The type of underwear you choose to wear on a daily basis can affect your health down there.
You might be surprised to discover that underwear poses health risks – especially for women.
Here are five underwear mistakes you could be committing that are having undesirable effects on your vaginal health.
1. Thongs
Thongs definitely have their purpose in every woman’s wardrobe, but what you should be aware of is the fact that G-strings can assist in the spread of E. coli to your vagina. Since a G-string sits between your butt cheeks, it can slide around and become an agent in the transfer of bacteria to your vagina.
Women who are more prone to yeast infections are advised to steer clear from thongs because they only make the situation worse.
2. Shapewear
We all love us a good hold-me-together, but they can be pretty hazardous to your health because it squeezes you so tightly, shapewear can cut off your circulation, mess with your digestion and see you end up with a urinary tract infection all in the quest for a shapely body.
“If it’s really tight, you could have nerve impingement and decreased circulation,” women’s health expert Dr. Donnica Moore was quoted saying in a Huffington Post report.
“Shapewear makes it difficult to go to the bathroom, so when women wear them, they tend to hold it more than they should.”
3. Synthetic fabrics and silk
Many women make the mistake of wearing underwear that isn’t made of natural fabrics because, let’s face it, there’s nothing sexy about cotton underwear – unfortunately, that is what is best for your vagina.
If you can’t bear wearing cotton-only underwear, just make sure that the panty you wear has a cotton liner.
“Silk and synthetic fabrics are not breathable, which increases the risk of moisture being trapped and retained, which can create a yeast or bacterial infection,” warns Moore.
4. Going commando
There might be something exciting about going commando during the day and as much as your vagina needs breathe, forgoing underwear presents a host of problems for your nether regions.
The vagina produces natural moisture which will have nowhere to go if you don’t wear underwear. “If you’re wearing dresses or skirts, there’s nothing there to absorb vaginal moisture. Then you can become hot and sweaty down there, which, in itself, can irritate the skin. In theory, no underwear makes sense, until you think of the details,” says Dr. Raquel Dardik.
5. Underwear that’s too tight
Not only is wearing underwear that is too tight not a good look, but it also turns out that it’s not good for your vagina either.
Tight underwear causes friction and irritation and allows moisture to build up in the vagina – the perfect habitat for a bacterial infection.