Contents
Intimate hygiene of little girls: a crucial learning
In the baby girl, the parents carry out intimate hygiene during the changing and bathing, by wiping the genital area always from front to back, to avoid urinary infections. Very quickly, as soon as the little girl is able to wash herself or to dry herself alone after going to the toilet, it is absolutely necessary to teach her this gesture, to prevent bacteria from the stools to find themselves near the vagina.
It is important to avoid making taboos of intimate subjects: from the first questions of little girls, we will name their private parts and we will explain how to take care of them. Vulva, vagina, labia minora or sex are not taboo words. Better to name them so that the girl, once a teenager or an adult, is not ashamed to talk to a doctor if she has health concerns at this level. Note that learning intimate hygiene can coincide with learning consent and respect for her body and the body of the other: explain to your little girl that this area belongs to her and that no one should touch it without her consent.
It is also important to teach a little girl that her vagina contains a lot of “good germs”, in other words vaginal flora, which must be avoided to disturb. This is why we will avoid aggressive products, we will ban douching and we will prefer cotton underwear.
The right things to teach your daughter to avoid intimate irritations
To avoid vaginal itching, irritation and other intimate discomfort, it is advisable to:
- prefer showers to baths;
- do not take a vaginal douche, which unbalances the flora;
- prefer cotton underwear and change it every day;
- prefer loose clothing at the crotch, especially in case of irritation;
- proceed to an intimate toilet after a swim in the sea, a swimming pool session or sand games;
- do not hold back for long when you feel like going to wee.
Intimate toilet: transformations during adolescence
In young girls, from the age of 10-12 years in some, and all the more so in cases of precocious puberty, the vaginal flora develops with the increase in sex hormones. The first white discharge appears, which may be a source of concern for the young girl. Reassure her by explaining that these secretions are perfectly normal as long as they remain odorless and do not change in color or appearance. Being self-cleaning, the vagina keeps itself clean thanks to these secretions, which are not dirty or shameful.
Daily cleaning with clean water, with mild soap or using a specific cleansing product is sufficient to clean female private parts. Note that the use of specific intimate hygiene products for young girls is by no means essential, but rather a question of comfort and personal sensitivity. However, you should avoid products such as ultra-perfumed shower gel, and opt instead either for water alone or for a soap with a neutral pH. As for the washcloth, it is better to do without it, because it turns out to be a real nest of germs. We prefer a toilet in the hand.
Adolescence, personal hygiene and first menstruation
Hair under the armpits, appearance of the breasts, vaginal discharge…. And first rules! puberty is definitely not an easy time for teenage girls. It is therefore important to support them during this key period, for example by choosing with them their first periodic protections. While tampons are useful for pursuing certain sports activities such as swimming, they can be a bit scary considering their application. It is therefore best to opt for sanitary napkins first, even if it means buying tampons or a menstrual cup later. In all cases, prefer “mini” size tampons with minimal absorption, even if it means going to the next size. It should also be remembered that it is advisable to follow the instructions carefully and to respect the rules of hygiene (clean hands, etc.) to avoid toxic shock syndrome.