8 Reasons Your Nipples Are Itchy

Itchy skin on your nipples or breasts can feel miserable. Most of the time, itchy nipples are caused by conditions that are easy to treat. But occasionally, it could be a sign of something more serious. Read on for some common causes, what to do about it, and when to get professional help.

1. Dry skin

Dry skin can lead to itchy skin — whatever the cause. And there are many causes of dry skin, including:

• Frequent hot showers

• Using harsh soaps or body washes 

• Washing your skin too often or too roughly

• Cold weather

• Low humidity

Dry skin usually affects more than just your nipples. So, you may also feel itchy on your arms, legs, or other body parts. 

Dry skin can make you more sensitive to irritation and allergies. So if you tend to be sensitive to clothing or certain skin products, dry skin may make it more likely that you develop a skin reaction.

Dry skin can also make other skin conditions worse, like breast eczema. More on this below. 

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• Itchy skin can happen anywhere on the body. From dry skin to allergies, and even liver disease, learn the most common causes of itchy skin and what to do about it.

2. Allergies

Some people’s skin reacts easily to certain triggers. If you’re allergic or sensitive to something and it touches your skin, it can cause itching and sometimes even a rash. This reaction is called contact dermatitis.

When it comes to itchy nipples, it’s usually caused by something that comes in direct contact with the nipple, like a nipple cream. But other products you use may also cause nipple itching, like your detergent, body lotion, or fabric softener. 

3. Irritating clothes and underwear

Just like skin products can cause skin reactions and itching, so can clothing and underwear. Textile contact dermatitis is a reaction that happens when you are allergic to the fabric or, more often, the chemicals used to process the fabric, like in your bra. 

Your clothing may also be too tight. This can cause itchy nipples, especially if there’s a lot of friction with jogging or running.

4. Breast eczema

Eczema (also called atopic dermatitis) is a common rash that leads to dry, itchy skin. It’s caused by inflammation of the skin and it can happen anywhere you have skin — including the breast.

5. Other skin conditions

Other skin conditions can also affect the nipple directly and cause itching, for example:

• Hyperkeratosis of the nipple: This condition causes the nipple and areola (the area around the nipple) to look wart-like, with thick, rough, bumpy skin. 

• Nipple adenoma: In this condition, there’s an overgrowth of tissue in the nipple (a non-cancerous tumor). The nipple can get swollen, itchy, and inflamed, and it may have some drainage from it. 

6. Skin infections

Different things can cause various types of infections that can cause itchy nipples. These include: 

• Yeast infections: If the fungi that live on your skin grow too much, they can cause a yeast infection or candida infection of the skin. This can happen with nursing. A skin yeast infection will cause itching or burning. You might also have a moist or shiny red rash with tiny blisters.

• Scabies: In this contagious infection, tiny mites burrow under your skin causing an itchy rash that can often affect the nipples. 

7. Pregnancy

Itching is common during pregnancy, affecting about 1 out of every 5 people. This can be localized itching — like of the nipples — or more generalized itching of the skin. 

Sometimes itching during pregnancy is caused by an underlying rash (like eczema). But other times, there’s no specific cause and the itching may be related to hormonal changes. No matter the cause, itching usually stops after the pregnancy. 

8. Cancer

It’s not a common cause of nipple itching, but rarely, cancers can cause nipple itching.

Inflammatory breast cancer is a rare but aggressive type of breast cancer. It can cause skin changes, including nipple itching and rash. Unlike with other causes of nipple itching, these symptoms usually affect just one breast. And you’ll probably have other symptoms, like swelling, too. 

Paget’s disease is another type of cancer that can cause nipple itching and a rash. Again, the itching from Paget’s disease usually only affects one nipple, not both. And it won’t go away with topical treatments. 

When to see a healthcare provider for itchy nipples

So, with all the different things that could cause itchy nipples, how do you know when to see your healthcare provider? Here are a few things to tip you off to schedule an appointment: 

• Itching that lasts for more than a few weeks

• Intense itching

• Breasts or nipples that are swollen and painful

• Itching or a rash that’s not responding to over-the-counter (OTC) treatments

• A rash that is open or blistered

• A rash that looks like it’s getting infected (you might see redness, swelling, or drainage from the rash)

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Written by:

Windy Watt, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC

Windy Watt, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner with 30 years of experience. She has an extensive background in critical care, internal medicine, family practice, and urgent care.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. An experienced and dedicated pulmonologist and hospitalist, she spent a decade practicing and teaching clinical medicine at academic hospitals throughout London before transitioning to a career in health education and health technology.

Reviewed by:

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA

Maria Robinson, MD, MBA, is a board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist who has practiced dermatology and dermatopathology for over 10 years across private practice, academic, and telehealth settings. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Society of Dermatopathology.

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