Shaving irritation vs outbreak? Experience?

Hi everyone,

I was just wondering how you guys and gals manage to tell apart shave irritation from an outbreak? I have what I'm 98% sure is irritation from shaving yesterday, but I know that H symptoms can be deceiving. My first outbreak was a small cluster of blisters near my perirectal area which turned into open areas and this is totally different. This is an irritated feeling and a couple small red areas on both sides around where my legs meet my lady parts. I like to shave and am trying to figure out how to do so without causing irritation (wouldn't have freaked me out before) and how to tell apart irritation from an outbreak

Thanks!

I think I should toss back some advice you gave to me, and that is, there are a million other things that can cause irritation, and if you're 98% sure the irritation is from shaving, it probably is :) Irritation and little nicks are destined to happen when we're twisting and dragging a sharp (and relatively large) razor around our business. I bet you've always experienced a small bit of irritation after shaving before your diagnosis and never gave it a second thought, so find some comfort in keeping in mind that that's most likely what you're experiencing now, too! And even if the irritation remains or progresses after a day or two, I bet that wouldn't be the first time you got a couple of razor bumps after shaving, right? Take a deep breath and know it'll be fine either way... but that it's most likely the same irritation most women get after a little grooming. Lastly, I don't know how comfortable you are with waxing, but that seems to be WAY less irritating to my skin. I know some people worry about it causing an outbreak in itself, so I guess that's a choice for you to make, but I personally get way less irritation through waxing vs. shaving, and it seems to keep things smoother for longer, AND as the hair grows back it's nowhere near as rough or itchy.