Underwear is an essential part of everyone's (or almost everyone's) wardrobe. There are many types of them in all sorts of sizes and shapes. People have everyday underwear, and there are pairs for special occasions.

Moreover, judging by the money that people are willing to spend on their underwear, it plays a very important role in their lives. According to some data, the turnover of this industry reaches 30 billion dollars. If you think about it, that’s a huge amount for a piece of fabric that is hidden from prying eyes most of the time.

Despite the heightened attention to underwear, there are a number of questions that are rarely raised and openly discussed.

In this article, we have collected the hottest questions about underwear and its influence on your health, in our opinion. You may have wanted to ask them but were embarrassed.

1. Is it okay to wear the same pair of underwear for several days in a row?

From a health perspective, there are no problems with wearing yesterday's underwear again. That is, theoretically, you can go without a fresh pair as long as the underwear looks clean (no traces of discharge).

But this advice has two exceptions. You need to change your underwear more often if

  • there are sores, rashes, scratches on the areas of skin adjacent to intimate places (the risk of infection increases),
  • you have sweated heavily.

The second piece of advice is more relevant for women, as an excess of moisture is the ideal environment for the development of a fungal infection known as candidiasis (thrush).

While for men the issue of infections in the groin area is not as relevant, it is still a good practice to change underwear immediately after heavy sweating (to reduce unnecessary risks).

2. Does the fabric play any role?

To put it very briefly, yes, the fabric does matter when it comes to health.

To prevent the development of infection and itching in intimate areas, it is strongly recommended to wear clean and loose cotton underwear during periods of increased physical activity. This way, the skin will have a chance to breathe.

Although recently synthetic underwear made from moisture-wicking fabrics has become popular. Such fabrics are used to make clothing for professional athletes. And this is not by chance. Scientists have determined that those participants in the experiment who wore clothing made from moisture-wicking materials showed better athletic performance than those who wore clothing made from cotton fabric. They also felt more comfortable.

And when you think about it, there’s nothing surprising about this. Just remember yourself and your feelings after running a dozen kilometers in a wet cotton t-shirt.

3. Is it okay to train in thongs?

To be completely honest, there are no studies that have examined the relationship between wearing thongs during training and health.

But if you think logically, you can come to some conclusions on your own. Thongs leave large surfaces of skin around intimate areas exposed. And these surfaces come into contact with other clothing (for example, sweaty leggings), which can become an additional source of moisture and an environment for harmful bacteria to thrive.

Thongs, due to their shape, can shift and twist, which facilitates the transfer of bacteria from one area of skin to another.

Therefore, while there is no scientific evidence, it makes sense to wear closed underwear during training. This way, you’ll protect yourself from unnecessary problems.

4. What’s better: boxers or briefs?

One of the most pressing questions is how different types of men's underwear affect potency?

Scientific research tells us that heat affects sperm production. An increase in scrotal temperature hinders sperm production. And what affects the temperature and comfort of the testicles? Underwear.

Therefore, if a man is preparing for conception, it is recommended that he does not wear too tight and form-fitting underwear: it is better to prefer looser alternatives.

5. Is it okay to go without underwear?

Yes! And there are several sound reasons for this.

Too loose underwear (when it comes to training) has one major downside: it rides up on the skin, which can cause itching and irritation. Based on this, you can forgo underwear during training (or at times of increased activity) if you have no skin issues (scars, cuts, rashes), and the outer clothing is tight-fitting, snug, and moisture-wicking. In this case, you can enjoy freedom.

Conclusions

The most important advice is to keep your underwear clean, dry, and fresh. If you have no skin issues in intimate areas and you wear clean underwear, then you can wear them the next day if there are no discharges and you haven't sweat.

When it comes to sports, moisture-wicking fabric underwear is preferable to cotton underwear.

Thongs are better not to wear to the gym. Instead, choose more closed underwear.

And finally, you can exercise without underwear, but only if the skin is healthy, clean, and the outer clothing is tight-fitting, snug, and made from moisture-wicking fabric.