Something else? Ask Aunt Vadge – bottom left of your screen!
Hi Aunt Vadge,
I recently noticed excess, irregularly shaped pink tissue around my vaginal opening. It’s painless and looks like healthy tissue, but I don’t recall it being this prominent before – it almost looks like a little tongue coming from the entrance, and the opening looks ruffly/irregular. I’m guessing it’s probably normal, but I’m pretty in tune with my body, so I’m wondering if it’s new or worse.
Best,
S.
Age 29, US
Hi S,
Your instinct is most likely right: what you’re describing sounds like hymenal remnants (also called hymenal tags), little leftover pieces of the hymen that ring the vaginal entrance. They’re completely normal. And finger-like or ‘tongue-like’ projections are a really common variation – everyone’s are different, they can shift in appearance over the years, and it’s quite possible you simply hadn’t clocked it before. Painless, healthy-looking tissue is reassuring.
There’s one honest caveat, though, since you specifically feel it’s new. Tags usually become less prominent over time, not more. So if something has really appeared or grown, it’s worth ruling out the very early stages of pelvic tissue laxity, where tissue that’s normally tucked inside starts to show at the opening.
That’s not alarming and it’s very manageable, but it’s the kind of thing that needs an actual look to tell apart from a tag, and examining isn’t something we do at My Vagina.
So it’s almost certainly normal anatomy, but because it feels new to you, mention it at your next smear, or give your gynaecologist a quick call to describe it – as long as it isn’t bleeding, tender or uncomfortable there’s no urgency, just get those trusted eyes on it for peace of mind.
Being this tuned in to your own body is a real strength; it’s exactly how things get caught early when they do matter.
Best,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
