Intimate hygiene, things to do and things to avoid

Feminine intimate hygiene is not only an aesthetic issue: it is above all a real prevention against many disorders.

In addition to being done daily, it must become a norm of behavior, to be implemented consciously with correct and effective actions depending on the case.

Here are the golden rules to follow, day after day.

The rules of intimate hygiene

• Never more than two, maximum three, times a day. Washing too frequently or too little can alter the vaginal ecosystem.
• It is better not to fill the bidet, but to wash under running water by making anteroposterior movements and never in the opposite direction. This is to avoid transporting germs from the intestine to the vulva and urethra, which could cause vaginal or urinary infections.
• It is then necessary to dry well with a clean towel: the humid environment favors the proliferation of pathogens.
• During the menstrual cycle it is advisable to wash carefully every time you change the absorbent and at least four times a day.
• Before and after each sexual intercourse it is essential to wash the intimate parts carefully.

Before and after childbirth

During pregnancy it is sufficient to follow the normal rules of everyday intimate hygiene, the only difference is that you have to favor the shower over the bathroom.

If the water temperature is too high, in fact, excessive vasodilation could occur and therefore fainting, which in pregnancy can be very dangerous.

Immediately after delivery, that is, in the puerperium, hygiene must be more accurate, both for the presence of particular vaginal secretions, and for the results of a possible episiotomy, that small incision made to facilitate the exit of the baby, which can easily become infected.

Girls’ hygiene

Different ages require different attention. Estrogen deficiency in childhood makes the genital mucous membranes vulnerable to irritation or infection by germs that normally inhabit the intestine.

This is why it is important to teach the child to clean herself from front to back, and to always wash her hands after going to the bathroom.

With adolescence and menstruation, in the absence of particular problems, acidic pH detergents are fine, and obviously the general rules of hygiene of the fertile age must be applied.

In menopause

After menopause the mucous membranes of the vulva tend to become less hydrated, causing dryness.

If the dryness is excessive, itching and burning may occur, which may indicate the presence of dystrophy, a condition linked to estrogen deficiency that initiates a reduction in tissue vascularization. In such cases, one based on cortisone or testosterone should be used locally, which must be prescribed by the gynecologist.

If there is irritation?

Itching and vaginal redness affect one in three women, with an average of two or three episodes per year.

To cause them can be vulvovaginal infections of various kinds or more simply by the bad habit of wearing tight non-breathable undergarments and synthetic material.

A relief to these disorders can be given by intimate cleansers with a soothing action such as those based on glycine, a molecule with antipruritic activity.

In fact, glycine is able to inhibit the release of histamine, the same substance involved in allergies, by mast cells, cells of the immune system.