Shaved *during* an outbreak?! Freaking a bit

[NothingGoodGetsAway]

ugh ugh ugh

 

So I haven't shaved in a few weeks for fear of triggering an outbreak. So, when I went to the doctor yesterday to get a biopsy after an abnormal pap (fun fun), I thought I'd take today and shave a bit, figuring it didn't really matter if I broke out since I can't do sexy time for a while and this was a good time to trial a shave.

 

I was shaving around my bum when I noticed a little sensitivity. I should have stopped there, but I honestly just didn't think anything of it for a few seconds and continued around my area.

 

Only when I looked after, I saw a rash on the sensitive area. I used plenty of soap, but now I'm afraid that I just shaved during an outbreak and will spread it to my labia!! I've only ever gotten outbreaks on my inner labia (and anal area, unfortunately), never on the skin. I kind of just want it to not be freaking everywhere.

 

Did I just autoinnoculate myself?! It's been 4 months today that I got this, and again there was plenty of soap present and no cuts that I know of, but I know microcuts are a thing.

 

Any experience shaving during an outbreak?? Or just words of comfort? I'm so careful with trying to not spread this to myself but having a moment right now.

[2Legit2Quit]

I shaved during an OB last weekend as well and I'm just fine. I too had a sensitive rash looking area close to my bum... Don't worry.. You've had this long enough that you have antibodies built up.

[NothingGoodGetsAway]

Thanks @2legit2quit I thought you might be one to help me through this! Glad to hear you've had a similar experience really recently! I do know you've had yours for a bit longer, so I will certainly keep an eye on things and report back.

 

 

 

[2Legit2Quit]

Yeah, you should be good. Mine cleared up completely a few days ago and the shaving hadn't made it worse or spread.

[NothingGoodGetsAway]

As an update, the rash is now on both sides of my bum! Again, I'm going to keep an eye on it and update - I'm having to wear a pad instead of tampons after my biopsy, and it's been super uncomfortable! I do now wonder if it's a little "diaper rash". Ah don't you love being a woman?!

 

Either way, I'm just glad I've got a whole lot going on now, and the doctor told me no sex for 2 weeks post biopsy. Takes the pressure off of the "oh goodness is that contagious" and let's me watch with curiosity rather than pressure haha!

 

(I did find this from Dr. Handsfield, which of course I take with a grain of salt...

 

The on and off sorts of symptoms you describe do not suggest herpes. And your premise about unilateral versus bilateral symptoms is correct: latent HSV typically involves a single nerve root on one side of the body or the other, and bilateral symptoms are further evidence against HSV as the cause. The same applies to recurrent genital or oral herpes; amost always recurrent outbreaks occur not only on the same side of the body's midline, but typically within an inch of all previous outbreaks.

[2Legit2Quit]

Have you been sitting in nightly Epsom salt baths and spraying bactine on it a couple times a day? The baths make a huge difference for me, even w as much as I hate taking them. Once I took 3 baths in a row for three days, my stuff almost almost gone by that third day. When I'm lazy and don't take the baths, I can have something for a week or longer, but if I'm religious about the baths, it heals up much faster. I out neosporin on it when it bothered me from walking and that minimozkned the chaffing and allowed my skin to just glide over and preventing the from getting more irritated.

 

I would absolutely take that w a grain of salt and it simply is not true. It is actually herpes zoster that will only affect one aide of the body EVER... HSV will do whatever the fuck it wants. It will affect one aide or both.. It scares me, because I've seen that doctor on his forums he answers say really incorrect things to those w H. I have a friend that only ever gets keg and buttock pain on the left side, whereas I get it on both sides. I had a GP and rheumatologist not believe it was Herpes causing my neuropathy that serve and say only zosters causes that, but it's not true.

 

I used to never chafe until H. Now I chafe very easily.

[WCSDancer2010]

Odds are it's the pads causing the issue ... are they scented or do they have any kind of chemical on them? Many women can't touch anything with perfumes or dyes down there without getting a rash/reaction.

 

As for the issue of where H can show up, it's *generally* the same ganglion where it originally was obtained(Sorry 2legit but Herpes does stay in the original ganglion as Dr h says)... BUT ... you could well have got exposed in 2 different areas when you first got it but only one of them initially broke out ... or you could have autoinnoculated in the first days and weeks of having it (esp if you didn't know what it was... or anywhere where skin rubs against skin) .... Also, the ganglion does supply more than one "area" ... some have a broader area than others, but the one that supplies an area on the right side will only affect the right side.

 

I think a lot of people get it in more than 1 place when they get exposed but only 1 or 2 actually have an OB and the other areas may have got a lower original "dose" and thus manage to stay more under control unless/until their immune system gets shot to hell then more places come out....

 

And if the rash is exactly across from the other spot, as I said, it's very likely its the pads causing the issue...

[2Legit2Quit]

@wcsdancer2010 you read my comment wrong... I said that it infects the sacral ganglion and can go anywhere it feeds basically... Not sure where you got that from, never said such. I said it doesn't just OB on one side, which is what the doctor told her. He said if she had an OB on both sides, it's not H related, which is not true. Old theory was that H was one side or the other, never at the same time and that's what I said isn't true.

[Carlover]

This is just the answer I was looking for. I too have a preference of shaving. Otherwise it's wayy too itchy. Thanks for answer.