There are so many reasons why you want to keep your groin area clean and free of sore bumps. Any sort of infection in the pubic or bikini area can cause a lot of discomfort and even odor.
Shaving is one of the best ways to keep your pubic region clean, free of excessive sweat and bad odors. But it often leads to razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
- Ingrown hair on vagina is mostly caused by shaving or waxing the wrong way.
- Hair follicles grow back into the skin on the vag labia or lips, causing a small bump.
- The bump may itch and can appear as herpes, boils or small genital warts especially if they are many.
Can you prevent this? Yes.
Shaving more often than you should can cause all sorts of symptoms. Both men and women may experience dark spots from razor bumps. Worse is itchiness.
Irritation occurs due to razor burn in the bikini area, inner thighs and legs. But is your problem ingrown vaginal hair or something else? What does an ingrown hair follicle look like?
Pictures
It can be confusing if you don’t know what the bumps on labia looks like. Some people confuse the small bumps and pimples with genital herpes and warts. Looking at pictures, an ingrown follicle appears almost similar to a raised red pimple.
Usually, embedded hair appears as a swollen bump on the skin with a dark spot in the center. The dark spot is the curved hair that is growing sideways or downward. The irritation that makes the area to swell comes from the follicle trying to push its way out of the skin.
When infected, the bump can appear white or yellow because it is pus-filled. To help you identify them, here are pictures. They will help you distinguish between vaginal pimples, herpes and ingrown genital hairs.
Causes
Some people get them when pregnant. Others get ingrown pubic hair during, after or before period. There’s a reason for that, but mostly, hair removal methods are the major cause of ingrown hair in the pubic area or labia. Here are the possible causes:
1. Shaving or after waxing
Shaving and waxing are the most common methods of hair removal in the bikini zone. If you use razors to shave, the irritation is enough to cause bumps and ingrown hair. Waxing can also cause damage to the skin and make the area prone to bumps and embedded hairs.
- Shaving using blunt razors is known to cause irritation to the skin.
- Small pieces of pubic hair can block hair follicle pores.
- This will prevent hair underneath the skin from growing out straight.
- Curling hairs irritate the skin and cause bumps to form on the vagina and even labia minora or labia majora lips.
You can prevent the ingrown hair bumps on vagina by exfoliating regularly. Bathing with a loofah can help shed off dead skin that often blocks pores and causes hair to curl backwards into the skin.
2. Curly hair
According to Howstuffworks, “Curly-haired (people), particularly African Americans, get curls on the cheeks and neck as well as on the head.
The hair sometimes just curls right back on itself. Women with naturally thick and curly hair types are more prone to getting ingrown hairs on vagina and in the bikini region.
3. Tight clothing
Tight underpants or trousers can also cause ingrown hair on vag. The reason behind this is that the clothes will not only cause less ventilation but also lead to obstruction of hair from growing out of the skin.
Avoid some fabrics, especially nylon and synthetic fibers. These are known to cause hair to curl back into the skin especially when they are worn tight. They can also worsen ingrown hair bumps on the vaginal lips because they will result in itching.
4. Hormonal bumps
Hormonal change in the body can also worsen ingrown hairs in the pubic area. This change occurs when one is stressed, during pregnancy or before and after period. But how do hormones cause ingrown hair on labia?
A change in hormones can make your skin to overproduce sebum. This oil clogs up pores on your skin, causing hair to curl and grow back into the skin or sideways.
If you suspect that this is the cause of the problem, try exfoliating the pubic area using a loofah. Do this gently to prevent hurting yourself. Do not do this if you have the bumps on your labia.
Symptoms
What are the symptoms of ingrown hair on the vag? Is it painful? Are the bumps irritating?
Other than knowing how embedded hairs look like, a few symptoms can help you identify and distinguish it from bumps, boils and herpes. Here are the common symptoms associated with ingrown hair.
a) Pus-filled boil or cyst on labia
When an infection kicks in, an ingrown hair can form a painful sore, boil or cyst. As the cyst or boil grows from a pimple, it forms pus and can bleed if you scratch. Cysts and boils are filled with pus that appears as yellow, green or white. White bumps on vagina or inner thighs may be a sign of infection.
Boils on labia can be irritating, and should be treated or soothed to prevent the temptation to pop them. Popping razor bumps will make them bleed and form an abscess or cyst. Generally, these can easily get infected and will take long to heal.
b) Itchy bumps in inner thighs
According to WebMD, an ingrown hair is likely to cause an itchy feeling because it irritates the skin. As the hair curls back into the skin on the female genitals, a visible raised bump emerges. The bump will look like a pimple and will be itchy, and can leave a dark spot in your groin area.
The itchy feeling comes from the irritation the hair causes on your skin. If you keep scratching, you will cause further irritation.
You also risk an infection since you introduce bacteria on your vagina. Avoid scratching those itchy razor bumps on vagina.
c) Bleeding bumps when popped
Usually, scratching, popping or applying any kind of trauma to ingrown genital hair can cause them to bleed. The red bumps are tender and will break easily if you scratch them.
Popping is not advised, but when you try to pop, blood will ooze out. If the cyst is infected, yellow or white pus will drain from the labia ingrown hair.
d) Yellow, white, green bumps
Greenish yellow bumps or white bumps on the bikini area is a sign of infection. Infected ingrown hair on vagina inner labia or outer labia can be a source of discomfort.
Bacterial infections can cause a foul smell and itchiness in the genital region. If you have ingrown hair on labia with yellow or white bumps, seek treatment.
Ingrown Hair or Genital Warts, Herpes on Vagina
The Mayo Clinic reports that genital warts in women can appear as bumps that “grow on the vulva, the walls of the vagina, the area between the external genitals and the anus, the anal canal, and the cervix.” These bumps can easily be confused for genital warts and bumps caused by herpes.
Herpes forms lesions on the groin area and these can easily be mistaken for abrasions, yeast infection symptoms, jock itch and even razor bumps and ingrown hair.
Other symptoms that may be associated with warts include itching, bleeding during intercourse and the bumps growing to cauliflower-shaped bumps.
How to Get Rid of Ingrown Hair on Vagina
When itchy, razor burn, ingrown pubic hairs and bumps can cause a lot of discomfort. However, in most cases, curved pubic hairs after shaving will not require any treatment.
They will clear up on their own without removal treatments. At times, you might need to treat and remove ingrown hair on vag lips if they are severe and won’t go away on their own. Here’s how to get rid of ingrown hair on vagina and labia fast.
a) Exfoliate
Exfoliation will help remove dead skin cells. It is simply a process of scrubbing the skin to open up the pores and get rid of debris that clogs hair follicles. It can get rid and prevent ingrown hairs on the vagina lips. The pubic area has to be exfoliated gently to avoid bruises and injuries. Here’s how to do it.
- Open up the pores by soaking in warm water or standing into a hot shower for a few minutes.
- Cleanse the pubic area with a mild soap.
- Apply an exfoliating facial cleanser to a loofah. You can also use a body brush for this. A cleanser with salicylic acid will do better.
- Gently scrub the bikini area with the loofah. Do this in circular motions.
- Do not exfoliate the inner labia. Just work on the outer labia and be very gentle.
- Rinse your skin with clean warm water.
- Pat dry.
You can repeat this exfoliation procedure two to three times a week especially before and after tweezing, waxing or shaving pubic hair to prevent ingrown hairs and razor bumps.
b) Stop waxing, tweezing or removing pubic hair
The best way to prevent or get rid of ingrown hair on inner thighs, buttocks and vagina is to stop plucking hair. Hair removal methods are known to aggravate the problem especially in people with sensitive skin.
Also, avoid scratching the area. If it has bumps that are itchy, get an anti-inflammatory treatment to prevent the irritation. Scratching will cause bleeding and will worsen the problem.
c) Remove deep ingrown hair on vagina lips
Deep ingrown hairs can be difficult to remove especially in the pubic area. If they keep coming back, removing them might not be a solution. Try a treatment rather than removing them one by one. Here’s how to remove ingrown hair on vag lips.
- Cleanse the skin around the bump.
- Steam the area to open up pores and make the bump softer to pop.
- Use a pin to pop the ingrown hair bump. This will open it up so that you can see the embedded hair.
- Using sterilized tweezers, grab the hair beneath your skin and pull out the head. Do not pull out the entire hair with its root. This can cause bleeding and further irritation.
- Use a little amount of hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the area.
- Apply an anti-bacterial cream to prevent infection in the area.
If you are not sure on how to go about removing embedded hairs in the groin area, see a dermatologist for help.
Treatment and Remedies
Treatments for embedded hair on vagina and labia lips may be required if you have an infection. Here are the treatments that your doctor or dermatologist might prescribe or use to get rid of ingrown pubic hairs.
a) Antibacterial ointment
An infection on the bumps in the pubic area can make them itchy, yellow or red. Your doctor might prescribe an antibacterial ointment as treatment to get rid of the infection.
Some antibiotics may be oral. These are usually given if the infection is severe and the bumps are turning into boils, cysts and abscesses.
b) Steroid creams reduce irritation and itchiness
Inflammation on the bumps can make them itchy. Steroid creams are prescribed to reduce the itchiness in the groin area. Other than relieving the itch, steroid creams will stop the swelling around the ingrown vaginal hair.
c) Tea tree oil antibacterial remedy
For home and natural treatment of ingrown groin hair, tea tree oil is the best remedy. It contains both antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help get rid of an infection in the pubic area.
Dilute a little tea tree oil with water and use cotton swabs to apply it on the ingrown hair bumps on vagina. Leave for a few minutes and rinse it off. Do not use tea tree oil if you have a sensitive skin.
Video on How to Remove Deep Ingrown Hair
References
- Mayo Clinic: Genital Warts Symptoms
- The American Sexual Health Association: Herpes Signs and Symptoms
- https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm
