Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Hi there Aunt Vadge!
About two months ago I noticed a small cut/lesion (1.5cm) above my clitoris, right where the two lips meet. I thought I’d maybe scratched myself with a nail when wiping, though I couldn’t recall doing so. But it still hasn’t healed two months later, and I’m concerned.
My husband just told me that after we had oral sex recently, my clitoris felt different — almost a bit leathery. Also, I’m presently signed off work for three weeks with stress, exhaustion and generally feeling rubbish. There may be no connection, but I thought I’d mention it.
Thank you for any advice.
Sincerely,
Concerned
Age 57, UK
Dear Concerned,
I’m going to be straight with you, kindly but clearly, because this is one where I’d rather you act than wait: a cut or lesion that hasn’t healed in two months, on skin your husband has noticed feels different and ‘leathery’, in your late fifties, needs to be examined by a doctor properly and promptly — ideally a GP who can refer you to a gynaecologist or a vulval clinic.
Please book that this week. It’s very likely to be something benign and treatable, but a non-healing vulval lesion at your age is exactly the kind of thing that should be looked at in person, and sometimes biopsied, rather than guessed at — and the leathery, thickened texture is the specific detail that makes me want a clinician’s eyes on it.
The most likely explanations are reassuring and treatable: a skin condition like lichen sclerosus, which makes vulval skin pale, thickened and fragile so it splits and won’t heal, is common and responds very well to the right prescribed cream.
But because it’s persisted and changed in texture, the reason to be seen isn’t to frighten you — it’s that the only way to know for sure, and to rule out the small chance of a pre-cancerous change that’s far easier to deal with caught early, is an examination and possibly a small biopsy.
Catching these things early is exactly why it matters not to sit on it. The stress and exhaustion you mention may not be directly connected, but being run down can make skin slower to heal and is worth looking after in its own right.
So please be kind to yourself, but get this looked at promptly rather than waiting any longer — you’re doing the right thing by paying attention to it.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information based on current research and our clinical experience, not a substitute for personalised medical advice — please be seen in person promptly.
