AS WE head into a long weekend of glorious sun, you might be dreaming of beaches, the sea, swimming, bikinis…
You even might choose to have a little prune down below in preparation of wearing said bikini.
Shaving or waxing your bits regularly can leave you with some nasty skin complications
Whether you choose to remove your hair down there – and how you do it – is a matter of preference.
But venereologist Dr Eva Melegh warned that various skin problems can arise from waxing, shaving or grooming your pubic area.
Here are four things to watch out for and how to avoid them in the first place, according to the skin specialist.
1. Rashes
Ever waxed or shaved your bikini line to smooth perfection, only to have it come up in angry bumps minutes later?
While post-waxing and shaving rashes are common on any part of the body, Dr Melegh said the the skin of your pubic region is thinner and especially sensitive, resulting in over-sensitivity to any grooming.
The doctor advised you avoid thongs or g-strings for two days after you wax or shave and opt for cotton underwear instead.
You should also use a fragrance-free de-sensitising cream like the Kalme Undercoat cream on the area immediately after waxing or shaving and for two days more, Dr Melegh added.
2. Infected pores
According to Dr Melegh: “Waxing pulls the hair clean out of the skin pore, temporarily leaving a minute ‘open hole’.”
It also “often nips the top of the skin pore holding the hair, causing a minute abrasion to the skin”.
Your pubic area usually gets very little air and tends to be warm and enclosed in underwear, encouraging bacteria and yeast to breed quickly in the mini open wound.
This can leave you with the dreaded infected pores that cause the skin to look pimpled, the venereologist said.
To combat that, she advised you gently exfoliate the area daily for up to four days after waxing or shaving to avoid bacteria build up in the healing skin pore.
Also try and wear looser clothes for one day after waxing to allow the area to air and sleep without underwear for one to two days after waxing or shaving, she added.
You should also nurture the ‘good skin flora’ on your intimate areas of skin two days prior to and up to three days after waxing or shaving to help keep bacteria at bay.
She recommended the Clarol Silver Serum.
3. Dry skin
“Regular waxing and shaving makes pubic skin drier, as pubic hair traps in moisture and oils and keeps the skin more moisturised,” Dr Melegh said.
And whenever you get a wax, the top layer of skin is removed in the process, meaning extra moisture is lost as the skin barrier is weakened, she continued.
If your regularly grooming your intimate bits, it important to keep the area soft and supple by using a fragrance and chemical free moisturiser like the In2mate Moisturiser, the doctor said.
4. Herpes
Waxing or shaving off your public hair can actually inflict trauma to your labia, which can trigger a herpes outbreak if you are in the 50 per cent of the population that carries the herpes virus, according to Dr Melegh.
“Many of us use a balm most days to keep lips soft, supple and protected,” she said. “Well vaginal ‘lips’ need much the same treatment.”
She recommended using natural perfume free balm on your labia lips to protect them from trauma from waxing and shaving.