I've had them before a couple times, sometimes they go away sometimes they grow larger and larger. Then I go get them lanced and packed and im back to normal. But what causes these? I seem to think the sweat duct gets blocked up, and you get an abcess as a result of it. I don't use deodorant, I don't really need to im happy to say I don't stink (im a man by the way) I was applying cocoa butter lotion to myself the other day before this thing formed and I may have brushed something up in there. It always seems to happen to me when I dare use any deodorant or spray or anything. There is always an explanation here. I also have 2 cats, and they lick and bite me all the time, which I heard cat scratch fever can cause this.. Im confused as to the origination of this sub skin abcess in my armpit.