• Avoid spreading bacteria (from stool or the anal area) to the vulva.


• Keep the area around the vulva dry.


• Allow the area to have exposure to air.


• Avoid irritants such as fabric softeners and perfumed soaps.

• Wipe from front to back after having a bowel movement. It's important to teach girls to reach behind their back to wipe after a BM.


• Girls with labial adhesions or who experience dribbling after urination should pull their pants all the way down and urinate with knees apart to prevent urine from pooling into the vagina.


• Wash hands frequently, particularly after going to the bathroom, when ill, and before going to bed at night.

• Wear soft, loose fitting clothes. Tight, synthetic fabrics keep the vaginal area damp.


• Wear cotton underwear, not garments that just have a cotton crotch.


• Wear a nightgown or T-shirt at bedtime with no underwear so that air can circulate around the area. (Dressing in pajamas without underpants may not be as effective.) This step can make all the difference in the world.


• Get out of a wet bathing suit as soon as possible.


• Wash clothes, particularly underpants, with a nondetergent soap like Dreft or Ivory.


• Consider double rinsing all underwear.


• Do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets. These products work by leaving residue in the clothing that can be transferred to the skin, especially when the skin is damp. Many people with sensitive skin have a negative reaction to these products.


• Watch the brand of sanitary products you are using. Some people react to the plastic liner on certain minipads, and changing products often resolves the problem.

• Use plain warm water (no bubble bath, as it can cause irritation).


• Use a gentle soap like Basis or unscented Dove. Ivory, while labeled "pure," is too drying to the skin. Consider not using soap on the vulvar area.


• Rinse off your body with plain water after shampooing, or shampoo in the sink or the shower.


• Pat dry with a soft towel and/or dry for 10 seconds with (believe it or not!) a hair dryer set on "cool."

• Take a sitz bath, in which only the hips and buttocks are immersed, two or three times a day for 10 to 15 minutes each. You can use plain water or add to the bath 1 tablespoon sea salt (available at natural food stores and some supermarkets) per gallon of water. Or brew 1 quart black tea with three or four tea bags, then cool and add to bath water. If a bathtub is not convenient, a plastic sitz tub can be purchased at the drugstore.


• Apply an ice pack for 24 hours or as needed for pain.


• If urinating is uncomfortable, pour warm water over your vulva as you urinate to dilute the urine; urinate into sitz tub or bath; and/or pretreat with Vaseline or topical anesthetic ointment before urinating.


• If passing a BM is uncomfortable, pretreat the anal area with topical anesthetic ointment (available over the counter at the drugstore); take a stool softener like docusate (Colace); and/or wipe after BM with witch hazel pads or baby wipes. Discontinue using the pads or wipes if it causes more discomfort, however.

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