Vaginal pimples are lesions on the skin of the female genital area that is usually generated by hair removal. However, there are other, more complicated, and less benign origins. We will tell you.

The female genital area is a very sensitive and delicate part of the body. That is why it is covered with pubic hair to maintain the correct temperature, humidity, and prevent access by pathogens. The problem is that, when depilating, the woman can generate vaginal pimples.

Whether with a blade, wax, or laser, hair removal from the vulvar area causes irritation and changes in hair follicles. Even with the greatest of care, there is always the risk of inflammation.

What is the hair follicle?

The hair follicle is an attachment to the skin, where hair that grows through a canal through the dermis is created. At a certain moment, it reaches the body surface and goes above the limits.

Just before departure, this channel becomes narrower, receiving the name of the infundibulum. Glands that discharge their secretions abound there. There is a type of gland that always accompanies the hair follicle and has a fatty discharge, known as sebaceous. It responds, to a large extent, to hormones.

On the other hand, some glands are found only in certain anatomical regions, such as the groin, armpits, submammary fold, and intergluteal fold. They are called apocrine and have a thick, odorous discharge.

What are vaginal pimples?

If there is any obstruction in the infundibulum of the hair follicle, either because it is very narrow or because there is a lot of fat production, or inflammation was generated, small lumps appear with the hair trapped inside. If they are in the female genital area, they are the vaginal pimples.

The location name is not entirely correct. While the entire female genital area tends to be called a vagina, it is just the extensible virtual space that starts from the vaginal entrance and ends at the cervix.

This space is covered with mucosa that does not contain hair follicles, therefore, pimples cannot form there. Finding intravaginal lesions should alert and prompt a medical consultation.

Covering the entrance to the vagina there are a series of folds, which are the labia majora and labia minora, which make up the vulva. Vaginal pimples are formed by alteration of pubic hair between the labia majora and even the mount of venus and groin, which would be the upper limits of the region.

Why do vaginal pimples form?

The formation of these pimples has multiple causes. Whether it’s due to humidity, heat, hormones, or even stress. However, there is one cause that stands out from the rest, which is waxing.

The depilation of the vulvar area alters the healthy growth of pubic hair. The infundibulum area of ​​the hair follicle becomes inflamed, causing the hair outlet to become obstructed. Besides, hair removal leads to wounds and injuries to the skin, allowing the entry of bacteria, causing even more inflammation and infection.

Pimples are also associated with contact dermatitis, which is an itchy and allergic reaction on the skin when exposed to an irritant, such as soaps, lotions, deodorants, compress material, tampons, medications, and even tissue. clothes. Each person reacts in a particular way to different particles.

What problems can they cause?

Pimples are generally harmless. The best way to avoid them is not to epilate with a blade or wax, or to assist a professional to see the best options for epilation and skincare for the intimate area.

However, they are usually annoying, and trying to remove them as you do with pimples on your face increases the risk of increasing inflammation. It should be said that squeezing them or trying to burst them is not the most appropriate since we are in a delicate area.

The pimple can grow larger and fill with pus if it is handled. On the other hand, it is important to differentiate vaginal pimples from other skin lesions that can suggest more serious problems, such as the following:

• Molluscum contagiosum: is a virus that transmits from human to human. It happens more often among young children, but in adults, it is more of a sexually transmitted infection. Small papules appear that are not itchy but are highly contagious, with a slight central depression. They tend to involution without treatment.
• Human papillomavirus: It generates famous warts that can appear anywhere in the genital area and are highly contagious. Some types of this virus are dangerous because they can progress to cervical cancer.
• Herpes simplex: it is a very annoying and painful disease. It consists of a grouping of vesicles in the genital area that is very painful and itchy. It is a treatment-resistant sexually transmitted infection since the virus is never destroyed and may reappear after the first episode.

Do not confuse vaginal pimples

There are various diseases, such as sexually transmitted infections, that can appear like pimples. Therefore, when what we think is a pimple in the vulvar area begins to itch, hurt, or has a different shape than expected, it is best to go to the gynecologist.

Finally, remember that pubic hair is not unhygienic at all. On the contrary, it protects our sensitive skin and acts as a barrier for the settlement of microorganisms that would be pathogenic.