For several months now I keep getting these circle shaped reddish rashed under my arms. I stopped using regular roll-on deodorant due to published reports on the association of Aluminum and cancer and the risk of Alzheimer's Disease.
Since my Grandmother and her sister both died as a result of Alzheimer's disease I did not want to chance it, plus with my eczema I figured it was best to get deodorant found at Vitamin stores or Whole Foods Market.
I was still getting the rash on occasion and wondered what was going on. Turned out my neighbor who is a year younger with no skin issues told me she had the same type of rashes and stopped using all deodorant and switched to baby powder with corn starch.
I checked the stores and decided to save the money since I use baby powder with corn starch on my younger son after diaper changes. Recently a rash showed up under my right arm, not the left, just the right one.
I dared not shave and irritate the skin, but the feeling of the rough hairs underneath and the sweat under my arm pit was annoying so I started putting cortisone cream under there to sooth the skin and then topped off with baby powder.
I also had a swollen finger that I had bandaged up and could not feel anything but throbs of pain. We headed over to a walk in clinic where I paid $40 to get a prescription for antibiotics. Why do we have to take them for ten days, why not seven? At least it is not prednisone where I would gain 5-8 pounds!
While at the Doctor's office my eleven year old son says that looking at my underarm makes him feel like he will barf. Well gee thanks kid for telling me this while I am trying to get some help.
I grew up with the emotional issues surrounding my eczema and still deal with it when my face has a flareup and people stare or assume my younger son on the severe side of the autism spectrum scratched me. Sometimes I pretend he did since it is easier to gain sympathy instead of having them look at my face in disgust thinking I got cooties or something.
The rash is gone now after a few days of antibiotics. But I am scared to shave and want to go to the gym tomorrow. The Doctor told me not to use the babypowder or the cortisone under my arm pit. So now I have this lovely scent of sweat.
I did hear Matthew McConaughey say on Oprah that he does not wear deodorant, so if a big star can go around without wearing deodorant it is good for me too.
Do other people get rashes under their arm pits? Is this from shaving or deodorant? Do you read the ingredients and make sure the product does not contain Aluminum?
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Comments: 31
its not from deodorant its actually from heat. The cortisone cream is a bad idea, it will make it worse its like feeding the yeast. the best thing i have found to use for it is a antifungal cream containing miconazole nitrate 2.0%. usually one designed for athletes foot does a better job of healing but if you cant find that you can use the womans yeast cream to heal it.
if you find it getting sore put the cream on right away but always be sure to put it on before you go to bed after a nice cool shower. i dont know why it seams to work better at nite but it does. i only have problems with it in the summer when ive been out in the heat to long im looking forward to the cool fall weather. oh and if your going to use a powder or a corn starch the best thing i have found is cornstarch from the kitchen lol my dr told me to use it and it works wonders.
thanks for sharing that.
I do have some sort of lump there and she asked me if that was the usual size and I said yes. I do keep my eye on it, well can't see it but can feel it and about the size of a dime.
Its not an antipersperant, but that doesn't bother me.
Good luck!
I haven't paid as much attention to deodorants because I'm such a light sweat-er that I usually don't have to use it in the winter. But, now that I've started walking to work, I can build up a sweat in any weather. Daily use has started me thinking about alternatives. I know there is a natural "stone" that you can use. I don't know how good it is. You just wet it and rub it under your arms and it puts a thin film on your skin.
Anyway, reading further, it seems you know what the problem is. I wanted to let you know that Adidas makes a deoderant that doesn't have aluminum in it (and it's less expensive then Toms)