Being raw between your buttocks is usually caused by chafing (skin rubbing due to friction, sweat, heat) or intertrigo (a red rash from skin folds trapping moisture, leading to yeast/bacteria growth), often worsened by tight clothes or activity, and can also stem from irritation, infections, or conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Keeping the area clean, dry, and wearing breathable fabrics helps, but if it's severe, oozing, or painful, see a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment, as it might need antifungal, antibacterial creams, or other medications.
Use skin barrier creams or anti-chafing gels: Creams or ointments with zinc oxide and/or petrolatum can help reduce friction between your affected skin by creating a barrier. Use fiber skin barriers: Use materials such as clean gauze or cotton to separate the affected skin that is touching can help reduce friction.
Apply a Cold Compress: Reduce inflammation and pain by applying a cold compress or ice pack to the affected area. Use Antibiotic Ointments: If you have broken skin or sores, apply antibiotic ointments to the affected areas to prevent infection.
Risk factors for intertrigo include obesity, incontinence, poor hygiene, hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), and medical conditions that suppress your immune system. These can include diabetes, HIV, and other conditions.
Heat rash is common in the groin area and buttocks. It looks like clusters of bright red or discolored pimples or small blisters. Heat rash forms in areas of the body that can trap heat and moisture.
Uncomplicated, uninfected intertrigo can be treated at home with barrier ointments, such as petrolatum (such as Vaseline) and zinc oxide (such as Desitin).
Bacterial rashes often show sudden swelling, redness, warmth, pain, and pus (like impetigo or cellulitis), spreading quickly and needing antibiotics; fungal rashes usually develop slowly in warm, moist areas (groin, feet), causing intense itching, redness, scaling, and ring-like patterns (ringworm, athlete's foot), and require antifungal treatments. Key differences lie in their typical appearance, speed of onset, location, and specific treatments (antibiotics vs. antifungals).
Inverse psoriasis is easily mistaken for infectious dermatoses, particularly bacterial or fungal intertrigo. Intertrigo is inflammation of opposed skin folds caused by skin-on-skin friction that presents as erythematous, macerated plaques.
The first signs of Grover's disease (transient acantholytic dermatosis) are a sudden onset of intensely itchy, small, reddish bumps or blisters primarily on the chest, back, and upper arms, often appearing as clusters with a swollen red border. These bumps can crust over, and the severe itching, sometimes worse with heat or sweating, can disrupt sleep.
Intertrigo is not dangerous but if left untreated, it may get worse and possibly spread to other parts of the body. In some cases, it can lead to a creamy coloured discharge with a pungent smell. Symptoms can range from very mild, to moderate or severe. Wash the affected area regularly.
A lubricant will help reduce friction and the irritation caused by rubbing. A petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, is a classic solution for chafing between the buttocks. As it is water-resistant, it won't get washed away by sweat and will keep your cheeks gliding for hours.
Take the following steps to treat chafing and encourage your body to heal!
Dried sweat, chemicals, dirt, and other debris may cause irritation. Use petroleum jelly or baby powder on chafed areas until the skin heals. You can also use these before activities to prevent chafing in easily irritated areas, for example, on your inner thighs or upper arms before running.
Following these recommendations can reduce the risk of intertrigo returning. How Long Does It Take for Intertrigo to Heal? With proper care, intertrigo can start improving within days to weeks.
Intertrigo is a rash that usually affects the folds of the skin, where the skin rubs together or where it is often moist. This rubbing can cause a breakdown in the top layers of the skin, causing inflammation and a rash. The breakdown of skin makes it easier for bacteria or fungus to develop in this area.
Dermatitis herpetiformis, also known as DH and Duhring's disease, is a chronic skin condition caused by a reaction to gluten ingestion. The vast majority of patients with DH also have an associated gluten sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease).
When a rash caused by skin lymphoma (also referred to as cutaneous lymphoma) is in its early stages, it often presents as small patches of dry, red skin on the torso, buttocks or another area of the body. At this stage, the rash often resembles dermatitis, eczema or psoriasis.
Once they have entered humans by penetrating the skin, the larvae of some worms, for example dog hookworm (ancylostoma caninum) or strongyloides, can migrate under the skin. This can cause diagnostic pink or red curving tracks known as larva migrans or larva currens. The tracks may be raised and cause intense itching.
These rashes can appear as raised bumps, scaly patches, or blisters. Sensitivity to touch. Touching the affected area may elicit tenderness or discomfort. Spreading or changing shape.
Buttock rashes can be treated with home remedies like aloe vera, baking soda, or oatmeal baths. Use over-the-counter creams like hydrocortisone or calamine to relieve itching and swelling. Most rashes improve by keeping the area clean and dry.
One or More Swollen Red Bumps Draining Pus
This can start with a small bump that looks like a pimple or acne, but that quickly turns into a hard, painful red lump filled with pus or a cluster of pus-filled blisters.
Poor Hygiene: Fungi thrive in moist, warm environments, making poor hygiene a significant risk factor. Not drying off properly after a shower or wearing damp clothing, especially tight or non-breathable fabrics, can create a breeding ground for fungi.
The emerging fungus C. auris spreads in hospitals. It can cause severe multidrug-resistant illness. Learn how healthcare providers can stop C. auris from spreading and protect patients.
The infection causes red, scaly, moist patches on your skin that may itch. Common areas for skin yeast infections are skin folds under the breasts or belly area. The warm and moist areas in the skin folds can make it easier for yeast to overgrow.