- Feminine hygiene products and services like douches, feminine sprays, and waxing are marketed as healthy ways to care for the vagina and vulva, but can cause more harm than good.
- The vagina is self-cleaning, so these products are unnecessary.
- Removing pubic hair can also be harmful and lead to unwanted inflammation and infections.
The sheer number of products aimed at making the vagina cleaner, healthier, and more presentable might seem to imply that the genitals are supposed to have a beauty routine of their own. But the truth is that products and services like vaginal douches, scented sprays, and pubic hair waxing aren't necessary. They can even cause serious harm to your vagina and outer genitals.
"There is no need for your vagina to smell like a garden," gynecologist Donnica Moore, MD previously told INSIDER. It doesn't need to look like a perfectly groomed garden either.
These are some of the most common vaginal hygiene myths you should stop believing now.
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Myth: Removing your pubic hair will keep your vagina and outer genitals clean.
In a 2016 survey from JAMA Dermatology, most women said they removed their pubic hair because it's "hygienic or cleaner," but that's simply not true.
Gynecologists agree that pubic hair grooming can wreak havoc on your pubic area. "Women who shave or wax are more prone to skin infection following waxing or shaving," gynecologist Leah Millheiser, MD said. "There is no data to show improved genital health with waxing or shaving."
These removal methods can lead to cuts and ingrown hairs. If a person tries to remove these hairs with tweezers or fingers, it can also lead to an infection, Millheiser said.
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Before removing pubic hair, consider that it acts as a protective barrier from dirt, just like ear wax acts as a protective barrier for the ear canal. If you do want to tame your hair down there, trimming it carefully with scissors is the healthiest and safest option, Moore told Health magazine.
Myth: Douches keep your vaginal pH balanced.
Douches are liquids — typically scented waters — that claim to cleanse inside of the vagina.
Douching is unnecessary because the vagina is self-cleaning, according to the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, douches can lead to serious infections since they can push existing bacteria into the cervix, upsetting the vagina's natural bacterial balance, Moore said.
If you find your vagina smellier than usual, Moore recommends consulting with your gynecologist, as the problem probably requires more than a drugstore product. At the same time, everyone's vagina is supposed to have its own unique odor, so you shouldn't be alarmed if yours has a distinct scent.
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Myth: Scented feminine sprays cover up the smell of your vagina and are harmless.
Like douches, feminine sprays are unnecessary for cleaning the vagina, which cleans itself with a slightly acidic vaginal discharge.
Using the products can mess with the balance the vagina is supposed to have, since these sprays contain chemicals that can interact poorly with the healthy bacteria in the vagina, which keep you from getting yeast infections (and other bacterial infections).
The scents in the sprays can also irritate the external skin of the genitalia, Moore said, just like scented products can cause discomfort on the skin in other areas of the body.
Read more:7 common infections that can be caused by sex
See the rest of the story at INSIDER