A jeans button can irritate the skin right where it touches.
For nearly four months, a woman had itching and flaking on her lower abdomen. She thought it was a fungal infection and tried creams, but the discomfort remained concentrated next to the pants button. The identified cause was a contact allergy to nickel, a metal that may be present in buttons and buckles.
A rash alone isn’t enough to identify its cause on your own. If the irritation persists, gets worse, or returns every time you wear a certain garment, consult a health professional before treating it as an infection.