Pimples on labia – Read about reasons and treatment
Table of contents
What does pimples on labia look like?
Most people have experience with pimples in the face and on the back, but as a woman you can also experience pimples in the genital area, for example on your labia. These can be pimples with inflamed yellow pus, which can be squeezed out. They look exactly the same as pimples you would find anywhere else on the body: red, sore and inflamed. Red bumps on the labia are also quite common. These little, red bumps can be filled with sebum.
Who can get pimples on the labia?
The appearance of a woman’s labia can change throughout life. This change might occur due to pregnancy or birth, during menopause or due to old age. This is completely normal, even if it can be experienced as frustrating and annoying. Even if you haven’t struggled with pimples on the labia, it might happen at some point of your life.
Why do you get pimples on your labia?
Pimples are generally an hormonally conditioned skin problem. This is why, it’s during puberty, that most people struggle with pimples. During puberty there are a lot more hormones produced in the body. During this time, there is also a lot more sebum in the sebaceous glands, which can become blocked, due to the sebum not being able to exit at the surface of the skin. If bacteria enter the glands – which can be hard to avoid – there will be an inflammation, which appears in the form of a pimple.
Both the larger, outer labia and the small, inner labia contain sebaceous glands – so just as on the rest of our skin – pimples can occur.
There may be different reasons as to why you suddenly develop a pimple or red bumps on the labia. In most cases the reason behind it is completely natural and harmless.
Pimples can be sebum plugs
The things you identify as pimples, could in reality be sebum plugs. They appear as white bumps on the skin of the labia.
We have sebaceous glands all over our body, except from the palms of our hands and soles of our feet. The purpose of the sebaceous glands is to produce sebum, which contains fat. It may help to moisturise your skin well in order to protect it from dryness and bacteria. The sebaceous glands are also completely natural and something, which is supposed to be there.
Pimples caused by shaving and ingrown hairs
Whenever you remove hair by shaving or other methods, there is always a certain risk of a hair follicle is infected and inflamed, which will lead to a pimple. This goes for any area of the body, where you remove unwanted hair, the same goes for shaving the labia.
Pimples or sebum plugs on the labia can occur due to ingrown hairs. When a hair grows into the skin, it’s due to the tip of an outgrowing hair, being forced back into the skin or into the follicle that it came from. This can often be caused by pressure from tight clothing, or it can be caused after shaving.
A larger or smaller pimple on the labia can be an embarrassing ordeal on its own. But in rare cases, the pimple can still develop into a larger boil, which requires treatment from a doctor.
This is how you avoid pimples while intimate shaving:
Good hygiene is crucial if you are trying to get rid of pimples related to intimate shaving. For this reason, we recommend that you use our complete set for intimate shaving – read about the entire kit here.
Also read: > Intimate shaving for women – this is how you do it
Bumps on skin can be caused by pressed skin
In some cases white bumps on the labia can be caused by pressed skin. This condition is also known as lichen sclerosis and often affects old people. These bumps can be sore and itchy.
The bumps could be genital warts
Are you experiencing bumps on your labia, you could be dealing with genital warts, also known as condylomas. This is a sexually transmitted infection, which requires treatment from your doctor, so that you can get rid of the genital warts and won’t infect anyone else.
How can you avoid pimples on the labia?
Both pimples and bumps on the labia are quite common, but it can still be just as frustrating, nonetheless.
It’s rarely a good idea to squeeze and press pimples and bumps, even if it can be hard to avoid. By squeezing you risk causing inflammation and worsening the situation.
Are you doubting about what the bumps on your labia are, you should allow a doctor to take a look at them. Maybe they require treatment, or if they happen to be genital warts, they should be treated. If they are pimples, there are steps you can take on your own, to deal with the situation.
Treatment of pimples and red bumps on the labia
- First and fore most it’s important to prioritise a good daily hygiene – also “down there”. Excess sebum, fat and dirt has to be removed. You can do this by gently cleansing yourself with a gentle intimate soap. As important as it is, It’s important that you don’t overdo it when it comes to hygiene. Overdoing it could mean washing too often or harshly, or using products that contain perfume, as this could put the natural pH-balance at risk and lead to other problems.
Intimate Wash from Australian Bodycare is a mild and nourishing intimate soap which is antibacterial and is therefore incredibly efficient in the battle towards pimples and red bumps.
- Skip intimate shaving for a while, to see if perhaps shaving could be the cause of the pimples. If you start shaving again after your shave-break it’s important to rinse the skin with a good intimate soap before shaving. After shaving it could be a great idea to moisturise and nourish the skin with an intimate balm.
- Tightly fitted clothes in synthetic material, which prevents the skin from breathing, can also be the cause of pimples and red bumps on your labia. You might find that wearing loosely fitted clothes and underwear, with breathable material helpful.
