I got a nasty skin condition from shaving — you…
Despite all the love and care I put into my skin, I never gave a lot thought about my armpits — until, in February 2026, my underarm skin abruptly turned itchy and irritated with a tough texture.
As a longtime magnificence editor, I handled my face and physique to the best merchandise and remedies, but my underarm routine was just about nonexistent.
I’d give the world a tough fast shave, swipe on deodorant and call it a day. But my big mistake was that I never checked if the razor I used was recent or if the deodorant I had mendacity around was really expired.
Sound like no big deal? I thought so too — until I paid for it.
Ariana Yaptangco developed a skin condition from shaving her underarms. Courtesy Ariana Yaptangco
At first, I ignored my symptoms, hoping it could go away. But the inflammation only got worse. I finally paid a go to to my dermatologist, who immediately acknowledged the rash as underarm dermatitis, an disagreeable — although extremely treatable — skin condition.
And she schooled me on the extremely common errors that could cause this, which many of us make.
What is underarm dermatitis?
According to Dr. Chelsea Hoffman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City, dermatitis is a generic time period for skin inflammation.
The most common type is contact dermatitis, which might happen in your underarms. This might be damaged down into two classes: irritant dermatitis and allergic dermatitis.
“Irritant dermatitis comes from a substance touching your skin, which is causing an irritant reaction, or a rash,” says Dr. Hoffman.
“If someone’s putting an active ingredient under there, such as a retinoid, which some people try to do for pigment, that could cause irritant dermatitis. But even just sweat alone can be irritating to people.”
While irritant dermatitis seems rapidly, allergic contact dermatitis is often delayed. As the identify implies, allergic dermatitis is an immune response to a particular allergen in your setting.
“The most common causes are certain ingredients and additives, like preservatives or fragrances in deodorant,” says Dr. Hoffman.
Ariana Yaptangco in February during the height of her response. Courtesy Ariana Yaptangco
She said her dermatitis was doubtless induced by an previous razor or expired deodorant. Courtesy Ariana Yaptangco
The repercussions
My dermatitis was doubtless induced by an previous razor or expired deodorant (both of which I had been utilizing at the time), which then developed into atopic dermatitis, also identified as chronic eczema.
Since my underarms went untreated for a few months, my condition worsened, creating a chronic condition that left my underarm skin thick and scaly, with leathery strains due to dryness. Additionally, the rash induced discoloration, leaving me with darkened armpits.
Redness and itchiness are common after you shave, but must be non permanent. If irritation persists, Dr. Hoffman recommends making an appointment with your dermatologist to determine the trigger.
“There’s other conditions that can happen too. It’s more rare, but you can get fungal infections in your underarms. Yeast can play a role. There’s all these other microbiome, pathogen aspects because they thrive in that moist environment.”
While irritant dermatitis seems rapidly, allergic contact dermatitis is often delayed. As the identify implies, allergic dermatitis is an immune response to a particular allergen in your setting. Getty Images
Treating underarm dermatitis
At my doctor’s orders, I stopped shaving and making use of deodorant to my underarms for practically three months. I have skinny hair and my physique odor isn’t noticeably strong, but I still felt very self acutely aware.
“We treat underarm dermatitis by reducing irritation, so you want to try to minimize shaving or waxing for that time,” says Dr. Hoffman.
“Anything that’s going to compromise the barrier, you want to avoid.” This is also why it’s so important to use a recent and clean razor: “Shaving basically kind of takes off the top of your skin,” she provides.
I was prescribed a topical steroid to deliver down the irritation and was told to use a light-weight and un-fragranced moisturizer to heal my broken skin barrier. At first, moisturizing my armpits felt odd, but then I realized: I never skip my face or physique — why ought to my underarms be any different?
How to care for your underarms and what to keep away from
According to Lauren Lovelady, founder of the physique care model Each & Every, the skin in our armpit is delicate and weak, particularly during {the summertime}, which calls for some TLC.
“I don’t want to say we abuse our underarms, but we do tend to put a little bit more stress on it than other areas of our skin by shaving and applying products,” she says. “That skin is sensitive and can get really dry, so it is really important to keep it moisturized. Look for products that have ceramides or lactic acids, things that you would apply to your body to keep it moisturized.”
Some of Dr. Hoffman’s favourite lotions for the underarm embrace Person & Covey DML Moisturizing Lotion or Vanicream Moisturizing Lotion, that are skinny and take in rapidly.
When it comes to the natural versus aluminum deodorant debate, Dr. Hoffman says the selection is in the end up to your choice. However, if you use natural deodorant, remember that sweat is an irritant.
After a few months of making use of topical steroids and moisturizing her underarm space, her armpits have returned principally back to regular. Courtesy Ariana Yaptangco
If you’re a heavy sweater and experiencing dermatitis, it may be price switching to aluminum deodorant, which makes use of antiperspirants to block glands and keep you dry.
Additionally natural deodorant usually incorporates baking soda as its bacteria-killing agent, which might also trigger inflammation.
“Baking soda raises the pH of your skin,” says Lovelady. “Your is naturally acidic and sits at about a pH of 4.5 to 6.5. And baking soda is very alkaline, so it’s about a 9. When you apply deodorant with baking soda, it raises the pH of your skin above its normal levels.”
If you end up having frequent reactions, Dr. Hoffman recommends conducting an allergy take a look at with your doctor. “If it continues to become a problem, we’ll do patch testing on the back looking for what you might be specifically allergic to,” she says.
To make figuring out triggers simpler, Lovelady contains both the regulated identify and common family of ingredients for full transparency. “We disclose all the ingredients on the package so you know exactly what you’re putting on your skin. We even disclose allergens in case you have a specific ingredient that you’re sensitive to.”
The aftermath
After a few months of making use of topical steroids and moisturizing my underarm space with La Roche Posay Lipikar Daily Repair Moisturizing Body Lotion, my armpits have returned principally back to regular.
I still have discoloration, which my dermatologist said will take some time to fade away. I’ve even began shaving and making use of deodorant again (Each & Every Aprés Sea smells unimaginable and offers me zero points) so I finally be happy to elevate up my arms.
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