There can be many causes of red bumps on inner thighs. Some are mild, while others are very serious. In order to decide whether bumps on your inner thighs are serious or not, you need to understand when they began to show up, whether or not there are associated symptoms, and whether or not they disappear without treatment.

Bumps on Inner Thighs

1. Friction

Friction can happen when the thighs rub together. The friction results in irritation of the skin of the inner thighs, leading to bumps on inner thighs. The irritation can cause a heat rash called miliara. Irritated skin often leads to blockage of the sweat glands and the formation of pink, red or white bumps. Common symptoms are itching or a prickly feeling in thighs. Sometimes this can be painful. It is more likely to occur if you live in a humid or hot climate but anytime the thighs rub together, bumps due to friction can occur.

Treatment: The best treatment for friction bumps on inner thighs is to wash the area gently with water and allow it to dry completely. Then put on something greasy like petroleum jelly. If the area is extremely swollen, painful, crusted over or bleeding, the doctor may recommend some type of medicated ointment to heal the bumps. If you can, rest as much as you can so you don't rub your thighs together very much. Ongoing friction will cause worsened symptoms and the bumps can become infected. If this is the case, oral antibiotics or topical antibiotics may be indicated.

2. Hidradentis Suppurativa

This is a condition that involves having red bumps on inner thighs that will open up and leak pus. It occurs when dead skin cells and oil build up and block the hair follicles leading to bacterial infection. It can also be related to smoking, heredity or weight gain. The main symptoms include having red bumps, blackheads, a bad odor and pus on the inner thighs.

Treatment: The main treatment is to wash your thighs carefully and practice good hygiene. If you lose weight, you will get them less. Try to wear loose clothing and apply warm compresses when they become too big of a problem.

3. Folliculitis

Folliculitis, similar to hydradentis suppurativa, results in red bumps on inner thighs because several kinds of bacteria in the hair follicles cause follicles to become inflamed. The main symptoms are itchy and painful boils on the inner thighs.

Treatment: The main treatment involves the application of anti-fungal or anti-bacterial cream to get rid of the infection. If you have a mild case of folliculitis, the symptoms often disappear without any treatment.

4. Abscess

An abscess can be caused by staph aureus bacteria which infiltrate the skin resulting in pain, skin swelling, warmth, redness and cysts developing on the inner thigh.

Treatment: The main treatment for abscesses is to apply a warm compress to the affected area and take antibiotics. The abscess may need to be lanced by doctor. Elevating the leg will help reduce swelling of the affected area.

5. Warts

Warts are caused by a virus that infiltrates the skin causing bumps on inner thighs. The main symptoms are dry red bumps that can feel scaly.

Treatment: There is medication you can use to get rid of warts and the doctor can freeze off or burn off the warts, thus destroying them so that they go away.

6. STDs

STDs can be a cause of red bumps on inner thighs. Herpes infections and syphilis are two of them, which can yield headaches, angry blisters, tiredness, fever, chills and total body aches.

Treatment: The basic treatment for bumps on inner thighs resulting from an STD is to use a medication to block the STD. This means taking medications for viruses such as herpes virus, or taking anti-syphilitic medications to treat the symptoms of syphilis.

7. Jock Itch

Jock itch is a fungal infection found almost exclusively in males. It can lead to groin itching that spreads to the thighs. You can also get it in the area of the anus or buttocks. The main finding is a rash consisting of red itchy bumps on inner thighs. The rash can spread if not treated. In rare cases, it can be seen in women but it is not considered a sexually transmitted condition.

Treatment: The main treatment is washing the affected area with soap and water to cleanse it before putting on an antifungal cream on the area where the rash is and a bit beyond the borders of the rash. The best antifungal remedies are creams or powders containing miconazole, clotrimazole, or terbinafine. If you do not get resolution of your symptoms after a week, seek the advice of your doctor. If you have blisters as a result of ringworm, warm compresses and antifungal cream can be applied after you dry the area.

8. Tumor

If you experience bumps that are growing under your skin at a rapid rate, it could mean that these are metastatic tumors. You should see your doctor as soon as you can. If the bumps on inner thighs are from tumors and are not treated, this could lead to a life-threatening situation, even if they are not the result of cancer. Tumors can spread easily if they come close to bone or to blood vessels.

Treatment: The treatment may rely on what type of tumor it is. Some tumors respond to chemotherapy and will shrink without surgery, while others need to be excised through the use of surgery.