Lump Under the Skin in the Female Pubic Area: What to Know

Shaving, waxing, friction, sweat, and an ingrown hair can irritate a follicle and create a tender bump. A blocked skin gland may form a smooth, deeper cyst that is not very sore. A boil is often painful, warm, swollen, and may fill with pus; read more about [Boils](/conditions/boils/). A firm or changing growth deserves an assessment, but a pubic lump does not by itself identify a serious disease. [Skin Lumps](/symptoms/skin-lumps/) can occur for several different reasons.

Do not squeeze, pierce, or repeatedly check the area, because this can worsen inflammation or introduce infection. Pause shaving and waxing until the skin settles, wear loose breathable underwear, and keep the area gently clean and dry. Note whether the lump is on the skin or deeper, its approximate size, tenderness, colour, drainage, and whether it changes with the menstrual cycle. A clinician can examine it and decide whether observation, treatment, or a sample is appropriate. Steroid treatment is sometimes used for selected inflamed skin lesions; learn about [Steroid Injection Into The Skin](/treatments/injectables/intralesional-steroid-injection/).

Arrange prompt medical care if redness is spreading, pain is rapidly increasing, the area feels hot, pus or foul-smelling fluid appears, or you develop fever or feel unwell. Book an examination for a lump that persists, returns in the same place, bleeds, ulcerates, becomes hard or fixed, or changes in appearance. A clinician can also check nearby lymph nodes and distinguish a skin problem from a deeper issue. Basal cell carcinoma is uncommon in this location but is one reason a persistent changing lesion should be assessed; see [Basal Cell Carcinoma](/conditions/basal-cell-carcinoma/).

Ask: Could this be an ingrown hair, cyst, boil, or another type of lump? Does it need an examination or testing? Should I stop hair removal products, and what warning changes should prompt a faster review? If it is inflamed, would a local treatment be suitable, and what care should I use afterward?