Intimate Health
How many of you feel embarrassed when the topic of V Zone health comes up in a conversation? Do you try to avoid talking about it at all costs? The intimate area is one of the most delicate parts of our body that needs extra care and attention. There is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of! Instead of treating the topic as a taboo, we should talk about it and discuss the topic freely.
So girls, it’s time we put those embarrassments aside, and start a conversation on intimate health.
Keep your intimate area healthy
When we talk about intimate health, how many of us actually know what’s the right thing to do? Maintaining a healthy intimate area may seem tricky at first, but trust us, it’s really not that hard.
Here are some great tips to ensure your intimate area is always healthy.
- Wear panty liners daily to stay clean and comfortable (for optimum freshness, we recommend changing to a fresh liner every 4 hours)
- Choose loose-fitting cotton underwear, and make sure you change it every day
- If you’re sweating or drenched, don’t stay in your wet outfit for too long
- Avoid being exposed to hot, sweaty or chafing conditions for a long period of time
- When washing your intimate area, don't use antiseptics, harsh soaps, and definitely not shampoo! Plain water is the best
- After washing, be gentle and pat it dry rather than rubbing with a towel
What to do if you experience irritation
- Make sure that your clothes that come in contact with your intimate area have been rinsed well so there's no extra detergent. Also, keep fabric softener away from your underwear
- Try a salt bath or a cold shower if you're experiencing burning and irritation
- Do not scratch! It can damage the sensitive skin on this area and make itching worse
- Try to limit exercises that can increase irritation in the area
- Avoid shaving or waxing the irritated area
- If irritation continues, the best thing to do is see your doctor
Ways to keep your intimate area infection-free
We’re all too familiar with pimples that pop up on our face because of stress, illness and hormone changes. But other than causing pimples, these are external factors that could affect the health of your intimate area too.
Fortunately, there are a whole bunch of things you can do to keep your intimate health in check and free of infection.
- Make sure your hands are washed before and after touching the intimate area
- Always wipe from front to back
- Stay clean – you don't need to scrub yourself vigorously but we recommend showering at least once a day!
- Avoid using powder or perfume on the intimate area
- Use a mild soap
- Don't share towels
- Maintain your health and fitness by exercising regularly
- Make sure you eat right and limit the amount of junk food intake in your diet
- Wear 100% cotton underwear
- Try sleeping without underwear (if you’re comfortable with the idea)
Problems to look out for
Girls, how many of you experience discomfort or infection in the intimate area, but choose to keep it to yourself and suffer quietly? When things like these happen, the worst thing to do is keep quiet and hope it will miraculously go away because the truth is, it won’t. Find out what’s happening to your body and talk to someone you can trust. Just know that you’re not alone.
If you experience some of the signs listed below, get yourself checked by a health professional or a doctor ASAP!
- Itching, irritation or soreness around the opening area
- A burning sensation when you urinate
- Increased or unusual discharge
- Swelling in the intimate area
- Abnormal bleeding
- An unpleasant odor
Did you know:
You can’t prevent an infection by just washing your intimate area. You need a proper daily routine, which includes wearing panty liners daily. Wearing a Kotex® Daily Liner helps decrease the problem of bacteria build-up on the underwear. All you have to do is change to a fresh liner every 4 hours!
Source disclaimer: Article is adapted from original article source U by Kotex - Australia.
