Should I wear underwear at all? Here’s the answer

 

Even more difficult than deciding between trunks or briefs, hipsters or high-rise, is deciding to stop wearing underwear. Yes, perhaps the true debate should be whether you should wear any underwear at all, rather than whether you should wear boxers or briefs.

Going commando may not seem like a common decision, but it is happening more frequently than you might think. In fact, a fifth of us enjoy skipping the underwear entirely, according to a Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes survey. You might be thinking "yuck," but before you start wringing your hands, consider the many benefits of doing away with your drawers.

In addition to the apparent panty line issue, having some fresh air down there offers several health advantages. It's crucial to realise that going without underwear can also negatively affect your body, even if you've previously been enjoying wearing one less article of clothing because it means less laundry. Read on to learn why your body won't be the same when you quit wearing underwear before making the decision to go commando.

When you wave goodbye to underwear, you could say good-bye to nerve discomfort

You are in for a surprise if you find yourself squeezing into a pair of underwear to give shape and support to your centre. In actuality, you might just be preparing yourself for some unpleasant nerve pain.

Tight waistbands and bulky elastics that dig into your skin have the potential to seriously harm the nerves there. Your undergarments may have an impact on the sciatic nerve, which is a branch of your lower spine. Although it may sound exaggerated, it is a very genuine pain that will eventually get on anyone's nerves.

Although it may not appear that your underwear is too tight to restrict blood flow to your spine, it really compresses the nearby muscles, placing pressure on your sciatic nerve. In the long run, your underwear may even result in sciatica, a chronic discomfort that runs from your lower back through your legs (via One Oak Medical). Saying no to underwear, or at least choosing a looser style, may be the best course of action if you're seeking for a strategy to stop your nerve pain.

By not wearing any underwear, you could prevent unwanted skin irritation

Do your underwear cause eczema? Even while it seems unlikely, it does happen. This could badly damage your skin if you have a laundry detergent allergy or if you fail to wash a new outfit before wearing it. According to women's health specialist Dr. Donnica Moore, certain detergents and colours that are in close proximity to your downstairs can result in contact dermatitis. "Your elbows are much less sensitive than the tissues that your underwear come into contact with."

Your fragile skin can be affected by even static cling. Shocking! The cloth becomes more frictional as a result of the voltage buildup, which can rub against your bits. Internist Keri Peterson explained on The Dr. Oz Show that this can eventually result in dryness and dermatitis. The ideal response? You could prefer to forego wearing any at all.

You may sleep more quickly without your underwear

You might want to think about skipping your underwear, and possibly all of your garments, for a night of uninterrupted slumber.

The recommended temperature for sleeping is a comfortable 65 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Healthline. Even with so low of a thermostat setting, you can still feel overly warm from your garments. Yes, you might be too warm to fall asleep between your underwear, pyjamas, partner, and as many blankets you pile on your side of the bed. We're not suggesting you evict your bedmate or discard your covers, but you might want to think about doing away with the drawers. 

A person may have a lower body temperature and be able to fall asleep more quickly if they are sleeping naked, according to Medical News Today. If you want to increase the heat in your bedroom, or decrease it, you should go undressed. After all, you're not even wearing underpants.  

Avoiding wearing underpants may help you get fewer UTIs

Unfortunately, over 60% of women and 12% of men experience a urinary tract infection, which results in a burning discomfort whenever they use the restroom.

Some common materials used to make our beloved underwear, like silk or nylon, can retain moisture near to the body, creating a favourable environment for the growth of bacteria. It can be challenging to keep things simple in a world where there are so many attractive underwear options and fashionable boxers, but doing so is preferable. According to Alyssa Dweck, a gynaecologist in New York, cotton underwear is perfect since it lets your bits breathe, freeing you of nasty bacteria that could eventually develop into a terrible UTI. Particularly avoid "thongs with a thin, irritating G-string," since Dweck claims that they "may spread bacteria."

Is there a method to completely eliminate this problem? Become commando. You'll save some cash, do fewer loads of laundry, and spend less time in the doctor's office. 

You wouldn't have heartburn if you weren't wearing underwear

You should be aware that if you had your heart set on some cute underwear, you can experience heartburn as a result. Strange, huh? How could your underwear be causing you the same dreadful stomach ache as your favourite burritos? 

The height of your underwear is the determining factor, according to Everyday Health. The stakes for heartburn are higher if tight, high-rise underwear is your choice rather than hipsters. Heartburn may result if the band squeezes your stomach, pushing stomach acid back up to your oesophagus to condense there.

Even if you've never experienced this terrible condition, wearing tight clothing for just two weeks can result in the development of acid reflux disease, according to Jamie Koufman, a reflux specialist, who spoke to Everyday Health. It seems that giving up your underwear may be the most effective way to stop heartburn. 

If you stop wearing underwear, you'll probably get fewer yeast infections

The majority of people wear underpants. yet, your underwear may be putting both men and women at risk for yeast infections. Yikes. Women's health specialist Donnica Moore told Considerable that "silk and synthetic garments are not breathable, which raises the danger of moisture being trapped and retained." According to WebMD, men will also want to avoid a buildup of moisture. Moisture can cause redness, burning, and excruciating itching.

You might anticipate that the simple remedy to prevent such an infection is as follows: Reposition your drawers inside the cabinet. You can finally defeat the development of harmful bacteria down there by not allowing moisture to collect. Three out of four women will have this bothersome infection at some point in their life, according to Mayo Clinic, even though yeast infections aren't nearly as frequent in men. So it stands to reason that deciding to join the commandos is the wisest course of action in this situation. Air it out when in doubt! 

Eliminating underpants could boost sperm production

It seems that your infertility may be brought on by the fact that you wear underwear. Although it is very evident that wearing it won't aid with conception, there is some science beneath the waistline, and it all has to do with sperm. 

Temperature is crucial in the development of the best young swimmers. The testicles must maintain a temperature of approximately 94 [degrees Fahrenheit], which is a few degrees lower than the typical body temperature, in order to generate sperm effectively, according to Healthline. Your downstairs heats up significantly while you're wearing underwear, especially tight boxer briefs, which are pressed up against your 98-degree torso. Lower sperm count can result from this in turn.

While there is conflicting data addressing how underwear specifically affects infertility, it doesn't appear to hurt to let some fresh air down there. And why not try joining the commandos if you're seeking to expand your family? 

Avoid this health risk by avoiding purchasing underwear

Before wearing new underwear, do you wash it? The Dr. Oz Show performed an internet survey, and it found that fifty percent of us don't. His team then looked at the underwear being sold in various retailers, and they discovered that the majority of them were tainted with bacteria and bodily fluids. Ew. Even if the underwear has never been worn, people may still touch it or it may wind up buried in a bin with other items that have been worn.

It's not surprising that there are many microorganisms on the fabric of your underwear given how near it is worn to your bottom. Yes, washing underwear, whether they are old or new, is a nice deed, but it's also possible to make your drawers filthy. According to University of Arizona microbiology professor Charles Gerba, who spoke to ABC News, "if you wash a load of simply underwear, there will be around 100 million E. coli in the wash water, and they can be passed to the following load of laundry." It can become even more repulsive by washing your underwear in the same machine as other people's (via Healthline). 

By avoiding this type of underwear, you may be able to prevent E. coli

Thongs may just be plain wrong, it turns out. Bad germs thrive in their close proximity to your tush because of how they are positioned. According to Dr. Jill M. Rabin, a urogynecologist, "the material may move if you have a little bacteria — E. coli is the most prevalent bacterium in the colon — in the back section of the fabric and you're physically active." These microorganisms can wriggle and bounce across the thin thong's back, delivering bacteria to the front and putting you at risk for a serious infection. It only needs to move a few inches, she continued.

Unfortunately, no matter how fantastic you think your hygiene is, it still falls short. Prepare yourself for the following information even if you wash your thong every day: Microbiology expert Charles Gerba told ABC News that the average pair of underwear contains roughly a tenth of a gramme of faeces. If those facts don't convince you to throw away your drawers, we're not sure what will. 

The absence of underpants could make you angrier

Going without underwear may seem like a foolproof approach, but it might make you uncomfortable. Raquel B. Dardik, a professor at New York University, told Considerable that not wearing underwear "causes a whole range of other difficulties, particularly because garments doesn't tend to have a liner." Without the additional protection of underwear, the bulky seams and raw stitching from some clothing (think: denim) can be downright painful on your delicate area.

In fact, you might even get cut by the wear and tear down there. Because the skin is so thin, Maria Sophocles, an obstetrician-gynecologist, told Women's Health that "wearing no underwear and tight pants might lead to abrasions." You also receive no natural padding or protection because waxing and shaving are practises. Some people may find it uncomfortable to wear underwear, but you might find that not wearing underwear is grating on you more than you thought. 

You'll smell different down there if you're not wearing underpants

Something nobody ever wants to talk about is body odour, but if you're frequently wearing certain kinds of underwear, it may soon become something you smell on a daily basis. 

Sweat can accumulate under silk or other synthetic undergarments near your tush. The stench can intensify over the day as this sweat does. Instead of making you feel appealing as you had hoped, your silky boxers or underwear may cause foul smells that can be downright embarrassing.  

Going completely commando will help to air you out and keep odours at bay (via Healthline). Going nude in the open air, though, might not be the best idea if you're wearing a dress. To prevent flashing your fanny, cotton underwear is another option you might explore before going to commando. According to Women's Health, they are the greatest underwear for wicking perspiration and other unpleasant substances away from your body. 

You won't have to deal with any butt acne if you don't wear any underwear

When these pimples start to show up on your booty, though, acne becomes even more embarrassing. So, going without underpants might totally transform the situation. You should be aware that the irritating pimples on your other cheeks are not the identical type of acne that you have on your face. Folliculitis is the technical term for these irritated hair follicles. 

Dermatologist Morgan Rabach told Cosmopolitan that folliculitis "has a hair in the centre of a red pimple, and the white stuff connected with the bump is frequently dead skin and white blood cells." Sweat or any friction on your fanny may be the culprit. So you'll probably develop this terrible "acne" if you're wearing any underwear that causes these problems.

Fortunately, you most likely won't require any specialised creams to get rid of it. Simply getting rid of your underwear drawer and switching to looser apparel might benefit your skin in this delicate area. Who knew your underpants could make you break out in pimples? 

You won't have to worry about constricting your bladder without underpants

While you might wear certain form-fitting underwear to, well, sort of shape-shift, you might actually be contributing to a lot of internal problems. You might be compressing your bladder, believe it or not. In fact, this may be the reason you find yourself running to the restroom repeatedly throughout the day.

When your underwear is way too tight, your stomach may feel the pinch. This may progress to feeling the need to urinate regularly (via Rebalance Physical Therapy & Wellness). The clinic stated: "Too-tight thongs, underwear, and shapewear can cause nerve irritation and injury in the vulvar region and this can lead to pain vaginally, rectally, and all around the pelvis." You may actually prevent yourself from unknowingly hurting your body by 86ing your underwear. 

By joining the commandos, you could find more physical confidence

Nothing nearly compares to the confidence boost you experience while flaunting your favourite attire. Even if it might be the cutest item in your wardrobe, what you're wearing beneath you might be doing wonders for your self-confidence. 

25 percent of women stated they would feel humiliated if others knew what some of the underwear they wore looked like, according to a ShopSmart magazine poll (via PR Newswire). Additionally, one-fourth of women reported that wearing uncomfortable or ugly underwear had a negative impact on their mood. Furthermore, 47% of respondents indicated they feel hotter in a certain set of underwear. Imagine how at ease they would feel if they went commando.

Yes, you might feel fantastic with no underwear at all. According to New Jersey ob-gyn Maria Sophocles, "it might just increase your libido." Since it can improve cleanliness and health and, um, lead to other things if you're in the mood, many medical specialists really advise at least sleeping without underpants on. Going commando can be the best course of action if confidence is what you're wanting.

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