The Downside To Wearing Leggings Daily

Let's take a moment to bow down to the legging and it's creator. Think about it — you can wear them to the gym, to bed, to work. Honestly, the options are endless. But just how far can you stretch the number of times you wear your most prized possession? Some legging loungers may be thinking "can living in leggings make your vagina smell worse?" Doing (or wearing) anything too much can obviously start to affect you as a person, or your body in general. But does this apply to the beloved legging?

Experts say there is some correlation between what you wear and how you smell. In an interview with Refinery 29, University of Alberta's Professor Rachel McQueen, who studies textiles and their smell, said that although there is little known science of how vaginas affect clothes' odor, there is a link — especially when it comes to clothes that are made of polyester. McQueen told Refinery 29 that stretchy clothes made of polyester, like leggings, are more difficult to clean in the washing machine since the material is non-absorbent. Therefore, leggings may seem to permanently smell of sweat and of all things down there, which is sure to also make your vagina smell worse.

How exactly do clinging clothes create a stronger body odor for you and your vagina though? Reader's Digest suggested that wearing leggings all the time throws off the balance of bacteria in your vagina, which leads to an overgrowth of infection-causing bacteria.

Luckily, there are symptoms that can give you hints that something is up with your vagina. The Mayo Clinic said that bacterial vaginosis signs and symptoms may include thin, gray, white or green vaginal discharge, and a foul-smelling "fishy" vaginal odor.

I know you don't want to hear it but, it may be time to ditch the leggings for a bit if you haven't been loving the way you smell down there lately. It's what's best for you and your overall health.