Introduction
A skin rash in the crook of the arm or the crook of the elbow initially manifests itself by a reddening of the skin. In some cases, the redness can be accompanied by pain, scaling or itching. The rash in the crook of the arm can have various causes. These include allergic reactions as well as neurodermatitis, psoriasis or infections such as borreliosis.
The causes
Neurodermatitis is one of the most common causes of a rash in the crook of the arm. This is a congenital predisposition to the development of scaly skin rashes. The most frequently affected areas of the body are the crook of the elbow, the hollow of the knee and the face and neck.
One speaks of so-called predilection sites. A certain form of psoriasis, psoriasis inversa, is also frequently found in the crook of the arm and in other body folds, such as the abdominal fold or the gluteal fold. A typical feature of this disease is scaling of the skin in the affected areas.
If the reddening of the skin is clearly limited to a round area, an infectious cause is more likely to be assumed. The two most common pathogens for such a circular skin appearance (med. efflorescences) are borrelia, which can be transmitted via a tick bite, and fungi.
Due to its salt content, sweat is an irritating factor for the skin. Therefore, many people suffer from a skin rash caused by increased sweating. This rash is also called miliaria and is mostly formed in the facial area, as the skin is particularly sensitive here.
However, parts of the body where skin rubs against skin, such as in the crook of the arm, are also particularly susceptible to the development of a rash due to the mechanical irritation caused by increased sweating. The skin rash caused by sweating can manifest itself as a simple redness or even pimples. Infants are particularly frequently affected, as they are often dressed particularly warmly, which can lead to excessive sweating that clogs the sweat glands.
If the rash appears in the crook of the elbow in connection with heavy sweating, such as during sports, the clothing should be questioned first. Functional clothing that absorbs the sweat is a good idea. It also weakens the mechanical irritation caused by rubbing the skin during sports.
