The average woman with vulvar lichen sclerosus waits 5 to 15 years for a correct diagnosis. Most see three or more providers along the way. One in three women lives with a vulvar condition at some point in her life, and uncommonly is told what is really happening to the skin of the most sensitive area of her body.

Dr. Melissa Mauskar is a board-certified dermatologist at UT Southwestern, a leading vulvar disease researcher, and the founder of one of the few specialty clinics in the country dedicated to vulvar dermatology. She has built her career around finding the answers women have been told do not exist, and her work is changing what these women can expect from medicine.

We cover:

• Why the vulva is its own organ and behaves differently than skin anywhere else on the body
• Lichen sclerosus: who gets it, what it actually is, and the 1 to 3 percent prevalence that doesn't get spoken about enough
• The autoimmune debate and what the research is showing now
• Lichen planus, eczema, psoriasis, and Crohn's on the vulva
• Why the diagnostic delay is so long, and what is being done to close it
• Topical steroids: how to use them correctly, and the myth that they thin the skin when there is disease present
• Compounded and emerging treatments, including JAK inhibitors and the international clinical trial Dr. Mauskar is leading
• The vulvar microbiome and hormone research that may rewrite how we treat these conditions
• Surgical considerations and when to optimize before any procedure
• Vulvar irritants, allergens, and the over-the-counter products doing more harm than good
• Diet, irritants and allergens connection
• Vulvar cancer surveillance and what women need to know
• The new clinical trials and research consortium reshaping the field

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Find Dr. Mauskar's work at melissamauskar.com