The vulvar area is the entire external portion of the female genitalia. It includes everything you can see on the outside of the body, from the soft mound of skin above the pubic bone down to the perineum (the small patch of skin between the vaginal opening and the anus). Many people use “vagina” when they actually mean the vulva, but the vagina is the internal canal. The vulva is everything surrounding it on the outside.
Parts of the Vulva
The vulva is made up of several distinct structures, each with its own role. Starting from the top:
The mons pubis is the plump, V-shaped patch of skin that sits over the pelvic bone and extends down to where the thighs meet. After puberty, this area is typically covered in hair and contains a layer of fatty tissue that cushions the bone underneath.
The labia majora (outer lips) are two vertical folds of skin that enclose and protect the more delicate structures inside. They contain erectile tissue, meaning they fill with blood during arousal, and they’re covered with hair on the outer surface. The labia minora (inner lips) sit just inside the outer lips. They’re thinner, hairless, and extend from above the clitoris downward to the perineum. In many people, the inner lips are longer than the outer lips and visibly protrude. This is completely normal, and there’s wide variation in size, shape, and color from person to person.
The clitoris sits at the top of the vulva where the inner lips meet. What’s visible externally is just the glans, a roughly pea-sized nub tucked under a small hood of skin. But the clitoris extends much further inside the body, with a shaft you can feel beneath the skin and internal structures that wrap around the vaginal canal. It is packed with nerve endings and exists solely for sexual pleasure.
Below the clitoris are two openings. The urethral opening, where urine exits the body, sits just underneath. The vaginal opening is below that. Both are located within the vestibule, the smooth area between the inner lips.
Glands That Most People Don’t Know About
Tucked into the vulvar area are small glands that play important roles in lubrication and protection. The Skene’s glands sit on either side of the urethral opening. They’re too small to see, but they secrete fluid during arousal to help with lubrication. They also produce a substance that coats the urethral opening during urination, which helps prevent bacteria from entering the urinary tract. In some people, these glands release a mucus-like fluid during orgasm.
The Bartholin’s glands are located near the vaginal opening and also produce lubricating fluid. You’d never notice them unless one becomes blocked, which can cause a noticeable cyst or swelling on one side of the vaginal opening.
How the Vulva Differs From the Vagina
This is the most common point of confusion. The vulva refers to all the external anatomy: the mons pubis, labia, clitoris, and the openings to the urethra and vagina. The vagina is the muscular internal canal that connects the vulvar opening to the cervix. You can see the vulva. You cannot see the vagina without a speculum.
The skin types are different, too. The outer lips are covered in the same kind of tough, protective skin found elsewhere on the body, complete with hair follicles and sweat glands. The inner lips have a thinner version of that skin with no hair follicles. The vaginal lining, by contrast, is a moist, non-keratinized tissue, more like the inside of your cheek than the outside of your arm. These differences matter because they affect how each area responds to irritants, infections, and products.
Sensation and Nerve Supply
The pudendal nerve is the primary nerve responsible for sensation across the vulvar region. It branches into smaller nerves that serve different areas. The perineal nerve carries touch and pain signals from the labia and perineum. The dorsal nerve supplies the clitoris specifically, carrying sensations of touch, pleasure, and pain. This nerve architecture is why the clitoris is extraordinarily sensitive and why conditions that irritate the vulvar skin, even mildly, can feel intensely uncomfortable.
How the Vulva Changes Over Time
The vulvar area goes through visible changes at several life stages. During puberty, the mons pubis develops its fatty cushion, hair growth begins, and the labia become more prominent. During pregnancy, increased blood flow can darken the color of the vulvar skin and cause the labia to swell.
The most significant long-term changes happen around menopause. As estrogen levels drop, vulvar and vaginal tissues become thinner, drier, less elastic, and more fragile. This condition, sometimes called genitourinary syndrome of menopause, can cause itching, burning, or discomfort during daily activities or sex. It’s extremely common and treatable, though many people don’t bring it up because they assume it’s just a normal part of aging they have to tolerate.
Common Vulvar Conditions
Because the vulva is an area of skin exposed to moisture, friction, and contact with various products, it’s prone to irritation and certain skin conditions. Contact dermatitis, caused by soaps, laundry detergents, or hygiene products, is one of the most frequent culprits behind vulvar itching and redness.
Lichen sclerosus is a chronic skin condition that causes white, thin patches on the vulva along with itching and pain. It affects roughly 1 in 900 prepubertal girls and about 1 in 30 elderly women. Diagnosis rates have risen significantly over the past two decades, likely because of greater awareness rather than a true increase in cases. Left untreated, it can lead to scarring that changes the structure of the vulvar skin, so persistent itching or white patches are worth getting evaluated.
Yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and sexually transmitted infections can also cause vulvar symptoms like itching, swelling, unusual discharge, or sores, though these conditions primarily affect the vagina or cervix and produce vulvar symptoms secondarily.
Cleaning and Care
The vulva needs very little in the way of special products. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends washing the vulva with plain, fragrance-free soap and water. That’s it. Feminine sprays, “full body deodorants,” scented wipes, douches, and talcum powders are not recommended and can disrupt the natural balance of the area, making irritation and infections more likely.
A few other practical guidelines: always wipe front to back after using the bathroom, use unscented and uncolored toilet paper, and choose menstrual products that are deodorant-free and don’t have a plastic coating against the skin. The vagina itself is self-cleaning, so douching is specifically discouraged. If you notice a strong or unusual odor, that’s a signal to get checked rather than a problem to mask with a product.