Itchy vagina, the common causes and what helps at home

Vulva or vagina.

Most people say vagina when they mean the whole area. The difference matters here. The vagina is the internal canal; the vulva is the outer skin, including the labia and the skin around the opening. The vulva is skin, so it reacts like skin: to fragrance, friction, sweat, shaving and allergens. The vagina mostly itches when its balance is off, as with a yeast infection or trichomoniasis. If the itch is on the outside and there is no change in discharge, think skin first.

Common causes of vaginal itching.

Cause	Typical clues	What usually helps
Yeast infection	Itching and burning, red swollen vulva, white lumpy discharge without odor	Antifungal, over the counter if diagnosed before and identical
Irritant or allergic reaction	Itch or sting after a new soap, wipe, liner, detergent, lube or condom	Stop the product, water only, cool compress
Bacterial vaginosis	Fishy smell, thin gray discharge; itching is uncommon	Prescription treatment after testing
Trichomoniasis	Itching, burning, yellow green discharge, sometimes fishy	Prescription treatment for you and partners
Dryness after menopause	Dry, sore, itchy skin, pain with sex	Moisturizer, lube, prescription options
Lichen sclerosus	Persistent itch, white smooth or crinkled patches, often over 50	Prescription steroid ointment
Eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus	Red, scaly or rough patches, itch elsewhere too	Diagnosis and treatment from a clinician
Herpes	Tingling or itch, then small blisters or sores	Testing and prescription antivirals
Sweat, tight clothes, shaving	Itch in folds, bumps after shaving, worse in heat	Breathable cotton, loose clothes, gentler hair removal

Yeast infections.

Yeast is the cause most people suspect, and often the right one. ACOG says the most common symptoms are itching and burning of the vulva, sometimes worse with urination or sex, with a red, swollen vulva. Discharge may increase and be white, lumpy and odorless. ACOG also says over the counter treatments are safe and often effective, but that people often think they have yeast when they have something else, which delays the right treatment.

If you have had a yeast infection diagnosed before and this is the same, a 3 day treatment such as Monistat 3 is a reasonable first step. The NHS advises against using over the counter antifungals more than twice in 6 months without seeing a doctor. Our best yeast infection treatment and Monistat review compare the strengths. The NHS also notes that antifungal creams can damage condoms and diaphragms.

Irritants and contact dermatitis.

When the skin of the vulva touches something that irritates it or triggers an allergy, it itches, stings or burns. Cleveland Clinic lists the usual suspects: soaps, bubble baths, shampoos and conditioners that run down in the shower, deodorants, perfumes, douches, talcum powder, nylon underwear, laundry detergents, pads, panty liners and tampons, toilet paper, tea tree oil, spermicides, dyes and some medicines. Scented wipes and washes sold for the area are frequent triggers.

The fix is subtraction. Stop everything new, wash with water or a single fragrance free cleanser such as Vagisil Fragrance-Free Wash on the outside only, switch to an unscented detergent and skip liners for a while. Cleveland Clinic says vulvar dermatitis often clears by avoiding the trigger, and that clinicians may prescribe a steroid ointment when it does not. Our best feminine wash guide explains why plain water is often enough.

Itching after sex.

Itching after sex usually comes down to friction, a product, or an infection that sex brings to the surface.

• Friction and dryness. Not enough lubrication irritates thin skin. More time, more arousal and a good lube help; how to use lube covers the basics.
• Lube ingredients. Fragrance, flavors, warming and tingling agents, spermicides such as nonoxynol 9 and some preservatives are common irritants. Very high osmolality, glycerin heavy lubes can also sting. See lube ingredients to avoid and best lube for sensitive skin.
• Condoms. Latex allergy can cause itching or swelling. Polyisoprene and polyurethane condoms are latex free; our best condoms guide lists them.
• Infection. BV smells stronger after sex, and a yeast infection can flare with friction. If itching comes with discharge or odor, get checked.

If burning is the bigger problem, burning after sex goes cause by cause.

Menopause and dryness.

Falling estrogen thins and dries the tissue of the vulva and vagina. That can feel like itching, soreness or a raw sensation, often with pain during sex and sometimes urinary symptoms. The Menopause Society says nonhormone moisturizers and lubricants are enough for most women with mild symptoms, and vaginal estrogen, vaginal DHEA and ospemifene are effective for moderate to severe symptoms. A gentle moisturizer such as YES VM, used a few times a week, is a good start. See vaginal atrophy and best vaginal moisturizers.

Lichen sclerosus and other skin conditions.

Lichen sclerosus is the itch not to self treat. The NHS describes itchy white patches, smooth or crinkled, that damage easily, usually on the vulva and around the anus. It is much more common in women over 50 but can happen at any age. Over time it can tighten tissue and make sex painful. A strong prescription steroid ointment usually relieves symptoms, and the NHS notes it slightly raises the risk of vulvar cancer, which is why diagnosis and follow up matter. Eczema, psoriasis and lichen planus can also affect the vulva and need a clinician's eye.

What helps at home.

• Water first. Rinse the vulva with plain warm water and pat dry. No soap inside the vagina, ever.
• Cool it. A cool compress or a short, plain sitz bath; Cleveland Clinic says sitz baths can relieve itching and burning.
• Breathable clothes. Cotton underwear, loose fits, no underwear at night if that is comfortable, and change out of wet swimsuits and sweaty clothes promptly.
• One change at a time. If you suspect a product, stop it and give the skin a week or two.
• Check before you treat. A home pH test such as the AZO Vaginal Infection pH Test can help: a higher pH points away from yeast and toward BV or trichomoniasis, which need a clinician. It cannot diagnose an infection.
• Short term external relief. An external itch cream such as Monistat Instant Itch Relief can soothe skin while a treatment works. It does not treat an infection and is not for use inside the vagina.

What to avoid.

• Douching and scented washes, sprays and wipes. They strip protective bacteria and are common irritants.
• Scratching. It breaks skin, which itches more and can get infected. Keep nails short.
• Repeat yeast treatments without a diagnosis. If one course did not work, the cause may not be yeast.
• Kitchen and essential oil remedies inside the vagina. Tea tree oil is on Cleveland Clinic's list of triggers.
• Leftover steroid creams from other conditions, unless a clinician has said they are right for vulvar skin.

For discharge changes alongside the itch, see vaginal discharge and vaginal odor.

When to see a clinician.

See a clinician if this is your first suspected yeast infection, if over the counter treatment has not worked, if itching keeps coming back or lasts more than a week or two, or if you are pregnant. Go sooner for itching with sores, blisters, white or thickened patches, bleeding, a lump, fever, pelvic pain, a fishy smell or green, yellow or frothy discharge, or after a new sexual partner. Children and anyone past menopause with new persistent vulvar itch should be seen rather than self treated. This page is general information, not medical advice.