Q&A for How to Wash Your Vagina

It's natural for your vagina to have a mild odor. The best thing you can do is wash daily with mild soap and water and wear breathable cotton underwear and loose, comfortable pants to prevent sweat from building up in the area. If your vagina has a very strong, unpleasant odor, talk to your doctor to find out what might be causing it.

There are a lot of reasons your vagina might feel irritated after penetration. It's possible you have an infection, in which case you might see other symptoms, like redness, itching, and unusual discharge. If you don't produce a lot of natural lubrication, that could also lead to soreness and irritation. Talk to your doctor or gynecologist about your concerns--they can help you figure out what's going on.

If you are concerned about the color of your vagina, there are private clinics that offer chemical or laser bleaching procedures. However, please be aware that these procedures can cause harmful side effects, such as blistering, scarring, redness, and irritation. There is a huge range of natural variation in the color of women's genitals, so there's nothing harmful or abnormal about having dark pigmentation in your vagina.

Even if your vagina seems clean, it's a good idea to wash your genital area every day and wear clean, breathable underwear.

It's a good idea to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your vaginal health. They can help you determine if you have vaginismus, a condition in which the vaginal muscles become painfully tight. This condition can be treated with a combination of physical therapy, psychological therapy, and devices such as vaginal dilators.

Ask your doctor or a pharmacist if it is safe to use these two medications together. They can tell you if there is any risk of harmful interactions.

If you have a strong odor and heavy vaginal discharge, see your doctor. It's possible that you have a vaginal infection. They can run tests to determine what's causing these symptoms and recommend an appropriate treatment.

Getting water inside your vagina can cause slight irritation. It's also possible that your vagina was already irritated for some reason. If you have any concerns, make an appointment with your doctor or gynecologist.

Before using any medication to treat your discharge, see your doctor for a diagnosis. Some vaginal discharge is normal, and using medications to treat it could upset the natural balance of your vagina and cause irritation or infections. If you do have an infection, it's also important to determine what type (i.e., bacterial or yeast) so that you can choose the right kind of medication.

Ask your doctor about using gentle, unscented wipes to clean yourself when you go to the bathroom. You could also gently wipe yourself with a clean, damp washcloth. Consider switching to a stronger toilet paper if the paper you use tends to easily shred and stick to your body.

Depends. Are the bumps red, swollen, painful, and resemble blisters? Or are they pearly white and completely painless? The first can indicate a viral infection. The second, however, are completely normal and are called pearly papules.

Yes. That is very normal.

Practice good hygeine and visit your OBGYN to make sure you are healthy.

It's called vaginal discharge. It happens before, during, and after your period. It is just a part of your vagina's cycle of cleaning itself.

Sexual arousal increases blood flow to the area, enlarging it.

Absolutely not. It will irritate your vaginal area.

Since it can be a number of things causing your specific odor, try changing your diet. Eating more fruits & drinking a lot of water will take away any odor. What you put in your body truly is what you are.

Yes. You experience an increase of discharge around your period and a few weeks after. All normal.

I'll let you in on a secret: women have hair on their vaginas. You are a woman. Congratulations. You don't have to do anything.

Your "unpleasant odor" may actually be your own natural vaginal odor and shouldn't be something to worry about. Remember, just because you know it's there and think it's disgusting, doesn't mean other people think the same. Do not obsess over it. Every woman has their own smell.

It is probably just natural vaginal discharge and it is nothing to be concerned or embarrassed about.

Temporarily, yes. This is normal, especially if the sex is unprotected and the man ejaculates inside the woman. It goes away after an hour or so.

Vaginosis is not life-threatening. As long as you follow your antibiotic regimen, you are definitely going to be fine! Remember: do not stop your antibiotics just because you feel better. Continue the entire regimen until you are out of pills.

Get a new boyfriend. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but you shouldn't be changing yourself in any way to please anyone else. If you take normal care of your body, the smell is also normal and it's something he'll have to live with. If you have some sort of infection, or if you're not sure, ask your doctor or gynecologist.

No. Shampoo is designed to clean hair, not skin, especially not the vaginal area. Keep any and all soap, shampoos, and conditioners away from the vaginal area. Shave your vaginal area; don't wax it.

Yes, you can. However, this is not necessary for hygienic purposes, so you shouldn't do this every day. (It can be good for some instances though, like when you're on your period.)

Use your fingers to pull it out!

No. Do not use any soap near the vaginal area, as it could kill off good bacteria and lead to infection.

It is completely normal for a woman's discharge to temporarily have a different smell after sex, especially unprotected sex in which you ejaculated inside her. Before sex, are you actually describing her vaginal fluids as a result of arousal? You should only be concerned if her discharge smells strongly of fish or bread/beer. If it smells like sweat or a slight metal, it is normal. Talk to her about switching to cotton underwear, not to wear tight clothes such as leggings for a long time, and to sleep naked so her vaginal area gets aired out.

NO!! If you wouldn't use something around your eyes, do NOT use it around your vagina. Always use natural, SAFE products to clean. Try coconut oil, just water, or a natural/organic soap. Don't use perfumed or scented soaps as that could cause the gross, fishy smell to appear.