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Irritation of the skin in the bikini area is a fairly common problem that is predominantly faced by women, although sometimes it also affects men. The bikini area refers to the upper limit of hair growth in the pubic area (top, sides and inner thighs).
Since irritation appears in a very intimate area, many women and men are embarrassed to even talk about it out loud. Meanwhile, skin irritation delivers not only cosmetic discomfort, but is often accompanied by itching, burning, rashes and pustules, inflammation, peeling.
Knowing the main causes leading to skin irritation in the bikini area, you can find the best methods to eliminate this problem.
Causes of irritation in the bikini area
The causes of irritation in the bikini area can be very diverse, ranging from improper skin care to various diseases. The main factors that provoke irritation are the following:
Allergic reaction to intimate hygiene products or other chemicals. Often the cause of irritation in the bikini area is an allergic reaction. It can occur in response to exposure to products used for intimate hygiene. We are talking about various foams, gels, shampoos, etc. Also, the reaction can be caused by household chemicals – powders or other means used for washing underwear.
Overweight. The problem of skin inflammation in the bikini area is very relevant for obese people. They often suffer from increased sweating, have folds in which sweat lingers, irritating the delicate skin of the inguinal zone. The situation is aggravated by non-compliance with the rules of intimate hygiene.
Inguinal epidermophytosis. Inguinal epidermophytosis is a disease of fungal etiology that affects the skin of large folds. The disease manifests itself in the appearance of itchy and scaly pink spots, which are covered along the periphery with vesicles and pustules. Men suffer from epidermophytosis most often. The transmission of the causative agent of the disease occurs by contact-household in the presence of predisposing factors (high humidity, high ambient temperature, the presence of minor skin lesions, obesity, a tendency to sweating).
Pubic pediculosis. Pediculosis pubis is a contagious parasitic disease caused by pubic lice. They inhabit the genital area, including the bikini area. The most common way of infection is sexual contact, when adults crawl from a sick person to a healthy one. Although the contact-household route of infection is not excluded when using other people’s personal hygiene products. Very rarely, infection occurs in pools, in baths, saunas, in a public toilet. Pediculosis manifests itself in itching, redness of the skin in the pubic area and bikini area due to constant scratching. In addition, small blue and brown spots may appear on the skin, which are the result of blood sucking by lice. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by the appearance of rashes, which are an allergic reaction to the waste products of parasites.
Diseases of the endocrine system, hormonal disruptions. Sometimes irritation in the bikini area can be triggered by diseases of the endocrine system, namely diabetes. In this case, a person develops itching in the groin area. A person begins to comb itchy places, which manifests itself in redness and swelling of the dermis. With hormonal failures, irritation most often occurs due to dry skin, which becomes thin and vulnerable. This problem is especially relevant for women over 45 who have entered the menopause.
Irritation after shaving or waxing
Irritation after hair removal in the bikini area occurs very often. It can have different intensity. Mild irritation is almost always present after epilation, as the hairs are removed from the root. However, it quickly passes and remains almost unnoticed by a person.
More intense irritation of the bikini area after shaving may be due to the following factors:
Improper preparation for the hair removal procedure.
Refusal to use cosmetics that soften and moisturize the skin, making the machine slide smoother.
Use of non-sterile instruments, which can lead to infection of the skin.
Dry skin due to age or individual characteristics of the body.
If the usual skin irritation after shaving is not dangerous, then when an infection is attached, the situation changes. Infection is indicated by severe irritation, soreness of the skin or rashes with pressure, the appearance of vesicles filled with pus, and a local increase in temperature. You can try to cope with the infection on your own, but if there is no improvement after 1-2 days, then you should seek help from a specialist.
Wearing tight underwear made of synthetic materials. Irritation occurs in the bikini area, not only due to the fact that constant friction occurs in this area. An important point is prolonged contact of the skin with sweat. Synthetics are not able to absorb moisture, resulting in a “greenhouse effect” that provokes the development of irritation.
In addition, manufacturers of low-grade underwear often dye fabrics with low-quality dyes, which in themselves can provoke an inflammatory reaction.
Methods for eliminating irritation in the bikini area
In order to get rid of irritation in the bikini area, it is necessary to understand the reason that provoked its occurrence:
Methods for eliminating irritation in the bikini area after shaving and epilation
To get rid of irritation in the bikini area, you need to follow some recommendations:
Follow shaving technique. Before starting the procedure, the skin must be steamed, which will expand the pores and the hairs will be easier to leave their bed.
The surface to be treated must be moistened. For this purpose, a special tool for shaving the intimate area is suitable. It is the most preferred, as it does not contain additives that irritate the delicate skin of the intimate area.
The movement of the razor should be in the direction of hair growth. This will avoid injuring the skin and not bringing an infection into it.
After every 2-3 movements of the machine, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse it.
You need to use new devices that shave well and do not pull hair.
After the hair removal procedure, it is necessary to apply a soothing agent to the skin, after rinsing the treated area with cool water and blotting it with a towel.
The less touching the treated area, the faster the irritation will pass.
After shaving, the skin should be allowed to “breathe”, so it is advisable not to dress for at least the first 20 minutes after treatment.
To disinfect the skin in the bikini area and reduce inflammation, you can use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide with 2 aspirin tablets. You can also wipe the skin after shaving with lemon juice diluted with water in a ratio of 1:2.
Common baby powder, baby cream or oil can help soothe the skin. You can also use Zinc ointment, D-panthenol cream, Vagisil cream. If small vesicles filled with whitish or yellowish contents appear on the skin, this indicates an infection of the tissues. In this case, in no case should they be squeezed out. It is enough to take a sterile bandage, apply an antibacterial ointment on it and apply it over the bubbles. After 2-3 hours, the bandage is removed, and the treated surface is wiped with an antiseptic.
If an ingrown hair becomes the cause of skin irritation, which is often observed with regular epilation, then it must be carefully picked up with tweezers and then shaved off. The surface of the skin in this case must be treated with an antiseptic.
[Video] Olya Reine_MD – How to get rid of irritation after shaving in the bikini area: