Hard lump w/ red top on vagina... SCARED

[questionsask90]

I noticed it yesterday in the shower Jan 10th, 09 while washing, I recently did a completely shave down there for the first time in years and the hair is growing back, I already popped out an ingrown hair on the pubic bone area where the hair is growing in but now i have this red lump on in my outer labia, it doesn't hurt just feels kind of irritated from my underwear rubbing and it's seemed to have gone down from yesterday when i first noticed it. I'm scared because there it is red and there is no head, I've been with the same person for 6 years and he's the only person i've ever been with.

I have 2 kids under the age of five who still wear diapers and I'm scared to death to change them if it's herpes or something horrid I've washed my hands and done purell to the point of painful hands... I have a picture of it but I don't know if you're supposed to put pictures on here.

[questionsask90]

now it just looks like a bump, it reminds me of one of those bumps you would see behind your ear... still no pain, itching or redness anymore.

Thanks in advance!

[questionsask90]

Okay so today in the shower i checked it again and the lump part has gone way down, i still feel a ball there but like i said it's gone down but the red mark is still there.

[questionsask90]

Thanks so much Kindd your information was very informative.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
Without examination,confirmation of a diagnosis is tough,but it sounds like folliculitis or boils. Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin.It starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing or blockage of the follicle. In most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria Staphylococcus (staph).

Boils are caused by infection of the hair follicle by staph aureus.
Apply warm compresses on the bump and keep the area clean.Also apply an antibiotic cream like Neosporin or mupirocin on the bump. Take some over the counter pain reliever and consult a doctor for examination and antibiotics prescription if the symptoms persist..

Hope it helped. Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing and if you have any additional queries.

[questionsask90]

Thanks so much for your response! I'm going to wait a little longer to see what happens then go in to the gyno. It doesn't hurt at all just feels like a hard ball.

[Invisy]

I had something similar to that one time and my doctor told me that it was a clogged up sweat gland.  I waiting a week or so before going to the doctor and it got really big and hurt really bad but they were able to make a small incision to release the pressure and it went away in no time.  I have actually had one of those show up twice and neither one was a pleasant experience :(

[questionsask90]

I've been doing research on it I think it might be a cyst or something.