In order to take care of your own body, knowing it inside-out is the first step, right? But what if I told you that a majority of women don’t actually know much about their body, especially their genital areas and how to take care of it? Well, I came across some myths about vaginas and maintaining their hygiene and TBH, it blew my mind. I’ve been believing these myths for the longest time now. Which is why I thought of sharing this information with all our readers, so they can be aware of their own bodies or help their loved ones become aware too.
Read on to find out 4 of the most common and popular myths about the vagina that you probably believed to be true!
1. Expensive underwears are better for vaginal health.
A majority of people believe that the cost of the product is directly related to its quality. The more expensive it is, the better the quality. But that’s not really true in some cases. When it comes to underwears, usually the more expensive ones are made of silk or various other synthetic materials. Now the problem with these materials is that they don’t allow a lot of breathing space for your vagina. This, in turn, traps the moisture in the crotch area, usually leading to yeast infections.
Instead, the best underwears are the cotton ones. Firstly, they’re breathable and secondly, they’re so much better at handling moisture than any other type of material. Which is why it is also advised to change wet clothes or sweaty workout clothes as soon as you can since the trapped moisture can lead to infections and discomfort.
2. Cleansing your vagina with soaps is the right way to do it.
Did you know that the vagina actually can clean itself? It doesn’t really need to be washed with soap like the rest of our body parts do (unless you’ve been advised by your doctor otherwise). All you gotta do is gently cleanse the genitals with warm water when you’re taking a bath and you’re good!
Scented soaps have chemicals in them that can cause irritation to the genitals. And for some people, even a little bit of soap can result in vaginal bacteria imbalance, which causes infections.
3. Using a scented spray on your vagina can cover up the odour and is harmless.
Using sprays on the genitals in order to get rid of the odour does more harm than good. It can really mess up the pH balance that the vagina is supposed to have. The reason being, the chemicals present in such sprays ruin the healthy bacteria in the genitals that actually protect you from getting various bacterial infections. Even the outer skin can experience irritation and/or rashes when such products are used.
4. Keeping the vagina hair-free is more hygienic.
Gynaecologist Leah Millheiser, MD talked about pubic hair and said,
Women who shave or wax are more prone to skin infection following waxing or shaving. There is no data to show improved genital health with waxing or shaving.
A lot of times, these hair removal methods lead to ingrown hair or cuts. And if you thought using tweezers was a better option, it is equally harmful and cause infections. Pubic hair actually protects the genitals from dirt and getting rid of them is basically chucking the protective barrier out too. The best way to tame the pubic hair is by trimming them with scissors.
How many of these myths did you believe to be true? Let us know in the comments below!
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