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Several things can cause your chest to itch. While some causes, like an allergic reaction, can be managed at home, others require professional treatment.

If you have an itchy rash on your chest, it could be a symptom of a number of conditions including:

Allergic contact dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis is sometimes referred to as contact allergies. It occurs when your immune system overreacts to your skin being touched by a triggering substance that commonly wouldn’t cause a reaction. Allergic rashes typically don’t have clearly defined edges. Some substances that commonly trigger allergic contact dermatitis include:

  • latex
  • cleaning agents
  • adhesives
  • topical medications
  • essential oils

Some treatment options for allergic contact dermatitis include:

  • determining and avoiding your triggering substance
  • applying over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription creams
    or ointments that contain a steroid

You can purchase OTC hydrocortisone cream online.

Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris occurs when hair follicles become clogged with excess sebum — an oily substance from your skin — and dead skin cells. The plugged follicles can become inflamed with an increase of normal skin bacteria resulting in pimples and even cysts.

Your face, neck, chest, and back are common locations for acne to occur. These areas of your body contain a large amount of the glands that secrete sebum.

Treatment of acne vulgaris may include:

  • cleaning the area with gentle cleansers
  • avoiding irritants such as abrasive scrubs
  • using water-based or noncomedogenic
    products
  • trying OTC products that contain benzoyl
    peroxide
  • applying prescription topical applications that
    include an antibiotic like clindamycin
    or erythromycin or retinoid therapy such as tretinoin
  • taking prescription oral antibiotic therapy such
    as tetracycline or minocycline

Buy OTC products that contain benzoyl peroxide now.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin disease in which skin cells rise to the surface too fast resulting in patches of red, scaly skin. It can show up virtually anywhere on your body, including on your chest.

Treatment of psoriasis may include prescriptions from your doctor, including:

  • topical corticosteroid cream or ointment to reduce
    itching and inflammation
  • synthetic vitamin D cream
    such as calcipotriene or calcitriol
  • phototherapy
    using natural or artificial ultraviolet A or ultraviolet B light
  • other prescription medications such as methotrexate
    (Rheumatrex), cyclosporine (Gengraf,
    Neoral), etanercept
    (Enbrel), and thioguanine (Tabloid)

Although they haven’t been definitively proven effective, popular home remedies for addressing symptoms include:

  • aloe vera
  • oral fish oil
    (omega-3 fatty acids) supplements
  • topical barberry (also known as Oregon grape)

You can buy aloe vera, fish oil, or topical barberry to relieve psoriasis symptoms.

Shingles

Shingles is caused by the dormant varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles appears as a blistering rash often accompanied by painful burning and itching.

To treat shingles, your doctor may prescribe or recommend:

There are also a number of home remedies to help symptoms of shingles, including calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal baths to relieve itching.

Buy calamine lotion and colloidal oatmeal bath treatment now.

An itchy rash on your chest could be a symptom of a condition that requires medical attention from your doctor. Most itchy chest rashes are relatively easy to diagnose.

Once you know the underlying condition causing your rash, your doctor can recommend treatment to cure or limit progression.