The vajayjay can sometimes seem complicated, even to those of us who are personally equipped with one. A lot can be going on down there at any given time, guys. And don’t even get me started on the hormones that are associated with making all of this magic happen.
We all know that after childbirth, things change. And by “things”, I’m referring to, among other body parts, Dame Lady V. Giving birth has a way of altering your ladybits (or even, yup, tearing them. OUCH.)
Some of us worry that things might feel a little “roomier” or loose down there- it’s a normal concern.
Then again, maybe most of us are just traumatized by Kim Kardashian’s wondering aloud on KUWTK if sex after the birth of her third child “would be like throwing a hot dog down a hallway?”
(That mental visual will scorch your brain repeatedly- thanks, Kim K!)
Even Gwyneth Paltrow has dished out plenty of vag advice: think steaming and jade eggs, for starters. While there are a variety of options available to attempt to strengthen your vaginal walls (kegels, yoga, etc.) there are also a few options that you should JUST SAY NO to.
Doctors have recently publicly warned women to stop using toothpaste to tighten their vaginas, citing the risks of multiple infection & even infertility.
So the latest version of “WTF?? News”: women have apparently been using toothpaste in their vaginas, to try and tighten them.
Now note that it says doctors have warned women to stop using toothpaste on their vaginas. They’re not saying “don’t try this”, but rather, “don’t KEEP trying this.”
Yes, this is a thing. Why is this a thing??
Apparently this unusual method has gained popularity overseas; many women think applying toothpaste to the vagina and vulva will tighten everything up.
But to absolutely no one’s surprise… nope. It doesn’t work.
As Dr. Oluwole Yusuf explained when interviewed by the News Agency of Nigeria:
Toothpaste is caustic and too abrasive for a sensitive body part like the vagina.
Have you ever managed to get a speck of toothpaste in your EYE during an over-enthusiastic brushing session? You’re sure to remember the searing pain of your eyeball sautéing in that cool Crest sensation…
Now send that Colgate tarter-control paste down further south, and imagine the minty-fresh wildfire sweeping through your lady bush.
I mean, I’m sure it would have a SCORCHING effect, as in, “For the love of all things holy, my lady garden has gone up in flames!”, likely following by a lot of frantic flailing and screaming.
And as far as “tightening”… who the hell is going to enjoy any sexy-time when their vaginal walls are inflamed with Colgate???
It’s unclear where the myth of toothpaste-tightening originated from, but enough women out there have been trying it that the medical community is urging them to stop.
If a woman can actually withstand the cool “burst” of minty sensation (OUCH), leaving the substance coating your insides will eventually leave you smelling anything but fresh.
In fact, according to Dr. Vanessa Mackay, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists:
Putting toothpaste into the vagina, or on the vulva, would not only be uncomfortable but it could also cause serious damage and disrupt the natural flora of the vagina, leading to the potential for infections like bacterial vaginosis and thrush.
So if you put toothpaste in your hoohah in an attempt to tighten it, size will soon become the least of your vaginal worries….
Toothpaste can lead to a whole host of problems, including infertility. Dr. Yusef warns women that:
When the vagina can no longer protect itself, the body is prone to infections which could later destroy the tubes and block the chances of getting pregnant.
So in case it wasn’t blatantly obvious before, let’s make it abundantly clear here & now, ladies: putting toothpaste in your vagina is a bad, BAD idea. No amount of insecurity over your changing body is worth this kind of potential damage.
A minty fresh mouth is appealing, but a minty fresh vag is likely a vag ON FIRE- and not in a good way. So stick to kegels to tighten things up down there, & leave the toothpaste where it belongs- for your teeth.