Viking1064

Last summer my wife was getting cuts or tears on her vagina, the inner folds. They were like paper cuts. We are both STD free. Her gyno had no answer. She would get a tear (cut) during intercourse and sometimes when she wiped herself after urinating. (at least these are the times when she noticed she had them) They are small like paper cuts. We started using plenty of lube but the cuts still occurred. After awhile she didn't get them anymore. Well, summer is back and she is getting them again. Has anyone had this happen to them? Please help!!!! It puts a big damper on our sex life, not to forget the discomfort she feels. Thank you in advance!

Lebell

A simple question: do you use your fingers for stimulation and how long are your finger nails?

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Viking1064

No fingers at all.

Lebell

hmmm, doing a stretch here (especially since you've consulted a gynocologist), it could be diet related.

Does your wife take/get enough vitamins? I know that the vaginal/nasal membranes are more likely to tear when the person has a Vitamin C difficiency.

Just my best guess.

Good luck.

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Viking1064

Thanks. I'll try to see if she'll use the witch hazel and ointment. Does your wife know what causes it? We thought it might have something to do with swimsuits, chlorine, sweating down there since it seems to happen in the summer. My wife wears a thin pad all year.

cheerios

sounds like her skin in there's getting dehydrated and cracking. I've been there, it's NOT a pleasant sensation. You may be right, my suggestion would be to try forgoing the pad for a bit, that's usually when I have problems. dry thorougly after swimming and wash well afterwards, change panties daily... let's see... if she's a thong-girl, maybe switch to some fuller panties to get the crotch to push in a bit less? That's my thoughts. good luck, and if you can't get any good solution, maybe a 2nd opinion at another gyno?

MacGnG

something thats a long shot but..
i get winter dry skin on my hands and it can get really bad. if her skin is extra sensative its possible that its something like that. vitamins and OTC allergy medicine. just a thought

*Nikki*

Lubrication is key. You can use lotion down there too!! It is skin just like anywhere else and can get cracked and dry. I wouldn't worry about an STD this is a pretty common occurance.

motdakasha

You say you use plenty of lube so hopefully that's true. I don't know what's causing it, but I think cheerios gave good advice. Air circulation is key to a happy clean vag. Have her switch to light tampons instead of pads for a few months and wear looser breathable (like cotton, not silk) underwear. It could be too sweaty or too dehydrated. See if that changes anything.

A Theory: The lack of air because of the pad could create something similar to diaper rash... Here is a description of one kind of diaper rash that sounds similar to her situation: "- Redness and chafing where friction is greatest but not in the skin folds (chafing dermatitis)." http://rxinsider.com/monographs/diaper_rash.htm Maybe if the gyno doesn't know a dermatologist will?


Causes of diaper rash: (emphasis mine)
Diaper rash is most commonly caused by the constant wetting and drying of the skin along with repetitive exposure to a variety of irritating substances._ Once the naturally dry barrier of a baby’s skin has been irritated it becomes red, warm, rough and can lead to a variety of infections._ The most common irritants are urine, stool, bacteria from urine and stool, ammonia - which is formed by the baby’s stool breaking down the chemicals in urine, detergents, perfumes, plastics and dyes from single use disposable diapers, pre-moistened baby wipes, soaps and reactions to creams._ The term “diaper rash” describes several different kinds of skin conditions in the diaper area._ Below is a list of the different types of diaper rash and what they usually look like.
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/diaper-rash.htm

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FallenAvatar

Lube makes things slick.. it doesn't give them moisture for prolonged periods of time.

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DR_DEATH

my father is a doctor and he thinks maybe it could be diet, stress or allergy related, or all three. Introducing vitamin oitments into that region is not a good idea, it promotes bacterial infections. Introduce ginger and garlic into your daily meals (small amounts) and if you have no qualms about the taste, use some star anise in your cooking every now and again. ginger and garlic help fight bacterial infections and have some antiviral properties, along with improving tissue regeneration. Star anise improves blood circulation, which might be a problem. Tears and cracks might be occuring because the tissue is degrading because it may not be getting enough fresh blood into the area.

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Viking1064

WOW!!! I can't believe how knowledgeable many of you are. Thanks so much. Will do some research on all the tings you have suggested. I'll let you know our choice and tell you how she made out!!! Thanks again!!!!!!!!!

motdakasha

I know it doesn't. My point is that if there isn't enough lube, friction can cause tears whether or not the vagina is moisturized. I had sex with this one guy who thought you could just insert the penis into the vagina with zero foreplay and zero lube. He ripped me because he tried to force it in without any sort of liquids down there. (Grr.) I have a scar now because of this guy because he didn't check to see if I was "ready." I kept trying to explain to him how I needed lube if he wasn't going to do anything to uh "prep" me and he still didn't get it. He would keep pumping away after all the lube had worn off and I would have to stop him and explain to him time after time that it just doesn't work without fluids. I got many tears from this guy. Omg it was a nightmare.

Anyways, I figured that if he said he was using lube when it was needed, then he's probably smart enough to know when it needs lube or not. So it's probably not tearing because the guy thinks he can just force anything into a dry vagina.

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motdakasha

Believe you me, I wanted to. I was trying to be "patient" with his inability to grasp certain essential concepts to sex. Ironically, he claimed I hadn't given the relationship a chance. I don't think he realized how much I put up with him in such a small amount of time.

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toxic515

Diet and stress can cause skin issues. At times during the year, (tax time? hahahaha) my skin on my arms also becomes rather thin. My personal physician is also a very close friend from high school advised me to watch my changes in eating habits during times of stress, and warned to stay away from external steroids like hydrocortizone. A triple antibiotic ointment or for a "holistic" approach vitamin e oil will help. and for heaven's sake, don't get too rough with it when it's like that.

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ohwhatfunits

hi folks!

This is my first ever posting in a forum of any sort!!

I have been reading up on the vaginal tearing myself as I am experiencing those same symptoms myself.
from my research it seems the reasons for vaginal tearing could be the following:
1. yeast infec. (these are usually severe)
2. tampons (my gyn says, if one uses tampons of higher absorbancy than reqd..then it might lead to tearing/discomfort)
3. thongs..nylons...xtra small (i.e wrong size) ..
4. OB tampons: these particular tampons have a tendency to cause extra stretching...leading to tearing.. Unfortunately for me this the brand that has suited me the most and I have to give it up as this seems to be the cause of my problem
I am sure there are more reasons that could cause viginal tearing..like diet, vit deficiency..

my question: how do i get over the symptoms?

I have stopped using OB tamps, I do take frequent vit tablets (not regular tho).
It is extremely painful to have sex...esp when i have to pee right after..almost unbearable. i use lubrication (baby oil, KY liq)..while having sex and inbetween to prevent dryness that wod lead to tearing.

Any help is highly appreciated!

iamabanana

I'm assuming you don't mean inside the vagina itself since you stated "the inner folds" . Do you happen to shave? It could be your stubble rubbing up against her during intercourse. I've had that problem before. It's not very pleasant.

Damn. This is an old topic.

ohwhatfunits

no its not due to shaving for sure. For me the paper cut like wound appears in the "outer fold" . Anatomically speaking it is at the "lower commisure"/ where lateral parts of the vagina meet (junction).

Any remedies?

astrahl

There is a condition called lichen sclerosis that's primary symptom is vaginal or vulval tearing. Does the skin appear thin or papery-white? Is the skin ichy or dry? Most gyn's don't know the condition, but it is more common than you might think, occurring most often in post-menopausal women.

Have her ask her gyn about lichen sclerosis and see if he/she or another dr. can diagnose it. The first type of treatment is topical steroids.

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abaya

Fissures are often a result of yeast infection. I posted a thread last March (can't be bothered to find it now, but you can look for "fissures" if you want) when I had the same problem. Sex hurt and I had several "paper-cut"-like tears down there (fissures). Raeanna helped me out w/this one, so let's see if she'll post here.

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ohwhatfunits

i dont think its any infection. coz there are no abnormal discharges...no itching..no irritation. other than sting of the cut itself when it reopens..esp when i open legs wide apart for exercising/sex.
why isnt it healing? cuts this thin heal everywhere else so quickly...

lindseylatch

This may have been mentioned, but it sounds a LOT like a yeast infection. Gynos don't always seem to catch those.
I had the exact same thing happening, and I had to get checked by two people before they caught it.
The yeast infection can actually degerate the tissue to some extent, making it easy to tear. I had NO OTHER SYMPTOMS of a yeast infection, but once I got treated, no more cuts.

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ohwhatfunits

ok...i am going to get an appointment with another gyno now!!
thanx...

kanaoi

I 've been having vaginal tears but they seem to go away for days. My boyfriend is asking me for answers that i don't have. he thinks i'm cheating on him because we had sex yesterday and everything was fine, but today when we were being intimate he went down and notice the vaginal tearings and since they were not there yesterday he thinks I'm cheating. How can I do to prove to him that was happening to me is not because I'm cheating on him

AndTylerToo

I don't mean to sound inconsiderate or assholish or anything, but he doesn't sound like the greatest of boyfriends if he sees that and instead of asking if you're ok, assumes that you're cheating. I would think that you saying that you weren't cheating would dispell any thoughts of the sort. Or for that matter, if he is trusting, why did it even come to his mind in the first place?

Edit: sorry, just noticed that this doesn't really answer your question, its just the first thing that came to my mind.

skier

It seems to me you have a very worried boyfriend. I think it would be easy to get mad at him for his unfounded fears but that wouldn't solve anything. The thing is, if he's worried about it, he'll be thinking about and looking for signs that you might be cheating on him. And he'll probably find what he's looking for if this goes on long enough (by which I mean some insignificant anecdotal evidence similar to this vaginal tear thing). If you know you love him, tell him so, and that he has to trust you for your relationship to work. I don't know what else you can do- it's his problem, and as much as you want to help him, he has to figure it out on his own. Only thing to do is support him, and give him no reason to doubt.

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Mherlee

If you think it might be a yeast infection, and they certainly can have no effects but still cause problems, then just treat it over the counter. Anytime I take antibiotics I use yeast infection med just in case for a few days. Could try rubbing vitamin E also. Helps make the skin more elastic so doesn't tear as easy, plus feels gooooood.

alilbitworried

hi, i'm experiencing a similar problem. i don't have sex very often as my boyfriend and i don't live together and i only recently lost my virginity.(we don't use lubes and sex isn't tht painful) i 've had sex on 3 occasions and after the first 2 times i had bruising and slight swelling (which feels like blisters). i was wondering if this happens to anybody else.

my second dilemma is tht i recently took the morning after pill. since then i have been ill and don't know if it is the pill tht is responsible. it has made my urine rather acidic and tht is how i noticed tht i have cuts on the flaps of my vagina.

if anybody knows a way i can get it to stop hurting, please inform me.

thankyou for reading, please write if u know something that might help.

a_lil_bit_worried

doncalypso

Lubrication.... If some of you ladies are experiencing vaginal tears during sex then you should have your men go much more gently and consider using some lube to smoothen things out.

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raeanna74

There are several possibilities.

1. Yeast infection. Yes I'm sure she went to the Gyno but perhaps you/she only asked if it was an STD, not exactly what it was. A good Dr would look for all possibilities but some Dr's might not.
I have encountered the fissures when related to a yeast infection along with other complaints.

2. Bacterial Vaginosis. "Vaginosis" is simply inflammation in the vagina and the irritation can often be seen on the labia. It's simple to care for and not usually looked for by Dr's because it's so common and usually symptomless. If this is the case I would recommend the 3 day vaginal cream since the 1 day is more potent and can be more irritation and the 7 day can seem long to deal with it. Vaginosis can often occur alongside a Yeast infection. Symptoms range from mild itching to a burning sensation and there is usually a discharge that is of a creamy yellow or white, and a cottage cheese texture. If there is a fishy odor then you can be fairly certain that it's BV since Yeast doesn't have a fishy odor.

3. Simple wetness problems. I have gone through phases where I wore liners constantly because of discharge. It caused me more trouble than it helped. I found out later that it was only compounding a problem I already had. Normal feminine wetness is not usually enough, except when aroused, to wet panties sufficiently to require liners. If she's wearing liners constantly I would suspect that she has excess discharge. That is often a result of either of the above problems. If she were to switch to all cotton panties with no liners and perhaps even change them frequently. As was mentioned by another here, she could avoid thongs (which btw tend to result in BV more often as well) and wear simple cotton panties. She could just stock up on some inexpensive ones and not worry about staining them.

4. Stay away from scented products, especially scented tampons and body powders with talc in them. Mexana I think is one of the powders with only cornstarch in it. Read the ingredients. Even some powders that boast having cornstarch will also have talc in them as well. This can irritate the sensitive skin down there. If you can't find any powders that do not have talc in them you can use baking soda. I have done it and it is cooling and soft. It also helps if you have an acidic pH that would contribute to yeast or BV.

5. I find I have less trouble with irritation down there when I sleep naked or without panties. It takes a little getting used to but I have fewer yeast infections when I do.

I have tried Vagisil to help with irritation down there and find that it actually burns and irritates me. One cream that I have found that is very helpful in healing any kind of 'diaper rash' or irritation and at least giving temporary relief is Vagi*Gard. It has an antiseptic Benzalkonium Cloride and a numbing agent Benzocaine 5% that relieves the itching and tenderness quickly. It also has Aloe and Vitamin E and seems to help things heal quite quickly.

Good Luck

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spartan3585

We are having intercourse quite a bit and well she and i both agree i am too big and latley we have noticed she has been torn around the area where i would enter and i was wondering what to do can somebody help

DianeDiane

Well I have finally found out I am not alone. this has recently happened to me---tears, papercut like tears on my vagina and I was looking for answers. It seems to go away and then recurr.
One large clue is that this did happen after I took antibiotics for a terrible cold. I got symptoms of a yeast infection and the cuts appeared. Even though I seem to be better they keep coming back.
I have always been very sexually healthy and married to the same person for 20+ years. I am probably post-menopausal and I wonder if this is a complication of the vaginal lining thinning with age.
I have no problem with getting older, in fact before this sex has never been better, I just hope this goes away permantly.
I hope this may have helped someone as equally perplexed as I was until I saw this forum.
I feel I am not alone and not a victim of some rare bizarre condition.... : )

cmbhelppp

so glad to hear that there are others with this problem. For the past 2 years, I've been going through this tearing/fissures. But at the same time, seeing my gyn and now a specialist because I was diagosed with Lichen Schlrosis. Now they have decided that it is not LS after several biopsies!!! I do have bacterial vaginosis, which I just finished meds for and now the tearing is back. I do use lubs during sex, but the tearing seems to happen a few days after sex or around the time of my period. I think maybe using tampons? I do wear thongs which I probably shouldn't. I think I will stop to see if that helps. But all the ointments/steroid cream etc., does not help the itching, burning, tearing etc. Anyone know of any other treatments, cause at this point, i'm ready to have everything removed if I could! I have two children, both were born via ceasarian. I also have herpes (long ago from a shitty cheating boyfriend) so I have ahd vag issues for a long time. Thank heavens for patient husbands, because mine is!

help!!!

motdakasha

Do you use soap when you wash? That can also irritate and dry out mucous membranes. Try only using water to wash, or if you really feel the need to use a cleaning agent use something very gentle like Cetaphil (it's meant for people who are allergic to soaps).

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cmbhelppp

I actually have changed all the "soap" products that I use, since seeing the specialist. I use Cetaphil, Tide Free laundry soap, Natura dryer cloths in the dryer and use vaseline after going to the bathroom, still the constant burning and itching and tearing is there! not sure what to try next.....

lilfle

i have a question about this, i found this site from searching on google, and read this entire post, and it seems to sort of fit my problem

i have a tear under my vagina, between that and my anus. it is about a half inch long, somewhat like a papercut. it is also on one of the lips (? i dont really know how to phrase it...), it is in a perfectly straight line. i was wondering if maybe my thong could have caused it, i wear them every day, and occasionally it gets stuck way up there.. i am also in karate, and when kicking high, it stretches and tightens up. i thikn that is the cause of the tear. do i need to see a doctor about it or just wear something other than thongs until it heals? any idea on how long that might take? i dont really feel it until i go to the restroom and wipe - it feels like the paper is rubbing it raw or tearing off a type of scab of sorts. i would just "dab" or something, but i have another problem - i seem to be leaking a mucusy fluid, is this just my regular monthly leakage, or something else? any comments would be very helpful, i plan to read up on other things on this site, thanks so much

Sharon

Sounds like a good reason to visit your ob/gyn to me.

cmbhelppp

in response to "lilfle"....I would definetly go see your gyn. But first, I would stop wearing the thongs, that's what I had to do! I hate regular undies, but I think it helps a bit. I am also having a problem with a strange mucous and am seeing my specialist tomorrow. My BV is back and the tears are not going away no matter what I do. So, my suggestion to you is toss the thongs, use some vaseline after the bathroom and go see the gyn about the mucous, especially if it has an odor or is coloured. Godd luck! I know what a pain this can all be!!!

tweets24

Same thing is happening to me as mentioned by spartan3538
"We are having intercourse quite a bit and well she and i both agree i am too big and latley we have noticed she has been torn around the area where i would enter and i was wondering what to do can somebody help"

i am starting to think the problem is that he is too large, but we have been together a while now and this didnt happen in the beginning. I think it happened once and has never healed properly, even though we have taken "time off" to let it heal. Im not sure what else to do to help heal it. Does anyone else think Vitamin E oil would work down there?

emma s

Can i ask if these episodes only last a couple of days to a week and then goes away? as mine do. i have had this about 3 times ow in about 6 months.

i have very similar symptoms with tears/cuts around the outside of my vagina and it hurts like hell to apply pressure and stings when i go to the bathroom and is generally uncomfortable.

I have seen 2 differnt doctors, one at a medical centre the other at a womens helth clinic in sydney and both tested me for herpes and gave me antibiotics just incase. Both times it came back positive and there are no blisters just these tears.

This recent epidsode i went back to both doctors and both tested me again even though one said it was highly unlikely it owuld come back positive, she also wants me to have a blood test.

Neither have been able to suggest anything except for paw paw ointment which doesnt help that much - really only to keep it lubricated.

I dont want to have to go back through this again and not have any answers. Is it best to see a gyno for this sort of thing? Im not sure if its lichen sclerosus, it may even be vulvodynia?

Any help would be appreciated as this is the only thing ive crome across which has been helpful!