Is it normal that every time I shave my vulva starts to prickle, have patches, smell bad, etc.?

Question

It seems that since I had my first yeast infection last year, my vulva is more sensitive. Do I have to put cream on every time, (I don't do it now, I'm waiting for it to pass, because I feel like if I put too much on it, it could be dangerous) Thanks for enlightening me! I don't know. However, I don't shave often, so when I do, I've noticed this happening. I am 8-9 days away from my period, could this have anything to do with it? For the past year (my first was in November 2019), I've been getting infections repeatedly and it's been stressing me out.

Alexandre Chagnon · Accepted Answer

Good evening ma'am, It is very rare to see such a change occur at the time of shaving. Could it be that the odor is still there, but you only notice it at the time of shaving? Have you tried not shaving that area for more than 10 days to see if the symptoms completely disappear? Actually, vaginal discharge and "odor" can change over the course of the menstrual cycle and it is quite possible to have some irritation/itchiness following shaving. As for the odor, I would encourage you to check to see if it is present at the end of your day (which is likely and normal given the moisture and sweating around the area) or if it is present even following your personal hygiene (which is not normal). Do you have itching, burning, swelling in the vulva that is present even before shaving? Do you have a large whitish "cottage cheese" type of vaginal discharge? At this point, these symptoms are indeed suggestive of a vaginal infection and treatment can be found with your pharmacist. If the odor is characteristic of a "fishy" smell, at this point, only medication prescribed by a doctor/gynecologist will be effective. Some women may indeed be at higher risk for recurrent infections. In general, I would advise you to wash every day, use a mild soap without fragrance, such as Dove without fragrance, wash only your vulva and not the inside of the vagina, use white cotton underwear, rinse well if you take a spa, avoid bath "bombs" or other scented products, and stay away from "douches vaginales" and vagisil products. If this persists, it would be good to consider seeing a gynecologist to offer advice. For shaving, I would advise you to always change your razor blade approximately every 2 weeks, rinse it well with warm water and dry it before storing it, to avoid rust. I also suggest you shave in the shower to soften your hair and shave in the direction of the hair, while using a mild unscented soap, such as Dove without fragrance, to shave. Using depilatory foams can irritate and create a skin reaction, so I do not recommend them. I hope I have answered your question. Maeva Di-Re, Pharmacy Student Supervised by Alexandre Chagnon, Pharmacist