Itchy Breast Nipple

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Itchy Breast Nipple
Medically Reviewed by Carol DerSarkissian, MD on January 19, 2022
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Lots of things can make your nipples itchy. They’re sensitive in general. They also stick out, and they can get irritated from friction, eczema, breastfeeding, or pregnancy. Rarely, itchy nipples can be a sign of a more serious condition. Even if your urge to scratch is great, the problem is usually easy to treat. If you’ve been using over-the-counter products for a couple of weeks and the itch isn’t gone, check with your doctor.
Cold, dry weather can lead to major itching all over your body, including on the breasts and nipples. If that’s the cause, your nipples may look raw or chafed. Keep baths and showers to under 10 minutes. Use lukewarm water, since hot water washes away essential oils and dries out your skin even more. Gently pat your skin with a towel until it’s almost dry, and moisturize with a thick cream or ointment. Run a humidifier to add moisture.
It can cause a crusty rash on your nipples and the flat part around it, especially if you’ve had eczema before. Use a thick moisturizer with ceramides, a waxy ingredient that helps heal the skin. A topical steroid cream like hydrocortisone can help with swelling and itching. Your doctor can prescribe stronger prescription ointments. See them right away if you notice any oozing or tenderness, which could be a sign of infection.
Your new soap, lotion, or laundry detergent could be behind your itchy nipples. The chemicals in many cleansing products can cause a rash called contact dermatitis. It can show up as itchy red patches on your body. Switch to soaps and cleansers that are hypoallergenic, unscented, and free of dyes, and you’ll know if that’s the problem.
Your breasts and nipples may be reacting to the elastic or dye used to make your bra or lingerie. Contact dermatitis can cause redness and itching on the areas of the skin that touch the fabric, like your nipples. If you’ve recently started wearing a new bra, go back to your old one for a while and see if the itch goes away.
Your nipples can chafe when they rub against clothing while you exercise or because your bra is too tight. It’s usually more painful than itchy, but some women say the friction can feel like itching or burning. Apply petroleum jelly to the area before workouts to protect it from irritation, and make sure your bra fits well.
Weight gain, morning sickness, hormone swings, and ... itchy nipples? Yep, add that to the list of symptoms of pregnancy. Blame it on hormone changes and skin stretching as your breasts and nipples expand to get ready for a nursing baby. Cocoa butter, coconut oil, or a lanolin ointment rubbed on the nipples can help lessen the itch.
Milk residue, plugged milk ducts, and problems with your baby latching on during feedings all can make nipples itchy and sore. It’s important to keep the area clean and dry and to continue to pump or nurse. Lanolin ointment and silicone gel pads cooled in the refrigerator can help ease your discomfort.
If you’re breastfeeding, and if your nipples and surrounding area are not only itchy but shiny or flaky, and you feel sharp pain while nursing, see your doctor. Those are signs of thrush, a fungal infection. Your doctor may prescribe an antifungal cream to put on your nipples and breasts, as well as a mild antifungal medication you take by mouth.
This stage of your life can make your skin thinner, drier, and more easily irritated. Blame it on your hormones going up and down and on lower levels of estrogen. Your body makes less oil, so it’s harder for your skin to retain moisture. The itch can strike just about anywhere on the body, including the vagina and nipples. Fight the dryness by using mild cleansers, moisturizing often, and taking fewer hot showers.
Treatment for breast cancer can lead to severe itching in the breasts and nipples, even long after it ends. Radiation kills skin cells and causes dryness, burning, and itching as the skin peels off. Massage the area with an ice cube, wear soft, loose-fitting clothes, and drink plenty of fluids. Oral antihistamines can help. Your doctor also can prescribe a corticosteroid to rub on the skin.
This rare form of breast cancer starts in the breast ducts and spreads to the nipple and nearby area. It can look a lot like eczema, with crusted, scaly, and itchy skin. But it often affects just one nipple, and you may also see blood or yellow discharge. If the rash doesn’t respond to eczema treatments, you may need a biopsy of a tissue sample to be sure. Paget's disease usually is treated with surgery, followed by radiation.
Sometimes, a noncancerous tumor in the breast duct can cause an itchy, crusted nipple. You may feel a small lump or notice a clear or bloody discharge from the nipple. To make the diagnosis, your doctor may X-ray your breast duct or order an ultrasound, mammogram, or biopsy. The treatment is usually surgery.
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Lauren Eckert Ploch, MD, dermatologist, Augusta, GA.
Meghan Feely, MD, dermatologist, New York.
Leena Nathan, MD, assistant clinical professor, UCLA department of obstetrics and gynecology.
La Leche League International: “Is thrush causing my sore nipples?”
Oregon Health & Science University: “Loving Your Skin Through Menopause.”
National Cancer Institute: “Causes of Pruritus in Cancer Patients.”
University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center: “Itching.”
American Cancer Society: “Paget Disease of the Nipple,” “Intraductal Papillomas of the Breast.”
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18 Reasons You Have Itchy Breasts or Nipples—and How to Find Relief
Plus, when you should actually see a doctor about itchy boobs.
Having itchy boobs is usually nothing to stress over, but it can sometimes be a sign that something is off with your health. Ted + Chelsea Cavanaugh. Prop Styling by Amy Elise Wilson.
What causes itchy breasts and nipples?
1. You don’t wash your bras often enough.
2. Your boobs hate certain materials.
3. You’re dealing with some friction.
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4. Your skin is irritated from a sunburn.
6. You had an allergic reaction to perfume, soap, laundry detergent, dryer sheets, or something else.
10. You have a yeast infection under your boobs.
11. You are pregnant, recently gave birth, or are breastfeeding.
12. Your boobs grew very quickly for other reasons.
14. You’re taking a medication that causes itchy skin.
15. You’re going through menopause.
16. In rare cases, itchy boobs may be a symptom of breast cancer.
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17. It’s unlikely, but itchy breasts could also be a sign of Paget’s disease.
18. For those who have breast cancer, having itchy breasts is also a side effect of radiation treatment.
What are the best treatments and remedies for itchy breasts?
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When should you see a doctor about itchy breasts or nipples?
Korin is a former New Yorker who now lives at the beach. She received a double B.A. in International Relations and Marketing from The College of William & Mary (which she doesn't use at all now) and an M.A. in Interactive Journalism from American University. Korin has been published in... Read more
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Medically reviewed by Shari Marchbein, MD
You can expect just about every part of your body to get itchy at some point—but when you start dealing with itchy breasts, it can be equal parts confusing and frustrating. After all, unlike many other parts of your skin, your breasts are usually protected from the elements day in and day out. So, it’s only natural to wonder: Uh, why are my boobs itchy in the first place?
Thankfully, there’s usually a simple explanation for itchy breasts (which may, unfortunately, include equally itchy nipples ). Even better, the solution is often an easy fix.
With that said, while having itchy boobs is usually nothing to stress over, it can be a sign that something is off with your health, especially if the itchiness is accompanied by other odd symptoms. Not sure why you have a sudden need to scratch? Here’s why you might be dealing with itchy breasts or nipples—and when you should bring it up with your doctor (who, by the way, sees this issue way more often than you’d think.)
FWIW: Having itchy boobs can be totally normal . In fact, it’s not unheard-of to feel itchy enough to see a doctor about it. “I see a few patients every month with this complaint,” Gary Goldenberg , M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, tells SELF.
There are no official set-in-stone symptoms of itchy boobs (other than the obvious), but Dr. Goldenberg says his patients have mentioned experiencing the following:
There’s a surprisingly long list of things that can lead to itchy breasts and nipples. These can range from common, no-big-deal issues to more serious, but rare, health conditions. Here’s what to keep on your radar:
You probably have a go-to bra or two that you wear more often than you’d care to admit, and you probably wash them close to never . Unfortunately, this can cause issues with your boobs. “Dirty clothes, including underclothes, often have bacteria that can irritate the skin,” Dr. Goldenberg says. If the circumstances are exactly right—like if you have a cut in your skin and bacteria from a dirty bra get into a crack in your skin—this can even cause an infection.
Bras are made with all different types of fabric, from silk to lace to cotton—but certain materials can be seriously irritating to your breasts. “Synthetic fabrics are the biggest problem,” Dr. Goldenberg says. He calls out polyester and latex as some of the top potential irritants, especially if you have sensitive skin that is known to get fussy.
Whenever something is on top of your bare breasts, it has the potential to set off some uncomfortable friction. “Your clothing or bra can rub on the skin and cause minor breaks, which can be itchy and even painful,” board-certified dermatologist Ife J. Rodney , M.D., founding director of Eternal Dermatology + Aesthetics and professor of dermatology at Howard University and George Washington University , tells SELF. Beyond the fabric your bra or shirt is made of, the type of movement you’re doing can also contribute to this issue, especially when you’re powering through an exercise like running.
If you’re wearing the same bras and shirts you always have, this probably isn’t the reason behind your itchy boobs or nipples. But if you recently started wearing a new top, started going braless completely, or switched up your workout routine to something that causes more bounce—and breast or nipple itchiness followed—friction is definitely a cause to consider.
If you’ve been topless outdoors recently, whether it was on a beach or in your backyard, this could be your problem. Your breast skin is sensitive and can easily get burned , especially since it’s not typically exposed to sunlight. Along with delightful side effects like peeling , sunburns can cause intense itching thanks to skin irritation.
Along those same lines, getting a heat rash on your chest can also cause itchy breasts, Sherry A. Ross , M.D., a women’s health expert and author of She-ology: The Definitive Guide to Women’s Intimate Health. Period , tells SELF. “When breasts get overheated and start to perspire, the skin of the breasts can become irritated, red, and itchy,” she explains. Indeed, heat rash typically happens when sweat gets trapped under your skin, blocking your pores, according to the Mayo Clinic .
Contact dermatitis is an allergic reaction or irritation that can happen when your skin is exposed to something it doesn’t like, and itchiness is one of its major giveaways, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). If you wash your bras with regular detergent or dry them with dryer sheets, it’s possible your boobs will riot and become itchy. (Same goes for towels, sheets if you sleep in the nude, and basically anything else that can come into contact with your chest, including your body wash.) Fragrance in particular is often a culprit behind allergic contact dermatitis, especially if you have sensitive skin .
We’d be remiss not to mention this one. Good old-fashioned dry skin could be the reason you have itchy boobs or nipples. “Dry skin anywhere on the body can cause itching,” notes Dr. Ross.
This can be particularly problematic in the wintertime, Dr. Rodney says. That’s because the air outside tends to be cold and dry, which is like a double whammy when it comes to retaining moisture in your skin. Unfortunately, the warm air inside probably isn’t doing you any favors either, as indoor heating tends to zap humidity and leave dry air in its wake.
So, be extra diligent about applying lotion to your boobs (including your nipples) when the temps drop, as it’s an area that many people with breasts tend to neglect when moisturizing in general, Dr. Rodney says.
Eczema is a chronic skin condition that causes dry, itchy inflammation that can show up as a scaly rash, per the AAD . While it typically affects areas like the backs of the knees and crooks of the elbows, it can affect just about any of your body, including your breasts. If you’ve had itchy breasts for a while and you can’t pinpoint why, eczema could be the cause, especially if you have dry, itchy, or cracked skin around the nipple area specifically, Dr. Rodney says.
There are many different types of psoriasis , but plaque psoriasis is most common, the Mayo Clinic says. With this condition, your immune system mistakenly causes skin cells to build up and form dry, scaly, itchy patches called plaques, typically on areas like the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp. Unfortunately, much like eczema, psoriasis can also show up on or under your boobs . (On top of both being frustrating, that can make psoriasis and eczema easy to confuse. To dig a bit deeper, check out SELF’s article on how to tell the difference between the two conditions .)
You probably associate yeast infections with your vagina. And you wouldn’t be wrong, since they can certainly afflict vaginas and cause all sorts of symptoms like wonky discharge and swelling . But yeast infections are also pretty common under the breasts, Dr. Goldenberg says. Moisture can get trapped under there as the area can get especially sweaty, creating an environment that’s perfect for yeast to grow, which can result in itchy boobs. However, you’ll probably deal with other symptoms, too, like a red rash, pimple-like bumps , burning, or skin patches that ooze clear fluid, per Johns Hopkins Medicine .
Pregnancy , having a baby, and breastfeeding can all set off a pretty major breast change that can contribute to itchy boobs and itchy nipples: Your breasts can go way up in size, says Dr. Ross. Which, you knew that already, but it bears repeating here because that change can lead to stretch marks, which Dr. Ross notes can cause itching in some people as they form. The breastfeeding process specifically may cause your nipples to become dry and irritated from all that contact.
There are other reasons why your boobs can get bigger in size rapidly, including puberty and weight gain. Again, when the skin has to stretch faster than it normally grows, it can lead to stretch marks that cause inflammation and itchiness, Dr. Rodney says.
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) is when your thyroid gland doesn’t make enough hormones to keep your body running smoothly, according to the Mayo Clinic . Your thyroid is a small gland in your neck with a huge job: It essentially governs your body’s metabolism , meaning that thyroid issues can manifest in myriad ways. An underactive thyroid can cause dry skin that can lead to itchy breasts, in addition to many other symptoms like fatigue, constipation , thinning hair, and a slower heart rate, the Mayo Clinic says.
So many medications come with a long list of side effects, and itchy skin can be one of them. These can include things like blood pressure medications, says Dr. Ross, or even aspirin, according to the AAD . If you suspect a new medication could be the culprit, check in with your doctor, who may prescribe a lower dosage to try and mitigate side effects or prescribe a similar medication to try instead.
Changes in hormones that you experience in menopause (namely, a drop in estrogen and progesterone ) can cause the skin on your boobs to become thinner. That, in turn, can make the area more susceptible to itchiness, Dr. Rodney says.
If you have breast itchiness, it’s much more likely that it’s due to one of the above reasons and not breast cancer . With that said, there’s a small chance it could be inflammatory breast cancer, a rare but aggressive form of the disease that invades your skin’s dermis (the layer of skin that lies beneath your epidermis, the outer layer of skin), creating an inflammatory response, Jack Jacoub, M.D. , a medical oncologist and medical director of MemorialCare Cancer Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, tells SELF.
Inflammatory breast cancer also usually has other symptoms including a rash; orange-peel skin; and red, inflamed skin that’s hot to the touch, Dennis Holmes, M.D. , a breast cancer surgeon and researcher and interim director of the Margie Petersen Breast Center at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF.
This is another rare cause, but it is worth mentioning: Paget’s disease of the breast. This is a rare form of breast cancer in which cancer cells go through the milk ducts and collect in or around the nipple, Dr. Holmes says. With Paget’s disease, you may also have flaky or scaly skin around your nipple, bloody nipple discharge, or a newly inverted nipple , per the Mayo Clinic . If you experience the symptoms above, get in touch with your doctor to ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Radiation therapy is unpleasant for many reasons—and itchy boobs can be one of them. “Radiation received during treatment for breast cancer completely dries out the skin of the affected breast, which can result in itching,” explains Dr. Ross.
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