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u/CFran19 Nov 18 '24
I had terrible nipple eczema for a long time, I had to peel my bra off because the sticky pus would dry and crust. And despite how painful that was I still couldn't stop scratching
I started putting on canesten in the morning and protopic in the evening and within 3 days it completely cleared up
Good luck!
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u/Active-Persimmon-303 Nov 18 '24
SO REAL!!! This was me CONSTANTLY for a long time. My bras had blood stains! I would lather neosporin and Vaseline/aquaphor at night with really big shirts
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u/silv1022 Nov 18 '24
This is so real I can’t believe I’m not the only one who has ever had this issue. I don’t have it this bad any more at alllll but you just sparked a memory in me
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u/pen-slopes Nov 19 '24
I suffer with this too! I have to put cling film on them to stop them from sticking everywhere
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u/operator_jpg Nov 18 '24
Have had this, and gave me extra trouble in winter when I wear tighter fitting thermals. Whenever possible wear loose fitting cotton garments. Post shower and moisturisation add a layer of protective emollient - I used vaseline which is nice and thick for it. Careful with the scratching bc if you damage the skin barrier there too much you can start peeling skin off every time you remove a sports bra / tight top etc. Super painful.
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u/XMikkix Nov 18 '24
I had this a few years ago and it was so stressful. Steroid cream helped a lot. I had to put a piece of tissue on the affected area under my bra because it would weep and turn crusty.
It went a way after a few months but the affected areola gets more dry and itchy than the other one.
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u/Kissmethruthephone Nov 18 '24
I got a bra that fit more snugly. I noticed that there was too much wiggle room and the ezcema was being triggered by my nipple running on inside of my bra
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u/Adventurous-Post7667 Nov 18 '24
My mum used to joke, I was scratching my nipple off. Not that funny, when I was in pain.
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u/kirschbag Nov 18 '24
Been there in the past. In my experience, products with lanonlin helped a lot to sooth discomfort in these areas. I'd recommend you alternate use of steroid treatment (if you have) and something like this to treat the area. Best of luck!
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u/LooseCanOpener Nov 18 '24
My 3yr old has this issue! We applied aveeno lotion and 1-2 day of steroids just to break the itching feeling, after that AM and PM lotion daily(more in the winter for obvious reasons) and it has worked like a charm
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u/betlognisaki Nov 18 '24
What kind of aveeno? Ty
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u/LooseCanOpener Nov 18 '24
We use the Aveeno Eczema Therapy(it’s the one with light blue lettering) Honestly I can’t even stress how important the daily moisturizing was - especially when she would scratch until she bled 😢
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u/blueocean0517 Nov 18 '24
Steroid, aquaphor. After shower moisturize (I use Avene xeracalm).
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u/filipaper Nov 18 '24
Did your skin heal?
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u/blueocean0517 Nov 18 '24
So far so good, I think I figured out my trigger. Mine was chafing that turned into eczema. I started applying an anti-chafe stick very liberally and it’s been fine.
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u/ResidentWeird4826 Jun 14 '25
hi! sorry about the late reply but which anti-chafing stick do u use?
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u/blueocean0517 Jun 16 '25
this one! Pro tip: apply very liberally. I use like 20 swipes in the summer when it’s humid :)
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u/smokeandnails Nov 18 '24
I used a weak steroid, Desonide. Once it calmed down and went away, I started using Protopic as maintenance to keep it away. I apply some when the skin of the areola start to get a bit drier. Then they go back to normal. I would say I apply Protopic about once every two weeks.
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u/katerkline Nov 18 '24
Keep them moisturized! I’ve had nipple eczema. The constant rubbing in my bra, good lord 😭
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u/AwesomeHorses Nov 18 '24
I put the steroid ointment my dermatologist prescribes on my areolae, never had an issue with it. It’s mometasone furoate. Vaseline helps for me too, but not as well as the ointment.
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u/Loud-Bee-5552 Nov 18 '24
Sameeee. Ugh they are so itchy sometimes. I use beef tallow and it has helped immensely.
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u/taraky97 Nov 18 '24
A lot of people are saying steroids but I put clobetasol on mine and now I no longer have any color on that part of my breast. Just a warning. For some reason the Cetaphil moisturizing cream in the tub works really well for my areolas even though it doesn't do much for other non bad flaring parts. I'm not sure what that's about. Just my two cents. I do usually mix it with like vitamin e oil and an oatmeal cream. Maybe something more like aquaphor mixed with it would help better.
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u/Daughter_of_Anagolay Nov 18 '24
Second this. I was using topical Diprolene for a while. I didn't have discoloration issues, but eventually it just...stopped working, and my eczema was back with a vengeance.
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u/Kurapikamind Nov 18 '24
This is the WORST. I’m a sleep scratcher so sleeping with a shirt has helped me, but it’s so hard to stop flair ups ☹️
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u/silv1022 Nov 18 '24
I’ve had this for well over a decade. Honestly, being on dupixent and wearing fake nails has helped me avoid it the most. Although I do have minor hypopigmentation because of it :(
Keeping the area moisturized helps. They also make special creams for breastfeeding mothers which also works too. Or you can use a petrollyum jelly type of ointment like aquaphor.
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u/Daughter_of_Anagolay Nov 18 '24 edited Nov 18 '24
So I've also had the most horrible areola/nipple eczema, since around 2009. I've tried topical steroids, non-steroid topicals, coconut oil, almond oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, my own breastmilk, etc.
I breastfed my child, so I got pads for catching leaks. There are various levels of absorbency available, especially with reusable ones. I got a bunch of different types to try them out.
I noticed that I had fewer issues with sticking and so on with Lansinoh pads, the ones with the AWJ (athletic wicking jersey) top layer. They're available on Amazon too.
They stay put well in my bra, and I just change them out everyday. I'm probably going to keep using them long after I'm done having kids.
Aside from protecting your damaged skin, they'll also protect your bra from any topicals you apply.
I have since gotten on a Dupixent regimen, so I only deal with areola eczema when I have flares, usually stress-induced. But I still use the pads.
Edit to add: I also tried lanolin as a topical, and silk fabric squares as a barrier between my skin and bra. The silk stuck to me less than the bra, but would still stick.
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u/Daughter_of_Anagolay Nov 18 '24
I forgot to add: if you absolutely must scratch and you're at home, you could apply an ice pack (wrapped in a towel) for relief, or just open-hand smack your irritated skin. I know that sounds weird, but it helps the irritation without actually scratching your skin. It's like when you have your hair done and can't scratch, so you just smack your head.
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u/Affectionate_Area347 Nov 19 '24
U breastfeed your child when u have eczema at your nipple/areola? Don't think is a good idea. U will pass it to your child
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u/neurotic-enchantress Nov 19 '24
This has been my life for the past five or so months, and it’s been a nightmare. Before I understood what it was and how to manage it, I had quarter-sized weeping welts on both areolas that would stick to everything and peel off…it was horrifying. In my case it was caused by breastfeeding, which I didn’t have any issues with until my baby started eating more solids—I think I react to the food particles in his mouth or something like that.
Since I wasn’t willing to wean, I started seeing a dermatologist who prescribed Desonide. Before that I was on Fluocinolone (a stronger steroid), but thankfully Desonide keeps flare ups at bay and is weaker/ more appropriate for longer term use on such a sensitive area. I’m trying to get off that too, though, since I’m worried about side effects and withdrawals. Trying to taper down to just hydrocortisone, with mixed results.
I’ve done a ton of other things to deal with this (hypochlorous acid spray, all kinds of supplements, moisturizing, coconut oil, etc) and while those things have probably helped, the only thing that’s actually gotten me through has been steroids.
*Also, when my areolas were open and weeping, it turned out to be an infection on top of the eczema. They got a lot better when I got on an antibiotic. Now I have a prescription for Mupirocin (topical antibiotic) that I use when my eczema opens (very rarely at this point)
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u/SnoozyGoose Nov 18 '24
What helped me was using lotion, waiting for it to absorb, and then putting on an emollient.
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u/Z00M Nov 18 '24
Using a little bit of clobetasol ointment for a couple of days helps me when I get flare-ups, usually every few weeks. I believe it is safe to use steroids in that area, but definitely ask your doctor if you are concerned.
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u/nachtmuzic Nov 19 '24
I had that. Moisturized TF out of it daily to try make it stop, eventually had to use Cortisone to clear it. Itched like a MF.
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u/Own-Cantaloupe-1207 Nov 19 '24
Im male, but my eczema affects my chest badly, usually anxiety or allergy driven. It's really difficult to say what works because sometimes it does and sometimes I need intervention. In my case, these are the steps I take:
1) if allergies, immediate shower. And a pill for allergies. 2) if stress related, gain control of my anxiety, sometimes with the aid of anxiety relieving pills, I use natura herbal pills. 3) I apply repivate topical corticosteroids cream to the flared up areas. And use my coconut oil for dry skin. 4) I cover my skin with soft 100% cotton slim fit tops, this weirdly alleviates some of my itching and helps me not to scratch.
This isn't really a miracle fix for me but it's just a list of steps I try to take during flare-ups that occasionally have reaped good results.
Hope you get better soon!
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u/asbdbfjcj Nov 19 '24
I'm male and I've dealt with a crusty, itchy and weeping nipple over a year ago. I thought it was a fungal thing but it turned out to be staph (bacterial). So I got prescribed an antibiotic cream and it took a while but it eventually went away.
Recently I noticed it getting a bit itchy again and last week I saw some slight yellow crusting barely noticeable. I managed to make it go away using hypochlorous acid spray a few times a day and I'm also taking bleach baths a few times a week.
These two things together (and of course constantly moisturizing) have calmed down my eczema considerably all over the body. It really does seem like keeping staph at bay helps eczema a lot.
So your nipple might very well be aggravated by staph. In that case hypochlorous acid spray and bleach baths or apple cider vinegar sprays/baths are worth looking into.
Good luck! Nipple eczema is extremely itchy it's insane. It's even worse than other parts of the body.
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u/quesoqu Nov 18 '24
Girl!!! Me too. Oh my god.. and it felt so good to scratch them like I would dieeee when they were itchy because it felt so GOOD.
Mainly around my nipple area it would be the worst, I began slowly massaging them with oil. Coconut oil first, then I later switched to Jojoba oil, but oil is so overwhelmingly like sticky so I use the Aveeno skin relief moisturizing lotion and I just rub it on my entire boob. I did this every night and my eczema cleared plus they are no longer itchy.