Vagina steaming has to do with squatting over a pot of herbs and steaming hot liquid in order to supposedly cleanse your vagina. There is a popular belief that says it can do everything from relieve cramps to getting rid of funky discharge. However, is this safe for the vagina?
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The vagina is a self cleansing microbiome. Steaming provides no benefits, and risks the health of the biome, which is particular to moisture and temperature levels. Slight changes, and I mean slight will cause imbalances in the natural bacterial and fungal populations, risking infection. Steam alone can cause burns- especially on thin tissues such as the vaginal membranes. Vagina steaming is not healthy at all.
If you are concerned about your smell or discharge, speak to your doctor. Don’t take it into your own hands.
I am a doctor, and while I may not be a gynecologist or a doctors who specializes in female anatomy; I’d like to tell you the dangers associated with steaming the vagina;
The primary safety concern is that the steam could burn the sensitive vaginal tissues if it is too hot.
Adding extra moist heat to the vagina and exposing the vagina to certain additives within the steam could also increase a woman’s risk for yeast or bacterial infections.
If the vaginal steaming equipment is not kept clean, a person could also be at risk for infections and other side effects. Therefore, it is essential to clean all equipment thoroughly before using it.
If a person goes to a spa for a vaginal steaming, they should ask the spa staff how they clean their equipment and what steps they take to reduce infection risk.
Vaginal steaming can be dangerous if a woman is pregnant. This is because the vaginal steam could affect the growing fetus. Doctors generally recommend that pregnant women avoid using hot tubs, saunas, and heating pads around the pelvis for the same reason.