Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Hi Aunt Vadge,
I keep touching myself, not inside but around my vulva – pushing and rubbing. This afternoon the left side really hurt when I tried to touch it, like when skin scrapes off and you touch it. It doesn’t hurt if I don’t touch it, and it’s not bleeding. What should I do?
Thanks,
Sore
Hi there,
It sounds like you have a small graze or tiny tear in the delicate skin of your vulva, which is very common and heals on its own within a few days. The little joins between the labia and the clitoral hood are thin and easily nicked, sometimes just by moving the skin the wrong way, and sometimes by a fingernail without you noticing.
Have a look with a hand mirror – the sore spot will probably be a little red, often right on a corner or join. Then leave it be: keep it clean with plain water, skip soap on the area, and don’t touch or rub it until it has healed, so you don’t reopen it.
If you want more on helping little splits heal, our guide to vulval cuts and tears has you covered. One thing worth knowing: if the skin keeps splitting in the same spot, or a sore doesn’t heal up within a week or so, that’s worth having a doctor look at rather than riding out. Short nails and clean hands make these little nicks much less likely in the first place.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information and not a substitute for personalised medical advice. If the skin keeps splitting in the same spot, or a sore doesn’t heal, see a doctor or nurse who can look at it.
