Hi Ladies
I have never used clob and have managed my itching, soreness and lesions with natural things. Olive oil or coconut oil to keep things moist and a little dab of tea tree directly onto the itch which for me is at the top of my left labia majora just on the inside edge. This is where my white patches are plus a few slightly raised what I think must be hair follicle spots. ( waiting for a dermatologist ref to come through re this). What is concerning me is that in the last couple of months my labia Minora has noticeably shrunk and my clit has also shrunk! I have no fusing and can still have sex with no pain. ( long may this continue). Does clob prevent shrinkage or will it happen regardless. I was diagnosed 2 years ago. Maybe I've been lucky up to now and LS is starting to enforce her true colours on me now. I don't want to use clob but if this is a preventative measure then perhaps I should. I don't have any LS symptoms other than shrinkage at present other than on my labia majora. I am 55yrs so maybe this could also be atrophy from menopause? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank ladies.
Hi Nettie,
you sound the the same as me. Do you use the clob as maintenance product? I was told to as it does ease soreness and heals any lesions. I haven’t used it for a few weeks but do if I get sore, post meno the oestrogen is gone from the minora which when we are younger is very rich in oestrogen. Mine have gone flat both sides there are no ridges now like a kerb melting into the road, I was very scared it happened even with clob but the clinic reassured me a lot of this is meno related. I use Yes moisturiser which is good for atrophy as well. Are you on oestrogen cream in your privates at all? I haven’t used it though as I was worried of side affects. The clob did make my whiteness go back to pink. The clinic said that some ladies minora goes back to as if we were girls again as if before starting puberty. I didn’t know our lady bits change with age though, how naive was I. X
Hi Nettie- I was diagnosed 33 days ago and hv not yet ised ateroids either, going the all- matural route with ointments, baking soda baths, change in diet. I too noticed that kust in the last month my right labia has shrunk to hv the size of my left and my clitoral hood has either receded or is getting covered. Can still orgasm by hand, not as much with penatrative sex. I was hoping to avoid steroids die to all the side effects, but if this is what I need to stop atrophy, I will go down that route. Good luck to you!
Hi Nettie- I was diagnosed 33 days ago and hv not yet ised ateroids either, going the all- matural route with ointments, baking soda baths, change in diet. I too noticed that just in the last month my right labia has shrunk to hv the size of my left and my clitoral hood has either receded or is getting covered. Can still orgasm by hand, not as much with penatrative sex. I was hoping to avoid steroids die to all the side effects, but if this is what I need to stop atrophy, I will go down that route. Good luck to you!
Hi Nettie, it appears that shrinkage is part and parcel of Lichen Sclerous, in much the same way as the white plaques of skin. I think when you are first diagnosed with LS it doesn't happen immediately, but I do think over time (like for me 5 years) after diagnosis is when the disease starts to take your labia minora..of course this is all speculation on my part and maybe I should start a new thread asking that very question.
So, in answer to your question, No, I don't believe the Clob stops shrinkage and what you are experiencing is the natural progression of LS. I believe Clob is invaluable for certain vaginal problems, like the white plaques of skin which often disappear after using the Clob and for clitoral pain...but other than that it can cause more problems..just my view of course.
I like Sue's comment
"Mine have gone flat both sides there are no ridges now like a kerb melting into the road,"
this is very true. 
ha Guppy, it’s how described it to the clinic too , glad it made you smile x
Hi there. What you see as shrinkage is the outer labia fusing to the inner labia just looks as if the valley between is not as deep also near the clit the front labia begin to join at the top edge. This is the very beginning of fusing. It happens very slowly and if you were not examining down there you wouldn't know about it.
I suggest that you find the link on this website for Professor Goldsteins lecture it will help your understanding. Good luck.
Hi Nettie- I have been reading Kournal articles anout atrophy and lavoal
Fising and yhere are so many questions that Dr. Do NOT have the answers to. Mthe first article said that treatment usinf steroids can halt the progress of atrophy and fusing, but what’s gone is gone.
2nd arricle said “ Topical ultrapotent steroid is an effective treatment for vulvar lichen sclerosus, giving relief of symptoms in most and completely reversing the skin changes in approximately one fifth of patients.”
“ completely reversing? “- maybe in terms of fusing, but once labia have shrunk, disintegrated, re- absorbed, disappeared, whatever you call it, I don’t imagine them re- generating....
Hi Guppy/ I sincerely hope that you are wrong when you say labial shrinkage and fusing are “ part and parcel” of the disease and we just hv to resign ourselves to it! I am 33 days diagnosed and I want to educate myself as much as possible and be as aggressive as possible in treating this disease. I am only 47 and hv alot of years ahead and alot more sex to hv to throw in the towel. 🙄🙄
Sorry for all the misspellings, rapidly texting on my tiny smartphone! 😜🙄
Hi Karen, I do believe that for many of us that fusing/shrinkage and then the loss of Labia Minora occurs as it is the natural progression of the disease. However, I have a feeling that this happens when you're older, perhaps even after the menopause... naturally this will not happen to everyone, we are all different and LS effects us all differently, but it cannot be denied that it is happening to many of the posters on the site...perhaps we are all in the older bracket (I'm 56)
In any case, none of this will have any bearing on whether you can have sex or not, it doesn't stop you from being able to continue to have sex. One can still have sex without their Labia Minora, and remember some women are born without their Labia Minora and they do fine.
I agree! Once it's gone...for me and at my age I believe it's natural to have some depletion and loss of the once plump bits. If you are able to find relief from inflammation then your a step ahead. 😃
Hi all of you, what a discussion! I can relate to every single one of you! I’m 48 with diagnosed LS for 15+ years. My anatomy down there, rain or shine, stress or no stress, steroid cream or not, hasnt seemed to care and continues to change over the years. It’s only once the progression of LS got really advanced ( Pearly white skineverywhere, fusing over the top and sides, slightly shiny, dry skin, everything flattening out and disappearing on me, occasionally itching and easily breakable skin) that I found this group! for those of us who are more advanced, I believe we can help slow down the condition and in some cases reverse some of the symptoms. And for those who are recently diagnosed or have just started early stages, there is a great deal you can do to put the condition into remission. For me, clobetasol kept the white and itching at bay for years in my early 30s, but has stopped working as it is the strongest steroid cream on the market and you can’t get any stronger, thus I am now only using it about once a month, when in desperation, as an experiment with the hope that it does something. I personally do not believe it helps slow down atrophy/shrinkage, nor does it any longer return the skin to flesh tone, but for some I believe it works quite well but only if used in very small doses and very cautiously, and don’t forget to wash your hands if you do use them. Based on our different DNA and environmental reasons, we are all here with different experiences and different reactions to different ingredients and products. As for the atrophy, yes this is a part of the condition and all we can do is everything we possibly can to wholesomely take care of our bodies and our mental state to put the condition into remission and stop or slow down the atrophy. I truly believe that diet (no sugar or most diary, natural ingredients like essential oils and carrier oils, low humidity down there, vitamins like D3, magnesium, A,B, zinc and using pH balancers like borax and bicarbonate or baking soda) - really help. Some people believe that atrophy is temporary and can be reversed with estrogen cream or Hydrating oils, I refuse to believe that we’re stuck with this and there’s nothing we can do. I believe there is a lot we can do. Hang in there and stay in this group with us!
Hi Lynn, Nettie, and all,
Just wanted to check in with my results. I'm 68 years old, my labia had shrunk and fused, I had scarring and white sections, and intense itching. I've reversed it all (over the last 2 years) with baking soda baths; spraying on a light solution of baking soda and water after every trip to the bathroom; applying emu or coconut oil daily; and applying a saturated solution of Borax twice a day. I highly recommend you read the thread, An Experiment with Borax, especially from the beginning. I've seen posts on here where people have altered the amount of Borax, making it way too strong, so it's no surprise that some may have had a negative experience.
My doctor was amazed and pleased to see my recovery and told me to keep up with what I'm doing. He was also pleased that I did this the natural way since steroids can bring problems of their own.
So I'm telling you this because of my age. You don't have to assume getting older brings these changes. With time and diligence and patience, you can see an improvement. I'm not the only one who has reported success with these natural treatments, so take heart, and don't give up.
Thx Anna- you hv given alot of us hope! ❤️❤️
Hi ladies. Thank you for all your input. As I guessed despite currently going through menopause I do think there is a combination here of meno and LS. Not tried any of the bicarb or borax yet, not sure if you can get borax here in the UK? I have never used clob not even for the maintenance. Just don't want to. My gut feeling was that clob wouldn't stop shrinkage and some of you share my sentiment re this. Think I will use the bicarb spray and cut out what dairy I have, don't have that much as dont like milk based products. Dont eat many sweet things so that can go. Maybe I can slow this down. Fingers crossed. Thank you all of you. I read about Tumeric oil being good for things. Have Tumeric powder in the cupboard. Mixed a bit with coconut oil and applied over a sore area pretty much instant relief! Bit messy and you smell a bit like an Indian takeaway but it worked :-) dark knickers needed here as does stain a little lol! Good luck to all you lovely ladies. X
Anna777, YAY!!!!! thank you for the story and the hope. Im thrilled. Going to read the article now.
Nettie62, definitely go to a health food or vitamin store and buy %100 sodium bicarbonate (as you call it bicarb). its working for me and I haven't even gotten a hold of borax yet!!I use it about 6 times a day (thats how often i pee), just remember it needs to be concentrated, dont forget to shake well before applying and don't be surprised if the little spray bottle is lame and some of the solution gets everywhere because it doesn't spray properly. and if you're feeling adventurous, add a couple of drops of tea tree oil (makes everything feel clean and sparkly down there). Ive been using an essential oil and carrier oil mix about 4x per day, aloe vera gel alone and the bicarb multiple times daily, after adding the bicarb habit about 10 days ago, my white area is slowly disappearing and going back to the natural color. Im happy! and hope this works for you, until you get a hold of your turmeric/aloe.
Hi Ana, nobody is saying that it is not possible to unfuse, the thrust of the conversation was that fusing does occur (often in later life).
And so I am glad you managed to unfuse your undercarriage because many of us have found ourselves to be in a similar position (I suspect it happens after the menopause) of course it is beyond our control to stop the fusing occurring but it is fantastic to hear that with hard work and perseverance you can sometimes unfuse.
Omg! “ smelled a bit like Indian takeaway”- I almost peed myself I laughed so hard! Thanks for the bit of levity Nettie!