Intertrigo

Intertrigo is inflammation of skin that rubs against skin — under the breasts, in the groin, under an abdominal fold, in the armpits, between the thighs. Friction, trapped heat and trapped moisture break down the skin surface, and bacteria or yeast then colonize the damaged area. It looks like a red or raw band exactly matching the shape of the fold, often with an unpleasant smell, and it stings or burns rather than simply itching.

A 2023 review in the Journal of Wound Care covers the diagnosis, management and prevention of intertrigo in adults and frames the core problem the way clinicians do: it is a moisture-and-friction injury with a secondary infection on top, so treating the infection without addressing the moisture rarely works for long.

It has a particular relationship with significant weight loss. Substantial weight loss often leaves loose or redundant skin that creates new folds where none existed, so intertrigo can appear or worsen after months of otherwise successful treatment. That is disorienting for patients who expected skin problems to improve.

This also matters for insurance. Insurers evaluating coverage for panniculectomy or similar body-contouring procedures typically look for documented medical problems in the fold rather than appearance alone, and chronic intertrigo that has not responded to a sustained course of medical treatment is among the findings commonly requested. Criteria differ by plan, and documentation over time — dated photographs, treatment attempts, clinician notes — is generally what decides the case.

Worth asking your clinician: whether a swab would identify yeast versus bacteria, what barrier product and drying routine to use daily, and whether your episodes are being documented in a way an insurer would recognize. Our skin-removal insurance qualifier, loose-skin evidence page and skin-changes questions hub cover the practical steps.