Painful, sensitive rash on lady bits

[Middlerose]

Hello,

Over the past few days I have developed a painful, bumpy, red rash around my vulva. It doesn't go inside my vagina. I'm okay when I'm sitting down, but it really hurts when I walk, urinate, or shower (i.e. when I put pressure on the rash). I saw the doctor today and he said it was just a standard rash which will go away in a few days. He said he can't prescribe anything unless it lasts longer. Now, I have just doused it in Sudicrem, which seems to help the burning.

Any tips?

Aloe Vera gel? Good for post shaving rash.

Canesten? You can get from the chemist.

Are there blisters? What does the rash look like? (Don't worry, I'm not asking for photos!)

They're not spots or warts. They are small bumps and there is a few of them. Their colour isn't any different from the rest of the area (which is dark pink/red).

Do you use Always or another make of sanitary towel which is deodorised/scented? It's not uncommon to have a nasty reaction to them.

Or changed washing powder/fabric softener?

Yes, I use Always, but have always used them.

I was off work last week and on my period. Because I wasn't doing much, I did not change my pad often... Could that have caused this?

Changing to an unscented towel is something that has no downside, and is definitely worth a try.

I'd used Always for years, and it took quite a while before the penny dropped that the new version was causing the problems I had (which had crept up over time).