Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesDiagnosisWhen to Get HelpTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Diagnosis
When to Get Help
Treatment
This article explains the potential causes and symptoms of vaginal skin peeling, along with how it is diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Laura Porter
What Causes Vaginal Skin Peeling?
Multiple conditions may lead tovulvitis(inflammation of the vulva) orvaginitis(inflammation of the vagina). Six potential causes of vaginal skin peeling include the following:
Yeast Infection
Symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection include:
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitisis a rash that develops after contact with a substance. Common irritants or allergens that may cause a vaginal rash include:
Symptoms of contact dermatitis include:
Usually, symptoms will resolve within a few days to a couple of weeks after removing the irritant.
Eczema
Eczema—also called atopic dermatitis—is an inflammatory skin condition. It usually first appears in childhood, and symptoms can come and go. Flare-ups often appear on the arms and behind the knees, however symptoms can show up anywhere on the body.
Symptoms of eczema include:
Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosisoccurs when too much of one type of bacteria grows in the vagina. Activities that change the pH balance in and around the vagina increase the risk of developing bacterial vaginosis. These activities include:
Though many people experience no symptoms with bacterial vaginosis, symptoms—if you have them—may include:
Herpes
Herpesis a viral infection and is considered a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Once you get herpes, the virus remains in your body, and symptoms will come and go. It’s more likely to spread during a flare-up when active symptoms are present.
Symptoms of herpes include:
Lichen Sclerosus
Lichen sclerosusis a rare condition that primarily develops in postmenopausal women or young girls who haven’t started menstruating.The cause of lichen sclerosus is poorly understood.
Symptoms of this condition may include:
Diagnosing Vaginal Skin Peeling
Many skin conditions causing vaginal skin peeling have similar symptoms, making it challenging to self-diagnose. Making an appointment with your healthcare provider helps you get an accurate diagnosis for the cause of skin peeling and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
If you have flaky, itchy, peeling skin in your vaginal area, talk with your healthcare provider to get a diagnosis. Some conditions require prescription medications to treat.
Treatments your doctor may prescribe include:
Ways to Treat Vaginal Skin Peeling at Home
It’s important to treat the cause of your skin condition to get rid of symptoms. At-home treatments that may help ease the symptoms of vaginal peeling include:
Summary
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Willems H, Ahmed S, Liu J, Xu Z, Peters B.Vulvovaginal candidiasis: A current understanding and burning questions.J Fungi (Basel). 2020 Mar;6(1):27. doi:10.3390/jof6010027
Mount Sinai.Vaginal yeast infection.
Kostner L, Anzengruber F, Guillod C, Recher M, Schmid-Grendelmeier P, Navarini AA.Allergic contact dermatitis.Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2017;37(1):141-152. doi:10.1016/j.iac.2016.08.014
Lee JH, Son SW, Cho SH.A comprehensive review of the treatment of atopic eczema.Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2016;8(3):181-190. doi:10.4168/aair.2016.8.3.181
Coudray MS, Madhivanan P.Bacterial vaginosis—a brief synopsis of the literature.Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2020;245:143-148. doi:10.1016/j.ejogrb.2019.12.035
Sauerbrei A.Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention.Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2016;76(12):1310-1317. doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494
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