A large bump near your vagina is usually a cyst, an ingrown hair, or a blocked gland, and most of these are harmless. The location, texture, and pain level of the bump can help narrow down what’s going on. Here’s what the most common causes look like and when something needs medical attention.
Bartholin Cyst: The Most Common Large Bump
The Bartholin glands sit on each side of the vaginal opening and produce fluid that helps with lubrication. When one of these glands gets blocked, fluid backs up and forms a cyst. This is one of the most frequent causes of a noticeable lump near the vagina, and it can range from pea-sized to much larger.
A Bartholin cyst that hasn’t become infected is typically painless or just mildly tender. You’ll feel it as a soft, round lump on one side of the vaginal opening, not both. Many people discover one while bathing or notice it because it makes sitting slightly uncomfortable.
The situation changes when the cyst becomes infected and turns into an abscess. An abscess is very painful, feels warm or hot to the touch, and the surrounding skin turns red or darker than your natural tone. You may also develop a fever. Walking, sitting, and sex can all become difficult. Unlike a simple cyst, an abscess typically needs medical treatment rather than waiting it out.
Ingrown Hairs and Folliculitis
If you shave, wax, or trim the pubic area, an ingrown hair is a likely culprit. These bumps form when a hair curls back into the skin instead of growing outward. You’ll often see a raised, discolored bump (red, brown, or purple depending on your skin tone), and in some cases you can actually see the trapped hair beneath the surface.
A straightforward ingrown hair is itchy and slightly sore but not alarming. It becomes a problem when bacteria get in and cause an infection, called folliculitis. Signs of infection include a pus-filled head that looks like a large pimple, increasing pain and swelling over a day or two, fluid draining from the bump, warmth around the area, and redness that starts spreading outward from the bump. Infected ingrown hairs that keep growing or spreading need professional care.
Other Types of Vaginal Cysts
Several other cysts can develop on or inside the vaginal walls. Vaginal cysts in general range from undetectable (as small as a pea) to as large as an orange, though most stay on the smaller end.
Inclusion cysts form when tissue gets trapped under the vaginal wall surface, often after childbirth or vaginal surgery. They’re small, usually painless, and sit along the lower back wall of the vagina. Most don’t need treatment unless they grow large enough to cause discomfort.
Gartner’s duct cysts come from a structure that was present during fetal development and didn’t fully disappear before birth. These show up on the vaginal walls and are also typically painless. Like inclusion cysts, they only become a concern if they grow or press on surrounding tissue.
Bumps From STIs
Some sexually transmitted infections cause bumps in the genital area, and two of the most common look quite different from each other.
Genital warts, caused by HPV, appear as small, soft, flesh-colored growths that can be flat or slightly raised. They’re usually painless, though they sometimes itch. They tend to show up in clusters and can have a rough, cauliflower-like texture. The growths can come and go over time.
Genital herpes, caused by HSV, looks different. It produces fluid-filled blisters that eventually break open, ooze, and scab over. These are often painful or intensely itchy. A herpes outbreak follows a cycle: blisters form, break, scab, and heal, then the virus goes quiet before flaring again in the future. If your bump is a single large lump rather than a cluster of small blisters, herpes is less likely.
Vulvar Varicosities During Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant and noticing a soft, bluish or purplish bump near your vulva, it could be a vulvar varicosity. These are essentially varicose veins of the genital area, caused by increased blood volume and pressure on pelvic veins during pregnancy. The veins may look swollen, twisted, or bunched into a cluster beneath the skin.
Beyond the visible bulge, vulvar varicosities cause a feeling of fullness, pressure, or aching in the vulvar area. The discomfort tends to get worse after standing or sitting for long periods and during sex. In more severe cases, the pressure can cause significant skin irritation. These typically improve on their own after delivery.
Fordyce Spots: Tiny and Harmless
If you’re noticing very small, pinhead-sized bumps rather than one large lump, these could be Fordyce spots. They’re tiny, whitish-yellow, slightly raised papules that appear on the labia minora and other mucosal surfaces. They’re simply oil glands that are visible through thin skin. They’re completely normal, not contagious, and don’t require any treatment.
Red Flags Worth Knowing
Most vaginal bumps are benign, but a few characteristics warrant a prompt medical visit. Vulvar cancer, while uncommon, can present as a lump or wartlike bump on the vulva. Warning signs include bleeding in the genital area that isn’t from your period, skin color changes on the vulva, and thickening of the skin around the bump. A bump with an open sore that doesn’t heal also deserves evaluation. These features don’t mean cancer is likely, but they do mean the bump should be examined rather than watched at home.
What You Can Do at Home
For a Bartholin cyst or other non-infected bump, sitz baths are the standard first-line approach. Sit in about 3 to 4 inches of warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, three times a day. Pat the area dry afterward. The warmth encourages drainage and eases discomfort. Many small cysts resolve on their own with this routine over several days.
Avoid squeezing, popping, or trying to lance any bump yourself. This introduces bacteria and can turn a minor issue into an abscess. Wear loose, breathable underwear and avoid tight clothing that rubs the area. If the bump is from shaving, give the area a break from hair removal until it heals.
What Happens if You Need Treatment
If a Bartholin cyst keeps coming back or becomes an abscess, there are two common procedures. The first involves placing a small silicone catheter (about the size of a pencil) into the cyst after draining it. This stays in place for four to six weeks, allowing a permanent drainage channel to form. It can be done as an outpatient visit without general anesthesia.
The second option is a procedure where the cyst is opened and the edges are stitched back to keep it from closing again, allowing it to drain and heal from the inside out. This approach has a lower recurrence rate, around 8% compared to roughly 19% with catheter placement alone. For a first-time abscess, either option is reasonable, but for recurring cysts, the stitching procedure tends to be the better long-term solution.