Dealing with Hymenal Remnants: A Guide

Hi Aunt Vadge,

Last night I had sex and it was pretty rough (not in a bad way), and when we were done, we discovered that I was bleeding. I wasn’t expecting to start my period, though this is my normal time of the month, but sometimes it can be irregular.

Anyways, I put in a tampon and went to sleep. When I woke up this morning I went to change my tampon and noticed (felt) a string-like piece of skin hanging out next to my tampon string. I freaked out and have been freaking out all day. I’ve looked up a lot of different things and seen a lot of pictures and have come to the conclusion that it is a hymnal tag.

But I’m wondering if I can still have sex? Can I still have a tampon? Am I stuck with this hideous piece of skin sticking out of me forever? Please help.

Yours sincerely,
Dangling
USA, Age 22
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Dear Dangling,

You sound like you have got your own diagnosis sorted out – it does indeed sound like a hymenal remnant, which can take many forms, but often protrude from the vagina a bit. This can be very disconcerting.

To answer the questions one by one:

Yes, you can still have sex. There is no reason why not.
Yes, you can still use a tampon. There is no reason why not.
You don’t need to be stuck with this piece of skin sticking out of you forever! You can go to a doctor and ask them to snip it off. They should be perfectly happy to do this, and it should heal up quickly and not be too painful. It may also fall off by itself, but frankly, if I was you, I’d go get it snipped off and be done with it. You never want to think of it again, and you certainly don’t want to be feeling weird about your vagina. I mean, unless you like it…

Write back anytime!

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
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Hi Aunt Vadge,

It’s me again. Would it be appropriate for me to send you a picture of what’s bothering me? [Absolutely! We love pictures (and diagrams) so go for it, so long as you are over 18.]

I’m almost positive that I know what it is, but I would really like some peace and comfort. I have made an appointment, but don’t want to wait that long.

Thanks always,
Dangling
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Hi, me again, so sorry. What are your thoughts on using a skin removal oil on a hymenal skin tag?
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Hi again Dangling,

Thanks for sending the photo through. It’s a bit hard to tell what’s going on, so you’re right in going to see someone to double check, and to figure out your options. I know it can be really hard to wait – we are all pretty impatient, but it’s worth doing this properly, since once it’s gone, you can just relax and never think of it again.

In relation to the skin removal oil, these oils so far as I know revolve around skin tags, not hymenal remnants – the skin is a different type and the issue is really not the same thing, so I would avoid these. If you have something particular in mind that made sense to you, feel free to run it past me and I would be very happy to look into it (we always love to learn things), but oil is not going to get rid of your hymenal remnants because your vagina is moist, and the oils are likely to irritate your vaginal mucous membranes.

Go see someone, see what they think, and ask if they can snip it off – if it is your hymen (and not something else – which it could be, and that’s why it’s important to get someone to check it out), it should be really easily fixed. It won’t be the first time they’ve seen this, and if it is, go see someone else!

Let us know how you go – we are very curious as to the outcome!

Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge