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Hi Aunt Vadge!
I woke up with a bruised-like ache at the crease between my leg and vulva. It started on my right side, but now it’s on the left crease too. I’m on day two of my period and have also been getting small cuts/tears toward the top of my labia.
It’s extremely sore and itchy – the discomfort wakes me at night. This only happens around my periods, and I suspect I’m allergic to my sanitary towels. The main issue is the bruised ache. Have you heard of anything like this?
Many thanks,
Allergic
Age 20, Milton Keynes
Dear Allergic,
The location is the biggest clue, and it points exactly where you already suspect: a bruised, aching, sore and itchy crease between your thigh and vulva that flares only around your period, with little cuts at the top of the labia, fits an allergy or irritant reaction to your sanitary pads (contact dermatitis) far better than an infection – because that crease is exactly where a pad sits and rubs, and it’s not a typical spot for an infection to show up.
The pad pressing and chafing there, plus the fabrics, fragrances and absorbent gels it’s made from, can leave the skin inflamed, tender and split, and a sore, irritated area really can ache in a bruised way, especially after a pad has pressed on it for hours.
So the cuts and the ache may well be two faces of the same pad problem.
The cleanest way to find out is to take pads out of the equation for a cycle or two.
Don’t just switch to another mainstream brand (most use similar materials) – go for organic, fragrance-free cotton pads, or better still try organic tampons, period underwear or a silicone menstrual cup for a couple of cycles and see whether the irritation, cuts and ache settle.
Wash with plain water only, skip any scented products down there, and a plain barrier ointment can protect the skin while it heals. If moving away from pads clears it, you’ve found your answer and it’s an easy fix for good.
If the soreness, cuts or that bruised ache carry on despite ditching the pads, then it’s worth seeing your doctor to look for a skin condition or a low-grade recurrent irritation such as cyclic vulvovaginitis behind it – but pads first, because the crease location really does have your answer written on it.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
