Washing
In order to discuss cleaning, we must first discuss the misconceptions in the understanding of anatomy. What is usually referred to as the vagina is actually the vulva; the vagina is the opening itself. Essentially there are three ways people clean their vulva and vagina: soap, feminine wash, and douche. It is perfectly fine to clean your vulva with either soap or feminine wash; however, you must not wash your vagina with these things. Soap, even supposedly pH balanced soap, throws off the natural pH of vaginas. Douche is even worse. Douching is washing or cleaning out the vagina with water or other fluids. Vaginas are self-cleaning; they do not need to be cleaned by other means. Douching and the use of soap on or inside of your vagina can change the balance of vaginal flora and acidity which can lead to infections.
Hair Removal
First and foremost, remember that you do not have to remove hair if you do not want to. But if you do choose to remove hair, there are three temporary ways to do it: shaving, waxing, and cream hair remover. Each comes with its own issues, mostly based on irritation of the skin of the vulva. If you choose to shave, make sure that you use a sharp razor and shaving cream that has a soothing agent such as aloe vera in addition to pulling the skin taunt and shaving in the direction that the hair grows (unlike how you would shave your leg or armpit). After you shave, make sure you apply baby oil or unscented lotion to reduce irritation. The biggest downfall to shaving is that the hair grows back quickly after shaving in addition to the irritation; however, it is the cheapest and easiest route. Most people begin to remove their hair by shaving for these reasons. If you choose to wax, it is certainly best if you go to a salon. If you try to wax by yourself, you risk burns if the wax is too hot in addition to likely not doing as good of a job as a salon would have done. Once at a salon, the technician will apply the hot wax followed by a cloth, allow the wax to harden and then pull it off, removing the hair from the follicle. The benefit of waxing is that it keeps the skin smoother for a longer time. The downfall is that it is more expensive and you must involve someone else. Lastly, there are depilatories or cream hair removers. To use these, you simply wet the area, apply the gel, wait and then remove. However, these can cause irritation and chemical burns especially if you do not get a product specifically for use on your vulva.
Periods
Lastly, there is the topic of period maintenance. There are also three ways to manage your period that are widely used in America today: pads, tampons, and silicone cups. Pads are one of the oldest forms of period maintenance but are still commonly in use today. To use them, you remove them from the package and stick them to the inside of your underwear. They work by catching blood and discharge in their absorbent material. The benefits of pads are that they can more easily be used when the flow is lighter and older people are more likely to use pads than tampons or cups. The downside of pads is that they are considered “bulky” by some people and, therefore, limit clothing options; additionally, using pads can limit the kind of activities that people can partake in- you can’t swim when on your period while using pads. Tampons have been around since the 1930s. They are used by inserting them into one's vagina where it collects blood in absorbent cotton. The upside is that there is more freedom of movement, clothing options, and activities than pads offer. The downside to tampons is that they are uncomfortable for some people, they need to be changed ever four to eight hours, and they run a higher risk of urinary tract infections and toxic shock syndrome. Lastly, there are menstrual cups made of silicone. These cups are also inserted into the vagina, but they do not absorb blood, rather they collect it for disposal later. The benefits to these are that they can be worn for up to 12 hours, don’t contain chemicals or fibers like tampons and pads, and are better for the environment since they are reusable. The downside is that they can be messy, the user must wash the cup themselves rather than just throwing it away as they would a pad or tampon, and some people find it harder to insert a menstrual cup as compared to using a pad or tampon.
We all have decisions to make about what to do to our body, but the more informed we are, the better decisions we can make. Be sure to learn about your body and take care of it as well as you can.
