sores

i noticed after shaving that i developed bumps which turned to sores and is painful, it is on the outside of virginal? it makes me uncomfortable when wearing pants. What should i do?

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
You have open pores and ingrown hair after shaving. Folliculitis and ingrown hair are common even after shaving. If you still want to go in for Brazilian waxing ,then apply cold compresses(ice cubes wrapped in a towel) on the rash and take some antihistaminic like Benadryl or claritin. You can also apply calamine lotion on the rash. It will help in soothing the skin. A mild corticosteroid cream like dermacort will also help.

Also you can go in for laser hair removal which causes permanent reduction of hair and does not cause folliculitis also. Please consult a good cosmetologist/dermatologist for that. Laser treatment causes post inflammatory hypopigmentation, hence it is advisable to discuss the pros and cons with your dermatologist before going in for this.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your dermatologist. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.