Women have a daily routine of grooming and cleaning up, and most of them swear by it. These daily rituals, from brushing, shampooing, exfoliating, to wearing a sunscreen come naturally to them. And why not, they have been doing it since their adolescence. Habits that were formed years ago, and habits that are considered sacrosanct. Some of these daily rituals that we have been following unknowingly can cause us harm in the long term. There are some inherent medical dangers to some extremely common daily rituals that women practice.
Today we list eight daily rituals that can damage a woman’s health in the long run. You need to get rid of these habits to avoid unnecessary medical complications later in life.
1. Washing your vagina with soap
There is little doubt that hygiene is paramount, and every woman wants to keep her lady bits clean. But soaping your vagina may not be the ideal thing to do. Simply washing with water or douching is enough. The chemical in the soap if it enters the vulva can upset its natural pH balance and make it unnecessarily dry and itchy. Girls, you should know that vagina has a self-cleaning mechanism which it does by producing a white mucus to prevent growth of microbes.
2. Wearing the same sanitary napkin through the day
Experts advise it is imperative during your menses to change your sanitary napkin every five hours. This is to prevent any infection or growth of organisms in the already used napkin. Even when your period is waning, you shouldn’t spend the whole day in a single tampon. This can lead to vaginal infection and redness. Change about twice to thrice in such a case, always have a clean pad on.
3. You wash your bra once a week
You are very lax when it comes to washing your bra, and this somehow doesn’t end up becoming a daily ritual. Experts believe that a bra should be washed at best after three uses. Prolonged use can make it smell and stretch the cup fabric, making them loose and ill-fitting very soon. Let your bra not lose their shape.
4. You wear black bras in summer
Keep the floral-printed, coloured and white bras for the hot season. The simply reason being a black bra will make you feel more hot than a light-coloured one.
5. You wear your bra while sleeping
It is a harmful practice to wear your bra while sleeping. It keeps your pectoral muscles restrained because of which the circulation of nerves to your arms is also affected. It can even damage breast tissues. Besides, the hook of the bra strap can give you a bruise, or simply hurt you in sleep.
6. You love wearing underwire bras
Skin irritation, breast fungus, poor circulation and hyper-pigmentation are some of the ills of wearing an underwire bra rather frequently. It’s okay to match it occasionally with a dress or two, but don’t make it a daily habit. Let your breasts breathe, don’t wear too tight, constricted bras.
7. You spray the deodorant on your skin
This is a dreadful practice and can cause breast cancer too. Deodorants are made of toxic chemicals, and be spraying them directly on your skin, you are inducing these toxins into your blood stream. Use it over your clothes, even if the packing says it is safe for use on skin. Deodorants put you at a risk of breast cancer.
8. You don’t use a scarf when going out in the sun
When stepping out in the sun, always cover your head and arms. The Ultra Violet rays can burn your skin or cause skin cancer in the worst case. Wear a sunscreen, keep your body covered. Never expose yourself to the direct, harsh sunlight.
Image via TheKelly, Thumbnail: Menstrupedia
We are sincerely hoping you don’t follow any of these daily rituals. And if you do, you know its time to kick it.
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