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Hi Aunt Vadge,
I noticed two tiny paper-cut-like tears in the skin near my clitoris. The skin right around the tear looked white, like old skin, and rubbed away easily when I cleaned it. No unusual smell, discharge, pain or burning – just a very mild itch.
The cuts just appeared and my clitoris looked redder than normal. I was away and had to use a scented soap, which irritated it more, but they cleared within a few days. A few weeks later one little cut appeared and was nearly gone the next day.
Even before this, I noticed more yeast (not in the discharge, but in the folds of my labia). I was scared it might be herpes, but I had no other symptoms.
Sincerely,
Concerned
Age 20, USA
Dear Concerned,
Your detective work is excellent, so I’ll start there: your reasoning on herpes is correct. A first herpes outbreak is typically painful clusters of blisters that take a couple of weeks to heal, not painless little paper cuts that vanish in a day or two – so that’s not what you’re describing.
And you’ve already spotted the real culprit yourself: the yeast in your labial folds. That’s almost certainly what’s driving the cuts, because a lingering yeast overgrowth softens and breaks down the delicate skin so it tears far more easily than it should – little splits that appear, heal fast, then come back while the yeast is still around.
The clitoral hood edges, where they join the labia, are especially fragile, which is exactly where they show up.
So the plan: clear the yeast first (there are approaches on the yeast infections page), and the cuts should stop following it around.
Ditch the scented soap, which you noticed yourself made things worse – plain water only on the vulva, since fragranced products and this delicate skin don’t mix – and keep it supple with a little plain oil like coconut so it splits less while it heals.
One thing to keep an eye on: if those cuts keep happening after the yeast is gone, or that whitened, fragile skin persists, it’s worth having a doctor check it to rule out a skin condition (some, like lichen sclerosus, cause exactly this whitening-and-splitting pattern and respond well to the right treatment).
It’s not the likeliest answer here, but it’s the one worth not missing. Write back if step one doesn’t do it and we’ll go further.
Best,
Aunt Vadge
This is general information, not a substitute for personalised medical advice.
