Okay so here’s the thing. Woke up last Tuesday and couldn’t ignore it anymore. That damn issue downstairs? Yeah. Felt tender, kinda irritated – just plain uncomfortable. Annoying as hell and messing with my whole day.
What I Tried First (Spoiler: It Didn’t Work)
Me and my dumbass went straight for the quick fixes, right?
- Scratching it like crazy. Bad idea. Just made it angrier and redder. Felt like adding fuel to the fire.
- Dumped some random anti-itch cream I found in the bathroom cabinet. Had some weird perfume smell. Yeah, no. Burned like crazy for a whole hour after. Felt like I’d rubbed chili flakes down there. Fucking stupid move.
- Searched online frantically late that night. Big mistake. Ended up convincing myself it was every terrifying thing possible and couldn’t sleep at all. Just pure stress.
Actually Getting Somewhere
Next day, swallowing my pride, pulled up my buddy Mark who had something similar last year. He cut me off mid-panic: “Bro, chill. Stop attacking it and breathe.” His advice was dead simple:
- Immediately ditched all the crap soap I was using in the shower. That blue stuff that smells like a tropical storm? Gone. Found the plainest, whitest bar soap with no smell in the house.
- Started rinsing with nothing but lukewarm water – no scrubbing, just gently letting water run over. Twice a day. Seriously basic.
- Left it COMPLETELY alone the rest of the time. No testing, no prodding. Pretended it was off-limits unless washing. Touching? Big nope.
- Swapped all my underwear for 100% cotton, loose boxers. Dug out the old ones I never wear. Felt like wearing a potato sack, but whatever.
Annoying Habits That Probably Made it Worse
While dealing with this, realized I’ve been an idiot in little ways:
- My workout gear was damp after the gym. Just sitting in it for hours. Sweat soup brewing down there? Yeah, probably.
- That cheap detergent my roommate bought? The one that smells like industrial chemicals? Stopped using that cold turkey.
What Happened
Didn’t happen overnight. But after four days of religiously doing just the water rinse, plain soap, and cotton?
- Day 1-2: Still itchy, but the raw feeling stopped getting worse. Progress?
- Day 3: The late-night itch attack after dinner? Didn’t happen. Weird.
- Day 4: Woke up. Looked down. Still pink, but the angry fire-engine red was fading. Major relief.
Not Saying It’s Magic
Look, this ain’t a cure-all. If something looks seriously messed up, smells funky, or feels hot, go see a damn doctor, obviously. I was just lucky mine was probably basic irritation.
Point is, sometimes the simple stuff we brush off? Stop attacking the problem, clean gently, leave it alone, let things breathe. It sounds too basic to work, but for me? That dull ache and constant urge to scratch? Gone in under a week just by doing almost nothing. Didn’t need fancy pills or expensive cream. Just backed off and let it be. Simple works.
