An itchy breast or nipple can seem like an embarrassing problem, but it happens to many people in their lifetime. There are several causes of an itchy breast or nipple, from skin irritation to rarer and more alarming causes, such as breast cancer.

What causes an itchy breast or nipple?

Atopic dermatitis is a common cause of an itchy breast or nipple. This type of dermatitis is also called eczema, which is an inflammation of the skin. While its cause is unknown, atopic dermatitis can cause dry skin, itching, and rash.

Certain factors can worsen an itchy breast or nipple, including:

  • artificial fibers
  • cleaners
  • perfumes
  • soaps
  • wool fibers

Dry skin can also cause your breasts or nipples to itch.

Pregnancy increases the likelihood for breast and nipple itching. The breasts typically enlarge during pregnancy. Stretching skin can lead to itching and flaking.

Mastitis, a breast tissue infection, can also cause breast and nipple* itching. This condition most commonly affects new mothers who are breast-feeding. Breast-feeding mothers may experience a blocked milk duct or bacterial exposure, leading to mastitis. Additional symptoms of mastitis include:

  • breast tenderness
  • swelling
  • redness
  • pain or burning when breast-feeding

Rarely, an itchy breast or nipple can be the symptom of a more serious medical condition. Paget disease of the breast, a rare form of cancer, causes breast and nipple itching. This type of cancer specifically affects the nipple, although a cancerous tumor is often found in the breast as well. Early Paget disease symptoms can mimic atopic dermatitis or eczema. Other symptoms include:

  • a flattened nipple*
  • redness
  • a lump in the breast
  • discharge from the nipple*
  • skin changes on the nipple or breast

Breast itching and warmth can be signs of breast cancer as well, especially inflammatory breast cancer. Changes to the texture of your breast can also be cause for concern.

What are the symptoms of an itchy breast or nipple?

An itchy breast or nipple causes the urge to scratch at your skin. The discomfort can range from mild to severe, and may be an occasional or constant urge. Scratching can cause the delicate skin to become red, swollen, cracked, or thickened. While scratching may temporarily relieve the urge, it can also damage the skin.

When to seek medical help

If your itchy breast or nipple doesn’t go away after a few days, or if it seems to worsen, make an appointment to see your doctor.

You should see your doctor right away if you experience:

  • bloody, yellow, or brown drainage
  • inverted nipple
  • painful breasts
  • skin changes that make your breast resemble an orange peel
  • thickened breast tissue

If you’re breast-feeding and you experience extreme pain or other mastitis symptoms, seek medical help.

How is an itchy breast or nipple treated?

Mastitis is treated with antibiotics. Make sure to take the full treatment course to prevent the infection from coming back. Other steps that can also help reduce mastitis symptoms include:

  • taking over-the-counter pain relievers
  • drinking plenty of fluids
  • resting

Paget disease and breast cancer are treated with a variety of approaches. These include:

  • surgical removal of all or a portion of the breast
  • chemotherapy
  • radiation

Chemotherapy and radiation both work to kill or shrink cancerous cells.

How do I care for an itchy breast or nipple?

Treatments for itchy breast or nipple depend upon the cause. Most symptoms should resolve with over-the-counter treatments, including adopting a skin care routine that includes washing your skin with a mild soap and lukewarm water.

A skin cream that does not contain perfumes or dyes may ease symptoms. Topical applications of corticosteroids may also reduce inflammation. Avoiding allergenic substances can also put a stop to your itching.

How can I prevent an itchy breast or nipple?

Proper and careful skin care can prevent itchy breast or nipple due to atopic dermatitis. Other causes of itchiness, including cancers, often cannot be prevented.

Mastitis prevention includes allowing your breasts to fully drain of milk while breast-feeding. Other preventive steps include:

  • alternating the breast you first offer during feedings
  • alternating the position you use to breast-feed your baby
  • ensuring your baby empties one breast before using the other for breast-feeding
  • seeking the advice of a lactation consultant to achieve a better latch

 

Do You Have an Itchy Breast, but No Rash?

A persistent itching on your breasts could be caused by any number of things. In many cases (such as skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis), the itching will be accompanied by a rash.

Itching on or under your breast with no rash, however, is common and should be relatively easy to treat at home.

Here’s a guide to some of the causes of itchy breasts, how you can treat them at home, and when to see a doctor.

Important information about breast cancer

Sometimes itching on the breast can be an early sign of inflammatory breast cancer or Paget’s disease of the breast. However, these conditions are somewhat rare, and the itching will usually be accompanied by a rash, swelling, redness, or tenderness in the area.

What causes itchy skin on your breast?

There are many possible causes of itching on, under, or between your breasts. When there’s a rash or obvious, red irritation, you could be dealing with:

  • Yeast infection. Yeast infections (candidiasis) in the breast area are fungal infections often formed in the warm, moist area under the breasts. They are usually red, irritated, and extremely itchy.
  • Eczema. Atopic dermatitis (eczema) also results in an itchy red rash around the breast or other areas of the skin. It’s generally caused by the skin’s inability to hold onto moisture and to the good bacteria that helps protect it from irritants.
  • Psoriasis. Psoriasis forms itchy red patches of dry, dead skin due to uncontrolled skin cell growth. It’s common to get irritated patches of psoriasis on or under the breasts.

Itching under, between, or on your left or right breast without a rash could be slightly harder to diagnose. More than likely it’s the result of:

Growing breasts

Breasts can grow in size for a variety of reasons such as pregnancy, weight gain, or puberty. This growing can cause the skin around your breasts to stretch. This tightness and discomfort can result in a persistent itching on or between your breasts.

If you’re going through puberty or have gained a significant amount of weight, it’s likely that your chest size has increased.

If you’re pregnant, hormones like estrogen and progesterone cause the breasts to swell to prepare for breastfeeding.

Any of these causes of breast growth can lead to itchy breasts.

Dry skin

Another possibility is that you may be prone to dry skin in your breast area. Your skin could be:

  • naturally dry
  • dried out from harsh skin care products that don’t agree with your skin type
  • damaged by overexposure to the sun

Dry skin can cause itching on or under your breasts.

Allergic reaction

Skin can sometimes be irritated by products, including:

  • soaps
  • laundry detergents
  • deodorants
  • perfumes
  • cosmetics

Allergic reactions on the skin will often have a rash or obvious redness, but not always. The itching from an allergic reaction can be intense and can sometimes feel like it’s coming from beneath the skin.

Heat rash

Heat and perspiration under the breasts can make the skin red, prickly, and itchy, with bumps or even blisters. Cooling cloths can relieve the itch, which usually resolves within a day. It’s possible to get an infection.

Other causes

It’s possible in rare cases that itching on the breast without a rash could be a sign of distress in one of your body’s systems or organs other than skin, like kidney or liver disease.

If the itching on your breast is extremely intense, painful, or is joined by other physical symptoms, schedule an appointment with your doctor.

How to treat an itchy breast at home

If your breast itches but doesn’t have a rash, it’s most likely caused by a simple allergic reaction, dry skin, or breast growth. Fortunately, itching from these causes should be easily treatable at home.

Topical creams and gels

Consider applying a simple itch-relieving cream or gel to your breasts. Over-the-counter (OTC) options usually include a numbing agent (local anesthetic) called pramoxine, which suppresses the itch at the skin level.

Topical applications of creams, gels, or lotions containing hydrocortisone are also available over the counter.

Antihistamines

For allergic reactions or itching that feels like it’s coming from under the skin of your breast, consider trying an OTC antihistamine such as:

  • cetirizine (Zyrtec)
  • diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
  • fexofenadine (Allegra)
  • loratadine (Claritin)

Antihistamines work to reduce your body’s reaction to an allergen and decrease itching and irritation.

Prevention and hygiene

If the itching on your breast is being caused by dry skin, better skin care habits could help relieve it dramatically. It’s also important to take good care of the skin on and under your breasts to prevent more serious conditions such as yeast infections in the area.

  • Wash and dry thoroughly. Use a mild soap to clean your skin and be sure to dry the area under the breasts well to prevent trapping moisture.
  • Moisturize. A fragrance-free moisturizer can help prevent itching from dry skin on the breasts or any other area on your skin.
  • Switch skin care products. If you use soaps, detergents, or other products that are heavily scented or contain sodium lauryl sulfate, they could be drying out and irritating your breasts. Look for products meant for sensitive skin.

When to see a doctor about an itchy breast

Although the itching on your breast most likely stems from a simple cause like dry or expanding skin, it’s possible that there could be a more serious underlying problem. See your doctor or dermatologist about your itchy breasts if you experience any of the following:

  • The itching persists for more than a few days or weeks.
  • The itching is extremely intense.
  • Your breasts are tender, swollen, or in pain.
  • The itching doesn’t respond to treatment.
  • A rash appears on, under, or between your breasts.

Takeaway

An invisible itch on any part of your skin, including your breasts, can be difficult to diagnose.

Fortunately, it’s most likely coming from a simple irritation of the skin, dry skin, or discomfort from growing. Itching from these causes is likely not dangerous and should respond to home remedies like topical creams or antihistamines.

However, if the itching on your breasts causes you unusual discomfort or won’t respond to treatment, have a doctor or dermatologist give you a more thorough diagnosis.