discoloration/skin issues: inner thighs

[Irol]

I first posted this in the wrong forum and under the helpful advice of another Lit user, was told this was the place to be

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Do any of you (men or women) have skin issues on your inner thighs? I'm 5'8" and wear about a size 22/24 in womens (yeah, I'm overweight, I obviously already know this). My inner thighs are discolored (I guess light brown to dark gray). Sometimes I get sores on my legs that form as large knots under the skin (anywhere from penny to quarter size). Most of the time I leave them alone (don't pick) and they go away but often leave a scar of dark purple that usually fades over time. Sometimes they don't go right away and instead they bleed. My thighs have always touched, I'm a bigger framed girl and even at my smallest adult weight, a size 14 and 190-ish lb they still rubbed. They also sometimes get very small surface black heads. I'm a very clean person and i bathe with a loofah daily. I do shave pretty regularly but it doesn't seem to make it worse or better. I've been doing some research and it looks like a mild case of Hidradenitis Supprativa (some of the photos are just pitiful, mine isn't nearly as bad as some). I guess I'm trying to figure out how common this is in sex, size, age, etc. My gyno says it's very mild and she's seen much worse and isn't concerned but it still bothers me. My husband is great and not bothered by any of it but I'm so self conscious for him to see me up close and personal with the lights on. I want to get over it because he is amazing and I trust him with all my heart. We've been together so long but it's just not something I can get over at this point. I'm still in my 20's and I'm hoping with age will come lack of caring but not sure. I'm just looking for thoughts, opinions, other people going through it, etc. Thanks goes out in advance to anyone who has anything to share regarding this.

 

[TheLM]

I first posted this in the wrong forum and under the helpful advice of another Lit user, was told this was the place to be

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Do any of you (men or women) have skin issues on your inner thighs? I'm 5'8" and wear about a size 22/24 in womens (yeah, I'm overweight, I obviously already know this). My inner thighs are discolored (I guess light brown to dark gray). Sometimes I get sores on my legs that form as large knots under the skin (anywhere from penny to quarter size). Most of the time I leave them alone (don't pick) and they go away but often leave a scar of dark purple that usually fades over time. Sometimes they don't go right away and instead they bleed. My thighs have always touched, I'm a bigger framed girl and even at my smallest adult weight, a size 14 and 190-ish lb they still rubbed. They also sometimes get very small surface black heads. I'm a very clean person and i bathe with a loofah daily. I do shave pretty regularly but it doesn't seem to make it worse or better. I've been doing some research and it looks like a mild case of Hidradenitis Supprativa (some of the photos are just pitiful, mine isn't nearly as bad as some). I guess I'm trying to figure out how common this is in sex, size, age, etc. My gyno says it's very mild and she's seen much worse and isn't concerned but it still bothers me. My husband is great and not bothered by any of it but I'm so self conscious for him to see me up close and personal with the lights on. I want to get over it because he is amazing and I trust him with all my heart. We've been together so long but it's just not something I can get over at this point. I'm still in my 20's and I'm hoping with age will come lack of caring but not sure. I'm just looking for thoughts, opinions, other people going through it, etc. Thanks goes out in advance to anyone who has anything to share regarding this.

I wouldn't take a gynecologist's word on something dermatological; I'd see a real dermo and get his opinion.

There may be something that you can do to prevent it, such as powdering your thighs or a topical treatment, therapeutic exfoliation or something. At the very least I would ask.

 

[fire_breeze]

I first posted this in the wrong forum and under the helpful advice of another Lit user, was told this was the place to be

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Do any of you (men or women) have skin issues on your inner thighs? I'm 5'8" and wear about a size 22/24 in womens (yeah, I'm overweight, I obviously already know this). My inner thighs are discolored (I guess light brown to dark gray). Sometimes I get sores on my legs that form as large knots under the skin (anywhere from penny to quarter size). Most of the time I leave them alone (don't pick) and they go away but often leave a scar of dark purple that usually fades over time. Sometimes they don't go right away and instead they bleed. My thighs have always touched, I'm a bigger framed girl and even at my smallest adult weight, a size 14 and 190-ish lb they still rubbed. They also sometimes get very small surface black heads. I'm a very clean person and i bathe with a loofah daily. I do shave pretty regularly but it doesn't seem to make it worse or better. I've been doing some research and it looks like a mild case of Hidradenitis Supprativa (some of the photos are just pitiful, mine isn't nearly as bad as some). I guess I'm trying to figure out how common this is in sex, size, age, etc. My gyno says it's very mild and she's seen much worse and isn't concerned but it still bothers me. My husband is great and not bothered by any of it but I'm so self conscious for him to see me up close and personal with the lights on. I want to get over it because he is amazing and I trust him with all my heart. We've been together so long but it's just not something I can get over at this point. I'm still in my 20's and I'm hoping with age will come lack of caring but not sure. I'm just looking for thoughts, opinions, other people going through it, etc. Thanks goes out in advance to anyone who has anything to share regarding this.

If you are concerned then please head over to a dermatologist. As the above poster mentioned, a gynecologist is not trained to recognise skin conditions and make proper diagnosis. While the discolouration does not seem serious - many women have them - if you get sores, then please see a dermatologist ASAP. It might be something as simple as problems with ingrown hairs, it might be something more serious, but you deserve to have peace of mind and to know.

Also, stay away from WebMD and such - they will rarely give you a right diagnosis. A doctor spends a minimum of 8 years in med school. You haven't. Self-diagnosing can lead to a hell of lot of headaches and hassle and trouble, trust me.

I also had some discolouration in between my thighs, and my dermatologist told me that it was because of the constant rubbing and the way my skin reacted. She told me that if the discolouration really bothers me, she could prescribe me some cream that bleaches the skin. I've since then lost weight and most of the discolouration has disappeared (and yes, my thighs still touch each other).

Good luck.

 

[SweetErika]

I think I know what you're talking about WRT to the bumps/sores. They're kind of like big pimples, but deeper, and can hurt like hell, right?

Anyway, I get the same thing here and there, and one time I had one (or maybe it was the residual purple mark, which shows forever on my super-fair skin!) during my annual exam. My doctor said it was caused by bacteria (usually staph, which is all over the place) but wasn't a hygiene or skin care issue, and she prescribed an ointment called Mupirocin. It cleared it right up! I've renewed the prescription in the years since, and apply the ointment 2-3 times a day at the first sign of a bump.

So, the next time you see a doctor, ask for a Mupirocin script, and hopefully that'll take care of it right away. In the meantime, you could use benzoyl peroxide and neosporin alternately (I've done that when I didn't have any mupirocin, and it does work, but definitely not anywhere near as quickly, and beware that benzoyl peroxide will bleach fabrics).

I can't help you with the discoloration issue, but I'm sure your doctor is correct about it. If you're really concerned, see a dermatologist. Other than that, hopefully weight loss and time will help.

 

[Irol]

Thank you!