extremley scared...herpes or ingrown hair? - Herpes Message Board

SweetOranges · 01-12-2005, 11:13 PM

ok, i'm going to have to be kinda explicit and straightforward in this post, so bear with me...
About 3 months ago, I found a small bump on my labia, and, thinking it was an ingrown hair, plucked it...a few days later, it got flat and seemed to have pus inside...thinking I didnt get the entire hair, I put hot compresses on it and after about 4 days total it went away. Just a few days ago, this happened to me again, in the exact same spot. I used to shave my genital area and now I have stopped...so I plucked what hairs I thought was causing the problem and again have been using hot compresses. I recently just read however that many people mistake herpes for ingrown hairs...I have always been super responsible about sexual activity and am planning on going to get it checked out tomorrow...i feel like my life is going to be over in the event that i get diagnosed with herpes...
I have had no itching and no burning...on a scale of 1-10 pain level is probably a 4 only when I put pressure on the area....what do you think this is???

karenscorner · 01-13-2005, 08:59 AM

I had that happen long before I was diagnosed with H. the first time I went to the gyn thinking I had a tumor or something and they said it was just an ingrown hair. It happens from time to time, especially in summer with more sweating and tighter clothes. I think your ok, but if it is H your life is NOT over.

H is not a great thing by any means but get perspective. Your life is not over because if a skin condition! your life is over if your dead!

Good luck

beaker24 · 01-13-2005, 04:34 PM

What you are describing could be a simple genital pimple; an ingrown hair; a herpes outbreak - or a couple of other things. Reoccurring in the same spot would suggest herpes, but herpes is usually (although not always) uncomfortable in some way - itchy, painful, tingling, sensitive etc.

Let us know how you get on when it's checked out - herpes is not the end of the world but as it's not the greatest thing ever either!! - I hope you don't have it. Keep perspective though: it isn't fatal and it's manageable.

punkrokchk2000 · 01-13-2005, 05:39 PM

Don't you worry about nothin'.

I used to get big pimples on my labia long before I was diagnosed with Herpes. Seriously - it happens... I even used to just pop them - it felt much better afterwards. But if you do that it could get infected...

Not to get too personal, but when did you have sex prior to your findings of this little pimple? Just curious - I'm sure it's different for everybody, but my outbreak happened the very next day. I mean - vomiting, couldn't walk, pain...the whole nine yards. Just curious is all...

SweetOranges · 01-13-2005, 07:04 PM

Well I just got back from the doc and I have herpes...so Im about to drink myself silly...almost killed myself 3 times on the way home cos I was speeding. I saw it coming, I really did...I always assume the worst and it always turns out to be true. I seriously feel like my life is going to be over...I feel like my entire female anatomy is null and void now...my bf is ok with it, hes being very supportive(he wants to marry me someday and he was saying that since he's never going to have sex with anyone else having herpes doesnt matter even if he probably gets it), but I feel like I can never love myself again. This is going to destroy me...but thank you guys for your optimism...wish it rubbed off on me