If youâre a guy and you get bouts of eczema on your genitals, itâs common for the symptoms to show up on your scrotum. Thatâs the pouch of skin that holds and helps protect your testicles.
You might be reluctant to see your doctor or dermatologist for help, but thereâs nothing to be embarrassed about. They can give you treatments that ease your symptoms. They can also rule out other conditions that look like scrotal eczema but arenât.
Hereâs what you need to know about eczema on the scrotum, including things that can trigger it, symptoms, treatment, and more.
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why do i have dry skin on my balls
Dry skin around your genital area is common if you walk around in dry heat. Exercising for long periods of time can also cause your skin to get irritated or chafed. In some cases, the skin can be rubbed away enough to cause bleeding.
Chafing or irritation
Dry skin around your genital area is common if you walk around in dry heat. Exercising for long periods of time can also cause your skin to get irritated or chafed. In some cases, the skin can be rubbed away enough to cause bleeding.
Some common signs of chafing and irritation include:
Fungal infection
Many fungi are almost invisible to the naked eye. Fungi usually live in giant colonies that are also barely visible, even when they’re living on your body. Fungal infections can easily develop around your genital area and testicles if you have unprotected sex or poor hygiene.
One of the most common fungal infections of the genitals is candidiasis . Candida fungi live in or on your body in your intestines and skin. If they grow out of control, they can cause an infection. This can cause your testicles to get itchy.
A different type of fungus, called a dermatophyte, can also result in a similar infection called jock itch.
Other symptoms can include:
Genital herpes is a type of viral infection that can be spread during sex or physical contact with infected skin.
Your testicles can feel extremely itchy or uncomfortable when you have an outbreak of this virus. Other symptoms of genital herpes include:
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), often referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD), caused by bacteria. It can infect your genital area as well as your mouth, throat, and rectum. It’s easily transmitted by unprotected sex.
Gonorrhea can make your testicles itchy and swollen. Other common symptoms of gonorrhea include:
Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). You may not notice genital warts even when you have an outbreak because they can be extremely small.
Like warts on other parts of your body, genital warts usually look like small, discolored bumps that may or may not be itchy. They’re often cauliflower-shaped and appear in large groups together with other warts. They may appear right on your scrotum or as far away as your inner thighs. When you have genital warts, you may notice swelling in the area or bleed during sex.
Chlamydia is an STI spread by a bacterial infection. It can be spread even if you don’t ejaculate during sex. Like many other STIs, it can also be spread through genital sex as well as oral and anal sex.
Chlamydia can make your testicles itchy and even swollen. Chlamydia usually makes only one testicle feel painful and swollen, which is one of the most distinct signs that you may have an infection. Other symptoms include:
Pubic lice (Pthirus pubis, often known simply as “crabs”) are a type of lice that live in the pubic hair around your genital area or in areas with similarly coarse hair.
Like other types of lice, pubic lice feed on your blood and can’t fly or jump. They can only be spread by coming into contact with someone who has them. This can happen by touching someone in an area where they have a lice infestation.
Pubic lice can’t spread disease or infection when they feed on your blood, but they can make your testicles and genital area feel itchy as they crawl around in your pubic hair. You may also notice a powder-like substance in your underwear or small red or blue spots from louse bites.
Trichomoniasis (often called trich) is a bacterial STI caused by the Trichomonas vaginalis bacteria.
Trich more commonly infects women, but it can be transmitted to men if condoms or oral dams aren’t used during sex.
Many people who get trich infections never have any symptoms, but trich can cause irritation or inflammation that can make your genital area feel uncomfortable and make it more painful to have sex.
Trich can make your testicles feel itchy and cause other symptoms, such as:
Scabies is a skin infection that is caused by a mite. The microscopic scabies mite, or Sarcoptes scabiei, is transmitted when you have direct skin contact with an infected person.
It may take several weeks for symptoms to appear after infection. Common symptoms include itching and a rash. People with scabies also experience intense itching symptoms at night.
Treatment for your itchy testicles depends on what’s causing the itch.
Scrotal eczema is not always a stand-alone condition.
For example, a 2007 study identified two cases of apparent scrotal eczema that were in fact forms of syphilis. The researchers noted that they were not aware of any such presentations before these two cases.
Researchers have also noted that extramammary Paget’s disease of the scrotum — a rare but serious condition — is often mistaken for eczema and requires proper medical screening to identify.
Doctors may also mistake scrotal eczema for common fungal yeast infections. These conditions also cause itching and irritation around the groin, but they require different treatments.
Due to shared symptoms with these conditions, it is important for people to see a doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
There are various proposed causes and risk factors for scrotal dermatitis. These include the following:
Specific genes may also make people more prone to eczema. A 2017 study found a link between the genes that cause asthma, hay fever, and eczema.
The primary treatment for scrotal eczema is to remove the sources of the irritation. This could mean wearing loose clothing, immediately stopping the use of any offending over-the-counter medication, and having counseling to deal with stress.
A doctor may also prescribe steroid creams, antihistamines, and moisturizers. Research has been conducted to find out which options are most effective.
Other studies have also found that ultraviolet (UV) ray therapy is effective in treating moderate to severe cases of eczema.
Preventing scrotal eczema is mainly a matter of avoiding the different risk factors and sources of irritation that can trigger a flare-up.
Steps to take include:
Keeping the groin clean is crucial. People should dry the area thoroughly but gently after each wash to help prevent or manage the issue if eczema has developed.
It is essential that people with scrotal eczema avoid scratching their testicles.
If someone is using steroid cream to treat their eczema, they should wait until the cream is thoroughly dry before having sex. Some condoms and spermicides may irritate the skin. If these do cause a problem, a doctor can suggest an alternative to use.
People should visit their doctor if they experience any signs of irritation. Doing so can help to avoid a worsening of eczema symptoms, and this could also uncover an underlying related medical condition.
Scrotal eczema, like eczema found elsewhere on the body, tends to be triggered by various irritants coming into contact with the skin.
Irritants can include heat and humidity, over-the-counter products that cause irritation or an allergic reaction, and contraceptives, such as condoms.
Some researchers think that there is a genetic reason for eczema. If someone develops problems with eczema, it is likely that they will experience multiple episodes in the future if they reintroduce any of the irritants that cause eczema.
Often, people can treat mild forms of scrotal eczema with a mild, topical steroid cream. Sometimes, however, the symptoms can disappear on their own once irritants are removed.
More severe cases will require a doctor to prescribe medicine and treatments, including specific steroids, antihistamines, moisturizers, and possibly UV ray therapy.
Scrotal eczema may progress from mild to more serious stages quickly if it is not dealt with appropriately. Scrotal eczema may also be a symptom of a more serious underlying health condition. People should arrange to see a doctor as soon as they notice symptoms appearing.
Last medically reviewed on January 30, 2018
Should You Be Moisturizing Your Balls?
When it comes to choosing a moisturizer, Zeichner recommends light lotions, “rather than heavier creams or ointments that can leave your skin moist and more susceptible to bacterial or fungal overgrowth,” he says. The newest generation of moisturizers are light, easy to apply, and fully absorbent instead of sitting on top of your skin.
If you want to start moisturizing your balls, try to choose a soap that isn’t harsh and irritating, such as a gentle cleansing bar that won’t irritate the skin and offers moisturization while still removing dirt and oil. The Dove Beauty Bar ($19.97 for 20 bars, ) is a good pick.
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Above all else, know that there ain’t no shame in developing a down-there skincare game. Whether its below the belt or not, skincare is important for men and women alike, and if you get the OK from your derm, occasionally moisturizing your balls is a small price to pay for a silky-smooth package. “With proper education, we can get men to be as diligent as women about skincare,” says Zeichner.
Wear breathable cotton underwear, and avoid from products with fragrance. While you may be tempted to try to improve the scent of your niblets, fragranced lotions can cause skin allergies and irritation.
What Are the Symptoms?
When your eczema flares, your scrotum skin may become red, sore, and itchy.
In general, eczema can also make skin:
Some people with the condition have all of these symptoms. Some have just a few. Treatment can help them go away and keep your eczema in check.