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Underarm lump

by Dr Sarah Brewer

question
A couple of months ago, I found a lump under my arm. I went to my doctor and she suspected it was an in-growning hair, so gave me some cream to treat the infection. I left my arm in a natural state and used the cream until the lump went away. I also switched deodorant to a natural crystal one. Anyway, I can now see another lump under my arm, twice the size of the other one. It is clearly visible. Is this another ingrown hair? How do I stop this from happening?

answer
Different lumps can have different causes. If it is a boil, for example, you may need antibiotics, so do get it checked. In-growing hairs can develop after shaving. You may find it better to keep your armpit hair, or if you want to remove it, to dissolve it away using a depilatory cream. If you can stand the pain, waxing to strip the hairs out will also tend to encourage normal regrowth of hairs as they grow through from the root, rather than from a partially developed hair shaft.
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