What to look for when buying panties? Advice from the gynecologist

When buying panties, it is worth checking what they are made of. Wear thongs for special occasions, just like exorbitantly high heels. After natural childbirth, as well as in the case of caesarean section, it is worth avoiding lace figs. The gynecologist advises what kind of underwear is best for your health.

1. Panties are often made of artificial fibers. But the name “artificial fibers” can be a bit misleading as they are made from natural organic raw materials: wood cellulose, rubber or casein
2. Synthetic fabrics are characterized by low moisture absorption, although the exception here are high-quality polyamide fibers, which are mainly used for the production of sportswear.
3. It is a myth that bamboo fiber linen is antifungal: this property of bamboo disappears during the process of making yarn from this plant.
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

Our article on why it is worth sleeping without panties aroused great interest and met with a great response from the Readers. Read it HERE – The gynecologist explains why you should not sleep in your panties

So we decided to supplement this topic with what should be followed when choosing underwear that we wear during the day. Especially that reading labels on food packages bought in supermarkets has already become a part of our blood, but this habit is much less related to the desire to learn the raw material composition of the material from which everyday underwear is sewn. And that’s a big mistake! Because poorly chosen panties, in addition to the fact that you may feel uncomfortable in them, cause many diseases, including mycosis and vaginitis.

Which panties are the healthiest? Avoid lace after cesarean section

The problem of the proper selection of underwear also applies to women who have undergone cesarean section, natural childbirth or surgery.

– When lace panties touch their edge with a fresh scar, they can cause complications, as the postoperative wound heals improperly due to constant irritation. And this is really not uncommon. The result may be scar separation in one place or along the entire length of the cut, scar hyperplasia, its infection or keloids. I always advise my patients to put on either “micro-pants” that do not reach the scar after cesarean, or “grandma’s”, cotton ones, under the navel. It is important that the edge of the underwear worn does not take the place after cutting. In this way, the risk of complications in the healing process is minimized. I also recommend that women after childbirth by forces of nature wear ordinary, cotton panties – explains Dr.Zofia Borowiec, specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, who also runs an educational profile @terazokobietach on Instagram.

Which panties to choose?

Many experts emphasize that for the health of women, classic cotton panties or boxer shorts are the best for everyday wear. Why? Sweat soaks into panties, and cotton absorbs moisture well. Our skin, also in the area of ​​intimate places, has to breathe, and in artificial polyester it feels like a head when you put a plastic bag on it.

Underwear is used not only to separate the body from outer clothing, but also to protect intimate places against the cold, winter and autumn temperatures.

Wearing panties made of natural fabrics prevents chafing, burning and itching that may occur when the body comes into contact with artificial material. And natural fabrics are made of natural raw materials of plant origin – like cotton, or animal – like silk.

1. Read also: What happens when you’ve worn fake tights for too long?

Thongs like high heels

Thongs, due to their cut, are considered unhealthy, as they allegedly cause bacterial, fungal, yeast and urinary tract infections. However, there are no studies that confirm this stereotype. And they don’t have to be unhealthy, especially if they’re made of cotton. However, it is worth remembering that thongs should be changed more often than regular underwear, because they fit more closely to intimate places. In addition, this type of panties does not heat up, so in winter it is better to wear more elaborate underwear.

The thinnest part of the thongs can irritate the anal area, so they are not recommended for women who struggle with the problem of hemorrhoids. In this case, they should be treated like high-heeled shoes: put on for special occasions, once in a while.

Panties – artificial or synthetic?

Panties are often made of artificial fibers. But the name “artificial fibers” can be a bit confusing. They are made of natural organic raw materials: wood cellulose, rubber or casein. This is how materials such as viscose or modal are made, for example.

The situation is different with synthetic fibers, which are made from start to finish in the laboratory from polymers. They are derivatives of plastic – the same ones that are used to make, for example, plastic bags. The final product of the materials produced in this way are fabrics such as spandex, lycra, stretch and dorlastan.

They are characterized by the fact that they absorb only 10 to 25 percent. moisture and airtight. So it is easy to imagine that in such panties we sweat more and that they may be less pleasant because they stick to sweaty skin.

Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, are not very hygienic, mainly due to poor moisture absorption, although the exception here are high-quality polyamide fibers, which are mainly used for the production of sportswear.

1. Read also: Discoloration of the panties in the crotch – is it dangerous? “It took me years to find out what this means”

– I have a lot of confidence in sportswear, seamless and usually suited to greater challenges: sweating, running, long wearing. However, there are exceptions. A patient who had been referred by another doctor for a biopsy came to see me. He suspected she had a precancerous condition. Indeed, her private parts were unusually discolored, and in addition, this skin lesion had an unusual, oblong, symmetrical shape. I doubted that I was really dealing with an oncological case in such a young, active woman. But you know, caution above all else, so I downloaded the clipping. While conducting a conversation during the procedure under local anesthesia, I found out that the girl rides a bicycle professionally. And during everyday training, he puts on special, sports clothing equipped with shock-absorbing inserts in the crotch. My guess was confirmed by the results of the biopsy: it turned out that the patient developed an inflammatory process, i.e. contact inflammation. It was the body’s reaction to the composition of this special bicycle insert and hence the unusual shape of the skin lesion. This proves that sometimes even professional artificial underwear can sensitize us – explains Dr. Borowiec.

Bamboo fiber panties, that is, everything has its pros and cons

When considering the idea of ​​buying bamboo fiber linen – often advertised as organic – it is worth remembering that to produce bamboo fiber, the bamboo stalks are first crushed, shredded, and then chemically processed. Only from the pulp that is formed in this way are bamboo threads formed.

It may also be a myth that bamboo fiber linen is antifungal, because this property of bamboo is irretrievably lost throughout the yarn production process. However, the advantage of such panties is their hygroscopicity, i.e. the ability to absorb moisture and thermal insulation properties: in summer they transport moisture away from the body, giving a feeling of coolness, and in winter, they isolate moisture from the skin and give a feeling of warmth.

Night silence for intimate areas

Dr. Zofia Borowiec emphasizes that although the manufacturer does not put an annotation on any packaging of figs that they are to be used for the day, although such detailed information would probably be useful.

— Outside of your period you should not sleep in panties. And if you don’t like sleeping naked, it’s best to wear a cotton nightgown or pajamas at night. This is the healthiest and simplest for us. Let our intimate areas rest from any irritations and give “silence at night”, without stiff lace and panty liners – suggests the doctor.

This may interest you:

1. In order to maintain hygiene on “these days”, women put their health at risk
2. How to prepare for an e-visit to the gynecologist?
3. Troublesome female ailments? A suitable specialist will help