Thread: Vulvar lesions--who to see?

I have recurring vulvar lesions and I am wondering what kind of doctor I should go to. I already know I don't have an STD.

When I gave birth to my last child they used a vaccuum to help pull her out. That caused my vulva to tear on either side of my vaginal entry. It's kind of like an open and closed parenthesis. Anyway, the doc sewed me back up but those areas continue to re-tear--two years later.

Unfortunately I now have other areas on my vulva that tear. The itching drives me crazy and I end up scratching and creating a whole new set of tears to deal with.

I know where the parentheses-like tears come from, but I'm not so sure why I get the others. Should I go to my family doctor (a general practitioner), and OBGYN, or a dermatologist for these issues?

Find a dermatologist that works with vulvar issues. You also might want to check out information on lichen sclerosis and lichen planus. Another thought, is that your estrogen is low. If you have low levels of estrogen, your vulvar tissue will not be as thick and elastic as it should be. There are estrogen creams (estrace) perscribed by a doc that might help.

Meanwhile, use laundry detergent that has no dyes or perfumes and don't use any softeners. Also don't use any soap to clean yourself. You could try using a frozen bag of peas to help eaze the itching.