Armpit odor help!

So, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had this happen two or three times now. A painful lump keeps forming in my armpit. It feels like an inflamed hair follicle, but it’s actually deeper than that. This has never happened to me before.
It really hurts when I squeeze my arm or even just touch the area.
I can't tell if we're talking about swollen lymph nodes or something else entirely.
I shave my armpits regularly and I tend to sweat quite a bit. I don't use those thick roll-on deodorants; I just use a quick spray when I head out the door.
Has anyone dealt with anything similar? Any advice?

Back again, I see 😁

Look... depth doesn't really matter here. It’s most likely just folliculitis—basically an inflammation of the hair follicles. Honestly, I don't think we're talking about swollen lymph nodes at all

You need to start disinfecting your shaving area both before and after you shave. Switch out your deodorant, too. For those existing bumps, try applying some Betadine ointment, Bactine, or Neosporin

It probably wouldn't hurt to go see a doctor so they can give you a proper prescription 🤷

Thanks. I see you're quite the expert in multiple fields 😁

Brenda Cooper3 said:Thanks. I can see you're quite the expert in several different fields. 😁

Look, I'm an expert at everything—which really means I'm an expert at nothing. (My apologies to the moderator for cluttering the chat; it won't happen again.) But seriously, let's not shut this down just yet. It might not even be folliculitis.

Brenda Cooper3 said:Basically, over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had this happen two or three times now—this painful lump pops up in my armpit. It feels like an inflamed hair follicle, but it’s actually deeper than that. I have no idea what’s going on because this has never happened to me before.
It really hurts when I move my arm or if I happen to touch it.
I’m not sure if we're talking about swollen lymph nodes or something else entirely.
I shave my pits regularly, I sweat quite a bit, and I don't use those heavy roll-on deodorants; I just use a quick spray when I head out.
Has anyone dealt with anything similar? Any advice??

The most common issue people run into in the armpit area usually involves sweating or issues with the sweat glands. You're likely looking at hidradenitis, which is essentially inflammation of the sweat glands, and it tends to flare up more frequently in people who deal with heavy perspiration.
Treatment typically involves cold compresses and antibiotics, though sometimes surgery is necessary if an abscess forms. If that happens, you're dealing with suppurative hidradenitis, which is considered a complication.
If you want me to go into more detail, just ask.

How can I tell if this is turning into an abscess?
Right now, I’m just feeling a thickening under my arm—about half a finger's width. It feels more broad than raised. I have no idea why I'm sweating so much lately, but it's starting to get annoying. 😢

Redness, swelling, intense pain, and localized heat radiating from the area.
This is what you're looking at once it hits the abscess stage:
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/w...uppurativa.jpg

Well, thank God, it didn't end up being that bad.
The issue is just that it keeps popping up—it flares up, settles down, then repeats the cycle.
I'm a bit worried it might be a symptom of something else,
but honestly, it’s barely even bothering me right now.
So, what's the move? Cold compresses and disinfecting before I shave??
Thanks, man. 😁

A close friend of mine dealt with a sebaceous cyst infection that dragged on for an entire year. She actually had to go under the knife twice—and during this most recent trip to the Mayo Clinic, they completely botched the whole thing 🙂 since none of the antibiotics were doing a damn thing anyway (the pus just kept draining and the pain was honestly unbearable). I’m really not sure what kind of advice I can even give you here. Honestly? Your best bet is to just get to a doctor so someone can actually take a look at it. Good luck.

I already mentioned it to my doctor, but her advice was basically to just leave it alone and take nothing for the sweating. Honestly, I’m losing the motivation to even bother with appointments anymore; most doctors I see just wave me off and dismiss my concerns immediately.
Don't take this the wrong way, but why did you emphasize him being a "female" surgeon? That doesn't really change anything. There are plenty of male surgeons at the local hospital in Chicago, yet they still get a bad reputation...

I am officially done with spray deodorants. Ever since I started using them, I’ve been dealing with this constant redness and itching... it's honestly such a nightmare. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of mess? How did you actually fix it?
I've tried a few different things, but nothing seems to be working yet...

I went through the exact same thing. My doctor told me my sweat glands were just clogged up, so she advised me to ditch the deodorant entirely and just use a little rubbing alcohol instead. It cleared up pretty quickly. I can't quite remember if it was painful, but I definitely had those bumps.

Karen Garcia6 said:I am officially done with aerosol deodorants. Ever since I switched, I've been dealing with constant redness and itching. Has anyone else dealt with this nightmare? How did you fix it?
I've tried a few different remedies, but honestly, nothing seems to be working yet.

Your best bet is to go with heavy, fragrance-free moisturizing creams.

vividsailor7 said:Just use some heavy, fragrance-free moisturizing creams...

Like, what specifically?

Karen Garcia6 said:Like what?

Vaseline, Aquaphor, Johnson's Baby Cream, maybe some Neosporin...