Itchy bumps around scrapes or cuts

[JCS09]

Recently I have noticed that every time I get a scrape, cut, or scratch I get itchy, red bumps around the wound which start to appear when the cut or scrape is starting to heal. The bumps seems to fester a bit and break easily if scratched, sometimes releasing a small amount of clear liquid . They are extremely itchy and sort of resemble poison ivy but I am fairly confident it is not poison ivy. I have been noticing this trend for about 6 months.

I usually use Neosporin on the scrapes, but the use of Neosporin did not use to cause any sort of reaction when I was younger. I will usually cover wounds with a band-aid during the day, but then leave it uncovered overnight to help wounds air out.

On a possibly unrelated note- for the past  3 weeks or so I have noticed that my palms and the areas between some of my fingers will get really itchy from time to time. Never have any redness or hardly any bumps, just a lot of itching. Also I had some red, itchy bumps in my armpits recently, but that is beginning to clear up.

Can anyone help me solve this mystery, or has anyone experienced similar conditions?

[Zhelin311]

Hi, I have the same issue for a year now and am wondering if anyone has found the answer to it.

My light wounds used to recover fairly quick (1+ week). But now, when I have a small scratch on the surface of my skin (less than 1 cm), it looks mild on the first day and I did the cleaning with iodine solution and applied antiseptic cream on it. But on the second day onwards, it got much worse. It swell up, clear yellowish liquid kept flowing from it. The surrounding area was red and a few small bumps formed around the wound. Some bumps even break and oozed out the same yellowish liquid. It got itchy at night. I tried not to apply any ointment and only did the basic wound cleaning for other wounds but the same thing happened.

Changed a few different meds, from antiseptic cream to iodine solution to traditional powdery ointment. None are effective. The wound remained open for 2 weeks. No sign of new skin formation. Still wet with yellowish liquid.

Now I'm worried if it's caused by other diseases. If the wound is badly infected, the surrounding area should've heated up and I'll have a fever. But I've got none of the above symptoms. Please let me know if anyone has the answer. Thank you.

[lgoodgal]

https://www.thehealthy.com/first-aid/cuts/signs-a-cut-or-scrape-is-infected/
It is more than likely Staph infection - get it checked and use the correct antibiotic for you.

[jackings]

Hey JCS09, I had the exact problem as you about 7 years ago, it went on for about 3 months and it finally quit happening. I had someone in the medical field that specialized on skin. tell me it was from taking in to much dairy products. I did quit eating cheese and drinking milk. I'm not sure if that is what it was because my dairy intake has been the same all my life. Now 7 years later which as of a week ago I had a small cut on my arm about 2 inches long. Now a week later my hole arm is a solid rash and itches like crazy. the best relief is hot water. start the water running warm and slowly get it hotter until you cant take it. It really feels great, also when I pour hydrogen peroxide on my arm it foams up everywhere. That tells me its infected, including the bumps, I also itch under my chin and the front of my neck, plus behind my ears, but there is no rash at all. I am going to start researching now that I have nothing but time on my hands. Hopefully I will have a solution soon

[Lola6511]

I have the same issue!!! On my arm after a scrape, on my chest, and shoulder after a cut. I also have seborrheic dermatitis that just began a few months ago and I believe it is related because the itchibess and the hives feel the same. The doc said it may have something to do with the spread of bacteria from SD?. Ugh.

[baer70]

I got that when using Neosporin. Found out I was allergic to it

[cjswen2]

I had the same thing happening to my leg after a cut and scab. The first time I actually had the rash on both legs (shin area) but don't remember having any cuts on the other shin! I think it easily spreads with itching, so may have itched the other leg and it spread. I now have it again after a cut and its really hard not to itch it. I have been putting sudocream or hydrocortisone cream on but really doesn't seem to be doing too much, maybe just going away on its own and not trying to itch so much.
I have a couple ideas as to what it could be but definitely not sure. After the cut I have a boxer dog that I am slightly allergic to and maybe that set it off after I scratch the dog and then scratched or picked my scab... witch we all do RIGHT! My other idea I have is that some 6 months back I did get some poison ivy on my leg/foot which went away but then came back again after wearing the same shoe I had on from when I had the poison ivy. They say that poison ivy can lay dormant for a long time and just flare up again when the skin is irritated or something. Can't prove that in any way but just interested if others think this could be reasons or not? Very uncomfortable stuff though.

[love105]

This is ao crazy because this is happening to me right now ! I recently burned myself really bad at work, I work at a night club and a hot coal from a hookah fell into my work boot & burned the crap out of my knee leaving me with a 3rd degree burn. Now that the burn is healing, which is now a nasty scab. I have these itchy bumps around it that are irritating the crap out of me. They are very itchy as if I got bitten by something. I thought at one point that they were coming from the adhesive from the large bandage that I was cover my wound with, but I recently stopped covering the wound & have been letting it air out, but the bumps have been getting worse & worse & more itchier. I wish I knew what this was from because they itch sooo bad. The more I scratch, they get redder & redder & actually start to spread only around my scab.

[SkyGemini]

Hi, just wanted to say I have this exact problem...the odd rash that appears around most cuts & scrapes I get will spread to areas that are completely unrelated. I'll try not to scratch but will wake up literally gouging at the affected areas when I try to sleep. Were you able to find any answers? I should add that putting any kind of Polysporin or Neosporin just makes things worse.

[liank1]

I'd like to know too because for or about the last decade, I've developed horrible rashes or hives around any open skin wounds.  We've ruled out latex, adhesive and antibiotic ointments.   I once tore a small piece of skin while waxing my upper lip and wound up with a horribly uncomfortable and embarrassingly ugly rash that traveled all way down my face, neck, chest, underarm and upper torso and lasted about 6 weeks.  None of the dermatologists I've seen can figure it out.   My Physician's Assistant is wondering if I might have some allergy to my own immune system.  The dermatologists dismissed her but they don't seem concerned about what I endure every time I have a wound, whether by accident or some surgery (when the skin has stitches, the resulting rash is SOMETIMES minimal in comparison) so I'm always afraid of what I'm facing in those situations.  

[Hkrid]

Oh thank you for posting!  Even though I have no answer, it’s so comforting to know others arenoht there like me!  I have started taking vitamins(not knowing if I’m deficient)

[Maria45789]

I have a cut which has been healing for a while but nowe I have small red ithy bumps around it. What is it???? Please help

[Bluj1279]

One question for you... Do you take any medication? I am having this exact problem and today I figured it out.  Wellbutrin Xl or the generic,  Bupropion XL,  has been my culprit.  I am stopping the meds at once!  It is listed as a severe side effect called urticaria (hives).

[What_lies_within]

How long after you stopped taking the Buproprion was it before the urticaria cleared up? Did it clear up?

[Owenbeasley]

I have a lot of spots around my scab after my dog has licked it (dogs tongues have anticeptic on it) And I'm  wandering why

[darrin92]

i have same symptoms and more.. i started getting small blister bumps on my hands on top and in the webs of my fingers.. anytime ive got cut or burned 2 to 4 days later the wound would fester with all these blister bumps.. they have clear liquid and itch and the best feeling in the world is putting hot water on it.. i always put triple antibiotic with a band aid on the cuts and burns but always get the bumps.. ive tried putting nothing on the next cut or burn and still get bumps and take so long to heal.. the bumps on my hands and forearms i thought was maybe heat bumps from working with gloves on but the same bumps appear around my cuts and burns so i dont thing there heat bumps.. ive dealt with this problem for almost 2 years now ive been to a dermatologist and first ruled it as eczema gave me a cream for it and does not help.. i went back and they said its more than just eczema and sent me to an allergist.. they wanted me to do a patch test but is so expensive and is not even guaranty to tell me what the problem is.. i hope someone comes up with the answer.. the bumps flare up more in hot weather and is always calmer in winter.. always appear around cuts and burns and always on my hands and forearms

[BayouBinni]

It is like I wrote the first two paragraphs of your question myself.  I thought it was a allergy to Neosporin too but the last cut I got, I didn't use it and the same itchy rash appeared.    

[katcrat]

I havehad this in the past several years. A coupleof times I was given a Medrol Dosepak and it cleared up by the last day. This all startedafter radiation treatmentfor breast cancer. It happen when I have a cut or scratch but not always.

[liank1]

I'd like to know too because for or about the last decade, I've developed horrible rashes or hives around any open skin wounds.  We've ruled out latex, adhesive and antibiotic ointments.   I once tore a small piece of skin while waxing my upper lip and wound up with a horribly uncomfortable and embarrassingly ugly rash that traveled all way down my face, neck, chest, underarm and upper torso and lasted about 6 weeks.  None of the dermatologists I've seen can figure it out.   My Physician's Assistant is wondering if I might have some allergy to my own immune system.  The dermatologists dismissed her but they don't seem concerned about what I endure every time I have a wound, whether by accident or some surgery (when the skin has stitches, the resulting rash is SOMETIMES minimal in comparison) so I'm always afraid of what I'm facing in those situations.  

[Deazy4567]

Did you ever figure out what was causing this?  I think I have the exact issue as you or similar.  Mine started about a year ago with a scrape on my foot, I actually thought that the bumps were caused by athletes foot.  Over this past summer I had two scrapes, one on my leg and the other on my hand, with in two days or so I noticed small  bumps on both sides of the scabs, they eventually raised a bit and almost looked like they were filling with a clear fluid.  Once again, I have a small pin sized scrape from a prong of my ring on my finger, this time the bumps are worse, they are surrounding the pin sized scrape but about the size of a dime.  It started with just a couple small bumps but now the whole area is raised and itchy. From what I have read, this could be an allergy to neosporin, or auto immune issue.  

[liank1]

I'd like to know too because for or about the last decade, I've developed horrible rashes or hives around any open skin wounds.  We've ruled out latex, adhesive and antibiotic ointments.   I once tore a small piece of skin while waxing my upper lip and wound up with a horribly uncomfortable and embarrassingly ugly rash that traveled all way down my face, neck, chest, underarm and upper torso and lasted about 6 weeks.  None of the dermatologists I've seen can figure it out.   My Physician's Assistant is wondering if I might have some allergy to my own immune system.  The dermatologists dismissed her but they don't seem concerned about what I endure every time I have a wound, whether by accident or some surgery (when the skin has stitches, the resulting rash is SOMETIMES minimal in comparison) so I'm always afraid of what I'm facing in those situations.  

[Lola6511]

I did! I had a patch test done and found out In allergic to many things including neosporin! I also get chronic hives and have Dermatographia. Seeing my derm was a waste because she misdiagnosed me and prescribed neomycin which I found out after the patch test with my allergist, that I was allergic to.

[mrsjmathews]

I had this the entire time I was growing up.  Even my doctor had no clue what it was.  Sometimes I would get a cut on my leg and end up with a rash up to my neck!  I was eventually diagnosed with ID reaction though I've seen pictures and I did not feel they were the same.  However the basic theory seems correct.  It is believed that it is due to an autoimmune issue that causes your body to have an allergic reaction to the break in your skin.

I now get rashes when I go in the sun...mainly in any scars and on my hands and forearms.  I'm pretty sure I also have a disorder called hydradenitis suppurativa due to a chronic issue with infected cysts, skin infections, and scarring.  I'm 34.

[liank1]

For about the last decade, I've developed horrible rashes or hives around any open skin wounds.  We've ruled out latex, adhesive and antibiotic ointments.   Similar to you, I once tore a small piece of skin while waxing my upper lip and wound up with a horribly uncomfortable and embarrassing ugly rash that traveled all way down my face, neck, chest, underarm and upper torso and lasted about 6 weeks.  None of the dermatologists I've seen can figure it out.   My Physician's Assistant is wondering if I might have some allergy to my own immune system.  The dermatologists dismissed her but they don't seem concerned about what I endure every time I have a wound, whether by accident or some surgery (when the skin has stitches, the resulting rash is SOMETIMES minimal in comparison) so I'm always afraid of what I'm facing in those situations.  

[Wednesday1097]

If you're still wondering, it's probably folliculitis, an infection in the hair follicle caused by staph bacteria.

[Le_Roi_De_Rois]

Do these bumps appear prior to treatment or after? If before, could be infection causing it or more likely sweat bumps.

This can be an allergy to the neosporin (cream vs. ointment), which I doubt, or to the bandage adhesive.

If it lasts a long time, the cut is most probably infected and you want to see a doctor who can prescribe antibiotics and/or a stronger ointment to be used.

Additionally, using hydrogen peroxide to clean the area (just pour over) helps. Keeping the are covered is best since sweat and anything else can aggravate the problem.

In any case make sure your Tetanus shots (TB Booster) are up to date.

[mac16]

I have also been experiencing the same problem for a year already though the infection went off for a few months, but I don't know what's really going on. Now it's back and it is so uncomfortable! What's the best medication for this. Somebody help us.

[mac16]

I have also been experiencing the same problem for a year already though the infection went off for a few months, but I don't know what's really going on. Now it's back and it is so uncomfortable! What's the best medication for this. Somebody help us.