We’ve already established that Chrissy Teigen is like your friend that is game for trying new things and then will tell you all about them in great detail so you don’t have to try them yourself, and not surprisingly, she’s at it again. Her most recent foray into alternative wellness treatments is vaginal steaming.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s one of the (many) vag-related services endorsed by Gwyneth Paltrow on her lifestyle site, Goop, and was promptly discredited by OB-GYNs. Anyway, Teigen just posted a photo of herself sitting on a vaginal steamer wearing a face mask and using a heating pad on Instagram, writing, "no I don’t know if any of this works but it can’t hurt right? *vagina dissolves*."
So, we’re glad that she acknowledges that she’s not sure if steaming your vagina works because it’s better than a full-blown endorsement, but in case, like Teigen, you’re wondering: No, it doesn’t work, and it’s not necessary.
And in case you’re also wondering what steaming your vagina entails, it’s basically exactly what it sounds like: Sitting over a bowl of steaming water that’s sometimes infused with herbs.
And while Teigen might be right that it might not hurt (although, try telling that to someone with minor burns on their labia), there is no scientific evidence to support the need for vaginal steaming, Dr. Hope Ricciotti and Dr. Hye-Chun Hur, the editors-in-chief of Harvard Women’s Health Watch, wrote on the site.
In case you need a refresher, your vagina does not need to be cleaned and — along with practices like douching — vaginal cleansing has long been discouraged by doctors, Ricciotti and Hur wrote.
"Since the vagina is designed to host a particular array of bacteria, vaginal cleansing can alter this normal balance and may theoretically increase one’s risk of vaginal infections," Ricciotti and Hur added. "For that reason, gynecologists do not routinely recommend this practice."
Need more convincing? Read OB-GYN Dr. Jen Gunter’s evidence-based takedown of the practice. Chrissy, that includes you.
So, while we applaud her openness about her body and trying new things… Chrissy, we’re here to tell you that there’s no need to steam your vagina. Like you, it’s perfect just the way it is.
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