Saturday, July 28, 2007

Under-breast rash

My stats tell me that I get quite a few hits via google searches for the dreaded rash under the breasts. I made an entry a while back with some advice for dealing with this problem entitled "Cruel Summer". Go to that entry if you're looking for tips on how to deal with the rashes:
http://rioiriri.blogspot.com/2007/06/cruel-summer.html

I don't actually get them anymore. I'm going to let y'all in on a little secret here: In 2003, I had breast reduction surgery which took my G/H cup breasts down to diminutive D's. My breasts had always been grossly disproportionate to the rest of me, and they were causing a great deal of back pain. My aureolae were so stretched out of shape that they were roughly 5" in diameter. I had grooves in my shoulders from the weight of the bra straps. Getting this surgery was a very important thing for me, and I am really glad I did it.

I found a very skilled surgeon who did NOT do nipple grafts; instead, he was able to reconstruct my breasts without removing the nipple at all! It's hard for me to describe what he did, so I'm not going to. Even so, I did not have feeling in them for nearly a year after the surgery. There was a chance that sensation would have been permanently lost, and I mourned the loss of an entire erogenous zone when six months had passed with no change.

Anyway, the reason I'm bringing up the subject of mammaries is this: Because so many people are interested in the subject of under-breast rashes, I thought I would share an item that I found while looking at a website. These are bra liners, which absorb moisture and help prevent the under-breast rash! I wish I had known about them pre-surgery, because I would get the worst rashes. I also didn't know that miconazole (athlete's foot and jock-itch medicine) would treat the problem. My doctor certainly didn't offer any suggestions, although I do give him credit for the reduction surgery referral.

I know how crummy that rash is. Because I didn't know how to treat it, I would put regular lotion on it and cry as the alcohol in the lotion burned. Eventually, I started using a medicated baby powder on it, which helped some, and one day I put on some antibiotic ointment--which did help more than anything else I'd tried. Once I found out the proper product to use, life was great again! The web was not then the behemoth it is today, so I didn't really have access to the information that is available now. How DID we live without the internet back then?!

5 comments:

Lindsay said...

I'm glad you don't get them anymore! I don't get them under my breasts, but i do get them under my belly from time to time. Generally i just wash it gently, pat it dry, then apply diaper rash ointment.

If it's yeast-related (people with fibromyalgia are plagued by problems with candida, i'm afraid), washing it with Dr Bronners tea-tree oil soap helps a lot. Tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal, and it's diluted enough in the soap to not cause further irritation (but can always be watered down more if you have especially sensitive skin).

Harpy said...

I find drying things out with a hairdryer on 'cool' really helps. Even patting gently with a towel or cloth can be irritating and painful. I use a fragrance-free liquid soap (the stuff from Paula's Choice (www.paulaschoice.com) is very good, she even lists stuff that is salycilate-free for people with fibro) and then a medicated powder. To stop chafing, the best product I have ever found is the Monistat "Soothing Care Powder Gel" which is a silicone gel that is not slimy or sticky at all like so many of the anti-chafe products. It feels like an incredibly soft powder after you put it on and it has survived me going on an all-day walk in hot humid weather in a skirt! It is awesome. (I have to buy it on eBay though because it's not on the market in Australia yet :( ) I think some of the products that long-distance cyclists and runners use are also similar, you could probably find them at a serious sports store.

Oh and I have taken to wearing sports bras that are made of anti-microbial moisture-wicking fabric, there are some pretty good ones these days that don't give you the "monoboob" look and aren't horribly squishy. Lingerie-direct.com has a decent selection in larger sizes and cups, Junonia.com too.

I swear I'm not affiliated with any of the sites or products I've mentioned! :) Just a happy customer.

Anonymous said...

I have only gotten one under boob rash and it was AWFUL. I spent a week in South Carolina when I was a teenager and when I got home I discovered it. ICK!

Ruth said...

I found your post once about how to deal with summer problems as a fat girl and I wanted to tell you what a great idea it was. I do a lot of the same things and it was nice to see someone else acknowledging all the rotten crap we go through when it's hot out. I've always used zinc oxide or Gold Bond powder with rashes and it helps a lot with itching, but if I ever get one again I'm gonna try micozanole and maybe get some of those bra liners.

Also, I'm glad your surgery was a success, although the fear about sensation really sucks. I lost most of my feeling below my neck when I got sick, and it didn't come back until after six months of treatment. Really depressing, especially since my fiancée's touch was uncomfortable during that time. I understand how scary it must be to go through something like a reduction, with that in mind.

I've never had trouble with my bosom (it's rather large but proportionate with the rest of me) but the loss of feeling would be my first fear if I had to get a reduction.

pambras said...

Hey girls, It's me I am Pam, Put together with the word bra it spells Pambra's The Original Bra Liner. glad to see people are talking about my liners. still available just look for them by name,