Dry, brittle pubic hair

I don’t shave, sometimes the occasional trim, but mostly I let my hair go wild. And it’s worked out well for me for the longest time. But recently my pubic hair has been very dry and brittle. Lots of breakage and insane split ends and it’s causing irritation. What could have caused this sudden change? And what can I do to fix it? I’m worried about using lotions or conditioners, because my skin is very sensitive down there and even lightly scented laundry detergent can cause swelling and rashes. I’m at a complete loss as to what to do. Pretty much everything I’ve found on google says to shave completely, but that would be an irritated, ingrown hair, super itchy nightmare. Any advice would be greatly appreciated 💖