Determining whether bumps are genital warts vs ingrown hair can sometimes be confusing. However, there are significant differences between the two. The details in this article can help you determine which is which.
How Can I Know If My Bumps Are Genital Warts vs Ingrown Hair?
What Are the Differences Between Genital Warts and Ingrown Hair?
During the course of your normal hygiene routine, you feel a bump “down there.” You kind of palpate it a bit, hoping it’s something you can rub off. It isn’t. That’s scary and worry sets in. What is it? Sex is part of your life, but you always use condoms. Did one of them fail you and you’re now infected with genital warts? Or maybe it’s an ingrown hair. Friends warned you that could happen when you …show more content…
A variety of lumps and bumps can come and go on and around your sex organs. Two very common bumps are genital warts and ingrown hair. Although they can appear in the same parts of your body, they are different.
The ways in which ingrown hair differs from genital warts include:
Causes
Appearance
Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention
Long-term consequences
Once you understand the differences, you’ll be better able to determine whether you have a genital wart or ingrown hair.
Causes of Ingrown Hair and Genital Warts
Hair grows from a little sac in the skin called a follicle. Normally, each hair grows upward through the skin from the follicle. An ingrown hair is one that has curved downward and is growing back toward the follicle. That blocks the follicle and it can become infected. An infected follicle often swells, creating a bump on the skin.
Ingrown hair has many causes, including, but not limited to:
Shaving
Friction from clothing
Waxing
Curly hair
Sometime a particular hair will curl back on itself for no apparent reason.
Tips for Avoiding Ingrown Pubic Hair
Hydrate your skin first
Apply lubricating cream or gel
Use a sharp single-blade razor
Use as few razor strokes as …show more content…
Warts generally have a bumpy surface, but may be smooth. Colors vary greatly. You may spot just one wart, or you may have a cluster of them that can look like a tiny cauliflower. Warts can be tiny or very large.
Although they’re named after your genitalia because that’s where they most often appear, genital warts can be found on other parts of your body. The underlying virus is transmitted when your skin touches the skin of an infected person. There is no cure for HPV, but your immune system can resist or suppress it.
Differences in Symptoms
If your bump hurts, especially if you touch it, then it’s likely an ingrown hair. That’s because the pus in the follicle has caused it to swell. The swelling then presses against the many nerves in your skin. The bump itself usually feels hard or solid. The skin around the bump might also be very tender to the touch. Occasionally an ingrown hair can feel itchy.
Many genital warts are symptomless and don’t hurt. They can be itchy. If the wart is located in a place where it’s irritated by clothing or friction from sex, it might bleed. Warts may feel soft when pressed, although some feel hard. For information about early genital warts, read this article.
Why Is Ingrown Hair Confused With Genital
How Can I Know If My Bumps Are Genital Warts vs Ingrown Hair?
What Are the Differences Between Genital Warts and Ingrown Hair?
During the course of your normal hygiene routine, you feel a bump “down there.” You kind of palpate it a bit, hoping it’s something you can rub off. It isn’t. That’s scary and worry sets in. What is it? Sex is part of your life, but you always use condoms. Did one of them fail you and you’re now infected with genital warts? Or maybe it’s an ingrown hair. Friends warned you that could happen when you …show more content…
A variety of lumps and bumps can come and go on and around your sex organs. Two very common bumps are genital warts and ingrown hair. Although they can appear in the same parts of your body, they are different.
The ways in which ingrown hair differs from genital warts include:
Causes
Appearance
Symptoms
Treatment
Prevention
Long-term consequences
Once you understand the differences, you’ll be better able to determine whether you have a genital wart or ingrown hair.
Causes of Ingrown Hair and Genital Warts
Hair grows from a little sac in the skin called a follicle. Normally, each hair grows upward through the skin from the follicle. An ingrown hair is one that has curved downward and is growing back toward the follicle. That blocks the follicle and it can become infected. An infected follicle often swells, creating a bump on the skin.
Ingrown hair has many causes, including, but not limited to:
Shaving
Friction from clothing
Waxing
Curly hair
Sometime a particular hair will curl back on itself for no apparent reason.
Tips for Avoiding Ingrown Pubic Hair
Hydrate your skin first
Apply lubricating cream or gel
Use a sharp single-blade razor
Use as few razor strokes as …show more content…
Warts generally have a bumpy surface, but may be smooth. Colors vary greatly. You may spot just one wart, or you may have a cluster of them that can look like a tiny cauliflower. Warts can be tiny or very large.
Although they’re named after your genitalia because that’s where they most often appear, genital warts can be found on other parts of your body. The underlying virus is transmitted when your skin touches the skin of an infected person. There is no cure for HPV, but your immune system can resist or suppress it.
Differences in Symptoms
If your bump hurts, especially if you touch it, then it’s likely an ingrown hair. That’s because the pus in the follicle has caused it to swell. The swelling then presses against the many nerves in your skin. The bump itself usually feels hard or solid. The skin around the bump might also be very tender to the touch. Occasionally an ingrown hair can feel itchy.
Many genital warts are symptomless and don’t hurt. They can be itchy. If the wart is located in a place where it’s irritated by clothing or friction from sex, it might bleed. Warts may feel soft when pressed, although some feel hard. For information about early genital warts, read this article.
Why Is Ingrown Hair Confused With Genital