my crotch area (I've been guilty of scratching down there, mostly late at night right before bed, sometimes before I get up... and sometimes can get carried away... could the scratching be related to what's happening?), and now I've been powdering the area below my belly button as well, but the powder's really just been for relief and hasn't done anything to eliminate the rashes.
Anyway, I'm curious as to what exactly is going on down there, and what products I should purchase to take care of the issue. Links and brand name suggestions would be excellent, so I know what to look for on Amazon or at the drug store. I just want to be free of these rashes, and promise I won't scratch down there again!
Thanks for your help!
NSFW Photo
Seriously, what the hell's going on here? I've been searching Google and past MetaFilter posts to find out what exactly this unsightly flare-up of rashes is so I know how to treat it, but I'm still clueless, because it seems like it could be any one of those things, if not something else. I first noticed these spots a couple of weeks ago, but there were just a couple of them that I thought were pimples and would go away on their own. Much to my dismay, they seem to have multiplied...
Some details:
The rashes are not sex-related.
I shower daily with soap and water (scrubbing my nether regions thoroughly), put on a fresh batch of underwear right after, and do laundry weekly (cold water with Tide Clean Breeze Detergent + Distilled Vinegar). During showers, I place my towels on a shelf beside the shower, which I share with three roommates. I hang my towels on hooks in my room and switch towels after a few uses (probably use 2 towels per week), throwing them in the washer with my clothes each week.
I only have and use ONE belt, which I've had for a long time and use when I go out. I've never washed it. It just occurred to me that it might not be a bad idea to do so, or at least clean/disinfect the buckle. In all the years I've used the belt, I haven't ever had a problem like this, but could it be the belt that's the source of the problem?
I recently bought Gold Bond Medicated Powder to alleviate the itching in my crotch area (I've been guilty of scratching down there, mostly late at night right before bed, sometimes before I get up... and sometimes can get carried away... could the scratching be related to what's happening?), and now I've been powdering the area below my belly button as well, but the powder's really just been for relief and hasn't done anything to eliminate the rashes.
Anyway, I'm curious as to what exactly is going on down there, and what products I should purchase to take care of the issue. Links and brand name suggestions would be excellent, so I know what to look for on Amazon or at the drug store. I just want to be free of these rashes, and promise I won't scratch down there again!
Thanks for your help!
I had something that looked just like that years ago, and the dermatologist gave me a steroid cream that fixed it up. It was just a minor infection that was exacerbated by overenthusastic shaving.
Given the location I would have to wonder if you have a nickel allergy and/or recently bought new jeans - the nickle-allergic people I know get rashes from the back plates of fly buttons if they're nickle, and they often are.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:24 PM on April 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
Given the location I would have to wonder if you have a nickel allergy and/or recently bought new jeans - the nickle-allergic people I know get rashes from the back plates of fly buttons if they're nickle, and they often are.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:24 PM on April 18, 2013 [4 favorites]
I'm at work, so I can't look at your junk.
You might have jock itch, in which case you might want to get some tinactin.
Frankly, I'd just run by the Minute Clinic, or any other Doc-In-The-Box and have someone take a $35 look at it. Get a good Rx for it, and get on with your life.
If my cousin Treehorn is around, she might have a notion, but nothing beats an assessment from a real medical professional.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:25 PM on April 18, 2013
You might have jock itch, in which case you might want to get some tinactin.
Frankly, I'd just run by the Minute Clinic, or any other Doc-In-The-Box and have someone take a $35 look at it. Get a good Rx for it, and get on with your life.
If my cousin Treehorn is around, she might have a notion, but nothing beats an assessment from a real medical professional.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:25 PM on April 18, 2013
To me, it looks a lot like ingrown hairs.
posted by thatdawnperson at 1:29 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by thatdawnperson at 1:29 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
I think it's ingrown hair as well. When I get irritated skin after shaving I ice the area and apply witch hazel. Some people crush up aspirin and mix it with the witch hazel too. And yes, scratching makes it worse.
posted by lucia_engel at 1:40 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by lucia_engel at 1:40 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I had a similar rash. It turned out to be a nickel allergy to the metal snap on the inside of my jeans. Try putting clear nail polish on the snap/belt buckle/any other nearby metal, and Neosporin for the rash.
posted by TG_Plackenfatz at 1:52 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by TG_Plackenfatz at 1:52 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Another word of advice: quit scrubbing your nether regions thoroughly with soap and water, at least for a couple of days. Try just rinsing with plain water; you may have become sensitized to your soap and, if that's the case, rubbing your skin with it is going to make it worse.
posted by Lynsey at 2:00 PM on April 18, 2013
posted by Lynsey at 2:00 PM on April 18, 2013
Agree that it could be ingrown hair - have you shaved your pubic area in the past? There are several that have formed pustules in the lower part of the photo (they have white centers, meaning they have pus in them).
Molluscum is just papules, not pustules (they don't have pus in them). Allergies can cause a pustular dermatitis, but you only have redness around the spots, rather than a more widespread area of dermatitis (inflammation/redness), and if it's a nickel allergy it's usually just behind where the snap or button/metal part is on the pants, whereas it looks like the rash you have is all over the groin area.
I'm not your doctor and this is not medical advice, I'd recommend seeing a doc because these pustules can turn into abscesses/boils that need to be drained, and they can give you topical steroids or antibiotics if needed. It's much easier to eval a rash like this in person / in context. Please stop itching this, it can worsen inflammation and cause infection by abrading the skin.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:05 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Molluscum is just papules, not pustules (they don't have pus in them). Allergies can cause a pustular dermatitis, but you only have redness around the spots, rather than a more widespread area of dermatitis (inflammation/redness), and if it's a nickel allergy it's usually just behind where the snap or button/metal part is on the pants, whereas it looks like the rash you have is all over the groin area.
I'm not your doctor and this is not medical advice, I'd recommend seeing a doc because these pustules can turn into abscesses/boils that need to be drained, and they can give you topical steroids or antibiotics if needed. It's much easier to eval a rash like this in person / in context. Please stop itching this, it can worsen inflammation and cause infection by abrading the skin.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:05 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
Seems like ingrown hairs.
The picture isn't really NSFW. Could just as easily be a picture of ingrown hairs on someone's leg.
posted by dfriedman at 2:06 PM on April 18, 2013
The picture isn't really NSFW. Could just as easily be a picture of ingrown hairs on someone's leg.
posted by dfriedman at 2:06 PM on April 18, 2013
Looks like Folliculitis to me. Start with an antiseptic like hydrogen peroxide.
posted by cecic at 2:08 PM on April 18, 2013
posted by cecic at 2:08 PM on April 18, 2013
In case it is not clear, folliculitis is essentially the same thing as ingrown hairs in terms of what the other answers are referring to. Folliculitis can be caused by ingrown hairs or other things like being sweaty, but end result is the same thing - an inflamed hair follicle.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:37 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by treehorn+bunny at 2:37 PM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]
I'm also going to suggest your buckle on pants. I've known a rash like that to occur and spread. A tucked-in cotton shirt or the nail polish trick might help.
posted by mamabear at 3:40 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by mamabear at 3:40 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
I had a rash in that region, and it was caused by my belt; it turned out I had a nickel allergy. Clear nail polish (reapplied periodically) did the trick.
posted by pitrified at 4:19 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by pitrified at 4:19 PM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]
With any rash I always start with cortisone cream. Can't go wrong and it clears up most itching and redness.
posted by radioamy at 7:27 PM on April 18, 2013
posted by radioamy at 7:27 PM on April 18, 2013
My guess would be that at least some of them started as ingrown hairs that then got a mild bacterial infection that couldn't escape/drain around an outgrowing hair. Ingrowns can happen even if you don't shave. If it's an ingrown, moisturizing and gently exfoliating regularly (for me, daily) helps prevent them from starting.
The white oozie stuff under that thin-ish skin-dome is mostly white blood cells (phagocytes, predominantly).
They eventually resolve themselves, but I've found that salicylic acid (the pimple stuff) speeds up the process (helps a hardish bit of pore-booger just fall out). The nature of the area can result in hyperpigmentation for several weeks-months after the primary infection has resolved and sometimes firmness/lump around newly opened pore which should go away in a few days.
posted by porpoise at 9:27 PM on April 18, 2013
The white oozie stuff under that thin-ish skin-dome is mostly white blood cells (phagocytes, predominantly).
They eventually resolve themselves, but I've found that salicylic acid (the pimple stuff) speeds up the process (helps a hardish bit of pore-booger just fall out). The nature of the area can result in hyperpigmentation for several weeks-months after the primary infection has resolved and sometimes firmness/lump around newly opened pore which should go away in a few days.
posted by porpoise at 9:27 PM on April 18, 2013
It could be an allergy, it could be a bacterial infection, it could be a fungal infection, and the treatment for each of those is different. For example, putting steroids on a fungal infection is a terrible idea but will clear it right up if it's an allergy. This is why you need to get medical attention. A pharmacist may be able to help you, otherwise a GP or dermatologist is in order. Just throwing treatments on it based on internet speculation could make it a lot worse, don't take that risk.
posted by shelleycat at 12:34 AM on April 19, 2013
posted by shelleycat at 12:34 AM on April 19, 2013
With any rash I always start with cortisone cream. Can't go wrong
Cortisone cream used inappropriately absolutely can go wrong. It's an immune suppressant, not at all suitable for putting on to an infection (for example). Anonymous, please get qualified advice.
posted by shelleycat at 12:36 AM on April 19, 2013
Cortisone cream used inappropriately absolutely can go wrong. It's an immune suppressant, not at all suitable for putting on to an infection (for example). Anonymous, please get qualified advice.
posted by shelleycat at 12:36 AM on April 19, 2013
I ... know someone ... who had similar issues and the solution was a weekly patrol with tweezers to help along any hairs that were trying to get ingrown. And no shaving that area. Especially if that's where your pants normally hang from.
posted by gjc at 3:40 AM on April 19, 2013
posted by gjc at 3:40 AM on April 19, 2013
MY doctor usually says to wait a week or two. if it doesn't clear up by then to see him. he is trying to stop the overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics wont help a viral infection.
Looks like ingrown hair. I get them all the time. only time heals it.
last time I went to a doctor about ingrown hair he put me on omnicef and I had an allergic reaction to it.
posted by majortom1981 at 6:15 AM on April 19, 2013
Looks like ingrown hair. I get them all the time. only time heals it.
last time I went to a doctor about ingrown hair he put me on omnicef and I had an allergic reaction to it.
posted by majortom1981 at 6:15 AM on April 19, 2013
Nthing ingrown hairs. Rubbing alcohol, salicylic acid, or crushed up aspirin applied daily, light exfoliation in the shower and patrol with tweezers if it's really bugging you.
Also: washing the belt buckle is a pretty good plan.
posted by AmandaA at 6:40 AM on April 19, 2013
Also: washing the belt buckle is a pretty good plan.
posted by AmandaA at 6:40 AM on April 19, 2013
depends on if they can be popped like a pimple.
Ingrown hairs can be popped. Molluscum contagiosum can not be popped.
posted by Burgatron at 8:11 AM on April 19, 2013
Ingrown hairs can be popped. Molluscum contagiosum can not be popped.
posted by Burgatron at 8:11 AM on April 19, 2013
I recommend not trying to pop them as a 'test' to see if they are molluscum. You can tell if it is molluscum without hurting yourself, as I mentioned in the prior answer - take a look at some online images if you need more evidence. Molluscum is pink/fleshy colored and pearly and has a tiny central depression ('umbilication'). A pustule has a white center (the pus) and surrounding redness, and is not umbilicated. Picking at molluscum can start a bacterial infection, so it isn't a good idea.
My personal preferred method to deal with the pustules if you catch them early is to use hot washcloth compresses on them, if you do this several times daily they will often open up and drain. If they're getting bigger or the redness around them is spreading, then the hot compresses are not enough.
p.s. white blood cells/phagocytes is just technical talk for 'pus'.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 1:05 PM on April 20, 2013
My personal preferred method to deal with the pustules if you catch them early is to use hot washcloth compresses on them, if you do this several times daily they will often open up and drain. If they're getting bigger or the redness around them is spreading, then the hot compresses are not enough.
p.s. white blood cells/phagocytes is just technical talk for 'pus'.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 1:05 PM on April 20, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Yellow at 1:23 PM on April 18, 2013