Vaginal discharge dries crustily during masturbation

[latestarter]

For a while now, when I masturbate, my fingers have been getting crusty and my vaginal fluids have been drying and balling up. It didn’t used to happen. I think it only started after I began fingering myself, and my vaginal fluids feel thicker than they used to... I’m not sure if this is normal or not. Is it a problem?

[Alexa]

Hey there latestarter,

This kind of discharge is totally normal. When you masturbate, the amount of vaginal discharge you experience may temporarily increase. We have a great article about normal discharge vs. possible signs of infection or illness: Honorably Discharged: A Guide to Vaginal Secretions. When it dries, it can often be crusty or flakey (on your skin, inside your underwear, etc.).

Have you experienced any other symptoms that worry you, or just increased discharge?

[Hoinajuan-]

Hi! I experience this crustyness and balling up every time I masturbate once the juices or whatever it is drys. I am getting more sexually active with a guy I like and want him to finger me but I’m nervous that this crustyness will dry on his fingers as he probs won’t wash his hands straight away if we carry on yk. Any advice for this because I’m pretty sure it’s normal for that to happen but I’m still quite insecure about it. Thanks

[Heather]

You know, body fluid and/or skin crusties are something we all have to one degree or another in various places: in our eyes after sleep, from our noses or in the corners of our mouths, in our hears, sometimes on any of the skin of our bodies. And yep, on and around our genitals.

I think that sometimes something like this can be a helpful tool to help us figure out what we're ready for with someone and what feels right with them. I'd say that in order to be sexual in that kind of way with someone and feel good about it, feeling like it's okay for them to see, smell, etc. all the aspects of these body parts. We're all just people here, after all, with regular mortal bodies. It's okay to feel like we're not ready for that kind of intimacy with someone and need to build up our comfort levels with them more first, in ways that feel like lower stakes. It's also okay to get comfortable by just jumping in the deep end, as it were, if that feels like the way to go.

But it's also for a partner to say if *they* are not comfortable with all this common body stuff. Someone who doesn't want to risk or feel ready for your fluids on their hands, dried on not, can make all of those same choices, or ask to do something like use a latex glove if they like that better for any reason.

Make sense?