The Difference Between Herpes, Ingrown Hair Bumps, Boils, and Cysts: Your Guide For A Bumpy Vag

Finding bumps on your lady bits can be both terrifying and embarrassing, especially when you don’t know what the heck they are or how they got there! It can be hard to sort out your symptoms and to know one bump from another. Is it herpes or just a blister? Is it a pimple or a boil? Is there something really, really wrong with my girl? Will it go away?!


Chill out, sis! Most bumps are common and don’t need to trigger a WebMD-diagnosis freakout. Here is our guide on how to identify a bump, and plenty of tips on how to avoid them!


Ingrown hair bumps:

After shaving or waxing, new hair growth can start curling under your skin and create bumps that can become infected, causing pain or itching. These bumps are occasionally pus-filled, and sometimes you can spot the hair growing beneath the surface. These swollen bumps are ingrown hair bumps, also called razor bumps. They can occur anywhere on your body where you remove hair, but women commonly find them along the pubic area, armpits, and legs. 


When the hair begins growing back after removal, it typically has a sharper edge which makes it easier to pierce through the skin. Occasionally, the hair will curl back inward causing a bump to form. Hair bumps are more common in people with coarse, wiry or curly hair, but anyone can get these bumps once the hair starts to regrow after hair removal. 


The best way to prevent these bumps is by not shaving or removing hair, but for many of us, that’s out of the question—we feel sexier when our skin is smooth! Here are some easy tips you can implement in your hair removal routine to fight these bumps: 

  • Exfoliate 1-2 times per week to release trapped hairs

  • Use a good plant-based hair bump serum or mask for the pubic area

  • Shave with warm water and a shaving cream, shower gel or mild soap! NEVER shave dry!

  • If you wax, make sure you’re going to an experienced Esthetician that is pulling the hair from the root

  • Replace your razors every 5-7 shaves

Although tempting, try not to pop these bumps or pull out the hair — this could lead to scarring and infection. 


Boils:

Boils are very similar to ingrown hair bumps, as they are often caused by infected hair follicles. They occur when bacteria infects the roots and oil glands of the hair and creates a painful, pus-filled bump. These boils can appear on the vulva, groin, armpits, inner thighs and inner buttocks.


Unfortunately, some people are just prone to these annoying abscesses. If you find boils on your hoo-hah, make sure to wash your hands with soap before and after touching the infected area, and don’t share towels or clothes with any of your homegirls until the boils have drained and healed. In order to fight these bumps, try this:

  •  Apply a warm compress with salt to the infected area every evening for about 20 minutes to bring it to a head.

  •  Let your self-care day include Lady V. Use a mud mask to draw out the yucky puss.

  •  If you’re prone to boils, especially after hair removal, try Happy Girl’s V “Facial” Bundle — a trifecta that works against bad hair bump outbreaks and boils.

  •  Don’t over-exfoliate with sugar scrubs (and the like) when the boils are raw. This can irritate the skin, causing the infection to spread.

  • Take a nice and hot Epsom Salt bath. You deserve it, and it’ll help bring the boils to a head.


Unfortunately, doctors are going to tell you there isn’t much they can do about it other than to lance the boil. The risk of the boil returning after lancing is pretty high. If a boil stays for months at a time, it’s best to go to a dermatologist to make sure it’s not a cyst. 


Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS):

Hidradenitis Suppurativa, or H.S., is an autoinflammatory disease of the hair follicles. Like any autoimmune disease, this means your body is attacking itself. This attack on your hair follicles can cause painful and recurring boils under the skin, as well as tunneling and sinus tracts that can break out on the surface and leak pus. The bumps can be as small as a pea or as large as a grape, and are filled with foul-smelling pus. The wounds left by this condition can leave unhealed scars and open wounds.


HS is common near hair follicles and sweat glands, and is typically found around the crotch, in the armpits, on your bum, and beneath your breasts. What makes these painful bumps different is that they are usually triggered by an inflamed hair follicle versus an infected one. Although the cause is still unknown, they have found that smoking, obesity, hormones, genes, and immune deficiencies contribute to this condition. 


For diagnosis, you would need to go to a dermatologist that specializes in H.S. Unfortunately, a regular primary doctor may mistake it for regular boils.


There is no complete cure for HS, but according to Cleveland Clinic, the following options may be available:

  • Botox injections to control excessive sweating

  • Deroofing surgery to remove the skin covers of the sinus tracts

  • Laser surgery to remove HS boils

  • Steroid injections to reduce inflammation


If you’d like to try natural treatment options to help manage flare ups, here are a couple that have helped our customers:


While this condition is persistent and long-lasting, there are ways to ease it and aid in outbreaks. To learn more about Hidradenitis Suppurativa, check out this article.


Cysts:

There are hundreds of different types of cysts, but in this article we’re focusing on the most common cysts that form on the pubic area which are the sebaceous and epidermoid cysts. Sebaceous cysts contain fluid while the epidermoid cyst is filled with a protein like keratin.


They usually aren’t harmful, but an infected cyst can become painful. If a cyst doesn’t go away on its own, your dermatologist will most likely need to remove it. 


Genital Herpes:

There are two different types of herpes: type 1 usually appears as cold sores around the mouth, while type 2 can appear as blisters on the genitalia. A person can also be asymptomatic, meaning they will not show any signs of having this infection. Both types of herpes can lead to outbreaks of bumps on the mouth or genitals, and HSV II (or type 2) is considered a sexually transmitted infection, or STI, while type 1 is not [insert confused emoji].


Type 2 herpes is a fairly common STI that can be passed from one person to another through saliva from an infected person usually during oral sex, or by skin-to-skin contact during sex. Herpes type 2 typically appears as clear, fluid-filled blisters or small bumps. The blisters can be painful and/or itchy and may appear in clusters on the vulva and inner buttocks. 

Outbreaks are often triggered by:

  • Fatigue

  • Injury

  • Stress

  • Irritation

  • Menstruation

  • Having sex

  • Brazilian wax (stress from the rip)


Herpes can cause pain inside the vagina, unusual discharge, pain while peeing, and even flu-like symptoms. The only way to completely prevent herpes is to not have sex, but using protection such as a condom helps reduce the risk of spreading or contracting the infection. 

There is no cure for herpes, but it can be treated with a daily anti-herpes medicine, antiviral medication, or natural supplements such as l-lysine have been shown to work wonders 


Wrappin’ It Up:

Bumps on your girl are wayyyy more common than you might think, so no need to be embarrassed. We’ve equipped you with a complete guide to a bumpy vag, but if you’re really worried about a new dot you’ve discovered, it’s best to check with a doctor and get their opinion. 

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The author.

Allison Kindley is a Digital Media Production & Journalism student at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. She loves working with Team Happy Girl because she gets to inform others on feminine wellness, learn every day, write creatively, and empower women.

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