Bumps on inner thighs?!
Question:
Bumps on inner thighs?
about a week after shaving my bikini line, i noticed that i have 2 hard bumps about the size of a quarter on my inner thigh. When I squeezed it pus came out followed by blood. I have razor bumps which is not unusal. I thought about it being a possible std but I have had this bump before when I shaved my bikini line before i became sexually active. Any idea what this could be??
Answers:
NOT AIDS. Silly woman! That is very irresponsible!
These sound like sebacious cysts, which have become infected. The oil your skin produces is made in 'sebacious glands'. You have them everywhere except on mucous membranes like your mouth, or genitals.
When you shave your bikini line, you're cutting fairly coarse hairs, which have big hair follicles (roots). The razor bumps you mentioned is mild irritation. If one of those follicles closes up, and sebum continues to be produced inside it, you have a sebacious cyst. (Actually, a blackhead, or a whitehead can develop into a sebacious cyst). If you do not use antiseptic soap while shaving, or immediately after, it is very easy for these to become infected. It's simply a very nasty, deep pimple...
You should probably consider alternatives to shaving, if you are prone to razor bumps. Eventually, you're going to have a lot of acne-scar like effects.
Things to do to help the sebacious cysts/zits from hxll heal:
Make sure you wash regularly, and use antiseptic, (witch hazel, hydrogen peroxide solution, and alcohol are your best bets) on a cotton cosmetic pad, to keep the areas CLEAN.
If your thighs chafe together, wear boxers, shorts, or granny-underpants -- anything to prevent that.
Use a NON TALC -- cornstarch base -- powder (talc has been linked to ovarian cancer. Don't use it!!) to help keep the areas dry.
Do not pick at the cysts, but if they look like they're about to burst, you can press very gently, on a pad with antiseptic in it, on the sides of the cyst, and that way it will drain into the pad. Put a clean, waterproof, nonstick plaster (Band-Aid) on, after wiping thoroughly with antiseptic.
Broad-spectrum antibiotic creams applied immediatly after hair removal, and especially anywhere that looks irritated, can reduce the risk of infection.
Some people are more prone to sebacious cysts than others. If you suffer spots (zits) on your back, under your breasts, or other places that tend to get sweaty and are hard to keep clean, you really need to not shave your bikini line. They make wax strips for bikini line for sensitive skin, and depilatories (though any chemical that dissolves hair, I don't want near there, thank you!), and epilators (you have to be careful, but once you get the hang of them, those are great!).
WARNING: If one of these bumps becomes unusually large, painful, has a patch of redness surrounding it, or is noticeably warm to the touch, see a dermatologist, or your district nurse (depending where you live). It's probably not serious, but those are signs of infection. That's not a part of your body where you want a nasty skin infection to spread!
NEVER: touch these things, without washing your hands with antibacterial soap before, and after! If you keep your nails long, clean them with a brush. I am not messing about.