I developed a nasty skin condition from shaving my underarms you could be making the same mistake I did

Despite all the love and care I put into my skin, I never gave much thought about my armpits — until, in February 2026, my underarm skin suddenly became itchy and irritated with a rough texture.As a longtime beauty editor, I treated my face and body to the best products and treatments, but my underarm routine was pretty much nonexistent. I’d give the area a rough quick shave, swipe on deodorant and call it a day.But my big mistake was that I never checked if the razor I used was fresh or if the deodorant I had lying around was actually expired. Sound like no big deal? I thought so too — until I paid for it.At first, I ignored my symptoms, hoping it would go away.

But the inflammation only got worse.I finally paid a visit to my dermatologist, who immediately recognized the rash as underarm dermatitis, an unpleasant — although highly treatable — skin condition.And she schooled me on the incredibly common mistakes that can cause this, which many of us make.According to Dr.

Chelsea Hoffman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City, dermatitis is a generic term for skin inflammation. The most common form is contact dermatitis, which can occur in your underarms.This can be broken down into two categories: irritant dermatitis and allergic dermatitis. “Irritant dermatitis comes from a substance touching your skin, which is causing an irritant reaction, or a rash,” says Dr.

Hoffman. “If someone’s putting an active ingredient under there, such as a retinoid, which some people try to do for pigment, that could cause irritant dermatitis.But even just sweat alone can be irritating to people.” While irritant dermatitis appears quickly, allergic contact dermatitis is typically delayed.

As the name implies, allergic dermatitis is an immune response to a specific allergen in your environment. “The most common causes are certain ingredients and additives, like preservatives or fragrances in deodorant...