These 3 vaginal issues are often misdiagnosed or dismissed as something women should just put up with

Your crotch might be trying to tell you something, and it’s not just that your jeans are too tight.“Vulvar skin is not fragile — it’s responsive,” Dr.Keira Barr, a board-certified dermatologist working with Plum Vagiceuticals, told The Post.

“When it’s inflamed, irritated or dry, that’s not a flaw.It’s a signal from your nervous system that something deeper needs attention.”Still, Barr said vulvar skin problems are often treated as cosmetic issues, worse, “dismissed, misdiagnosed, or internalized as something women should just put up with.”That kind of neglect can leave women feeling ashamed, uncomfortable and disconnected from their bodies — which, Barr said, only makes the skin more sensitive to stress.“The nervous system becomes hyper-alert, the skin barrier weakens, and the cycle continues,” she explained.To break that cycle, Barr highlighted three vulvar skin conditions many women haven’t heard of so you don’t have to suffer in silence.This chronic inflammatory condition causes discolored, patchy and thinning skin on the genitals, often leading to tearing, itching or burning, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Lichen sclerosus can make sex, urination or bowel movements painful.

If left untreated, it may even increase the risk of vulvar squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.Scientists still don’t know what causes it, but it’s not contagious.While anyone can get it, postmenopausal women and girls who haven’t hit puberty are at a higher risk.Your chances of developing lichen sclerosus might also increase if you have an autoimmune disease, allergies, diabetes or a body mass index (BMI) over 30. This condition is driven by chronic scratching, which Barr said is often tied to stress, anxiety or other psychiatric conditions.

Skin allergies and irritants can trigger it too.All that scratching thickens the skin — and the thicker it gets, the itchier it becomes.That kicks off a vicious cycle of itch-scratch-repeat,...