Why you should never sit around in a wet swimming costume

Your vagina will thank you

Summer is finally here, which means weekend fun at the beach and lazy days by the pool. It also means swimming in chlorine and lying around in wet swimwear, which according to experts is one big no-no. 

We're all guilty of doing it, but sitting around in your wet bathing suit can actually cause a lot of harm to your vagina. 'Yeast and bacteria really thrive in moist, dark places, like a wet bathing suit or wet workout clothes,' Alyssa Dweck, assistant clinical professor and gynaecologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine explained to The Huffington Post. 

What is yeast and why is the balance so important? Yeast are tiny organisms that naturally grow in your vagina (in small numbers), and the acidic environment there helps to keep the yeast from overpopulating. But, if your vagina becomes less acidic, the yeast can multiply and cause an itchy and burning yeast infection.

This balance generally changes if you go on or off birth control, take certain medications like antibiotics or simply have your period. However, excess moisture or irritation can also encourage yeast to grow, which is why it's damaging to keep wet bottoms on or stay in your gym clothes after exercising. 

Chlorine can also disrupt your balance by affecting your natural pH levels. If you're in a chlorinated pool for too long, some of the good bacteria that helps your vagina to stay healthy can be killed off, allowing fungus candida to become overgrown. 

The good news is, there are simple ways to avoid all of this. All you have to do is simply rinse off as soon as you leave the pool, take off your costume and change into a pair of dry underwear (a pair that has a cotton crotch is best). And if you end up being one of the unlucky ones to disturb your natural equilibrium, there's a plethora of over the counter treatments that will get you sorted.