Although it is noticeable by the body odor it produces around you, if you forget to change your panties or underpants every morning you can be exposed to a series of quite uncomfortable health problems

When it comes to choosing the clothes we will wear each day, putting on underwear is only part of the process, since it is barely seen, or at least if you look in front of the mirror to review your appearance, you will not be able to locate it. That is why many times we can forget to change our underpants or panties and go with the ones used the day before.

This does not only affect our personal hygiene and the image we project abroad, but also our health. A recent survey by a famous underwear brand has come out in the United States, ensuring that nearly half of the country’s citizens (45% to be exact) admit to wearing the same underpants or panties for two days or more. And 13% acknowledged that they have sometimes ended up wearing the same underwear for a week or more.

Wearing the same underwear for several days in a row causes sweat, dirt and bacteria stick to the body around sensitive areas

Obviously, the first consequence that comes to mind is the body odor it produces in the individual and the discomfort that this can cause around their environment. But there are also a number of physiological effects that used underwear ends up generating on our health and our physique. Especially taking into account that due to sweat, the body expels toxins and pathogens.

“Wearing dirty underwear quite simply traps sweat, dirt, and bacteria, holding them close to your skin in a particularly sensitive area,” says Giuseppe Aragona, American general physician, in the magazine ‘Best Life’. “You may be thinking that you can get away with wearing it for an extra day—like you might a T-shirt if didn’t smell—but underwear is used to protect particularly dark, moist, and sweaty areas which can far more quickly be affected by the sealing of sweat, dirt, and bacteria.”

Even the most hygienic ones are not saved

It also depends on each other’s metabolism and hygiene habits. But none are free from producing a massive amount of dirt and bacteria if you don’t wash or change your clothes regularly. 

“Even the most cautious people develop bacteria, dead cells, urine, and mucus on their underwear, as it occurs even if you use hygienic wipes after bowel movements or urination,” says Kim Langdon, a gynecologist. “At most you could go two days wearing the same pair of underwear, but ideally, you want to put on a new pair every day.

A 2019 study published in the journal ‘Applied and Environmental Microbiology’ found that some bacteria can remain on underwear even after it has been run through the washing machine. So, if it is not completely clean, or if you use it several days in a row, you’re more likely to get some kind of urinary infection. Similarly, there is also the danger of developing fungus on the skin, which in these intimate areas can result into cases of candidiasis, especially annoying and more recurrent among women, as a result of the accumulation of moisture in the area that causes the bacteria thrive.

Similarly, if you wear the same underwear several times, you’re more at risk of annoying eczema on your skin, as sweat accumulated too long between the garment and the dermis can clog pores. Another consequence of this is a condition called “dermatitis”, which comes from the accumulation of secretions and human fluids in the fabric, causing a lot of itching at the slightest rubbing in the area. Therefore, do not forget to change your underwear every morning and, above all, carry out a series of personal hygiene routines that protect you against these problems.