Whether you get an occasional bikini wax or a monthly Brazilian, listen up: Waxing may increase your risk of contracting certain sexually transmitted infections by creating micro-tears in your skin that viruses can later squeeze through, according to a new review published in JAMA Dermatology.
As anyone who has ever been on the waxing table knows, the popular procedure can sometimes cause redness, inflammation, peeling, and occasionally even bleeding. So researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the University of Texas at Houston, and Tufts Medical Center reviewed previous case studies of bikini waxes and viral infections, concluding that although waxing is "relatively safe," any resulting microscopic tears can potentially make you more vulnerable to infection.
The STIs that have shown the strongest link to waxing are HPV, herpes simplex virus, and molluscum contagiosum (a skin virus that wasn't considered an STI until recently, when it started springing up on more women's genitals), says ob-gyn Alyssa Dweck, M.D., coauthor of V is for Vagina. These viruses don't rely on swapping bodily fluids and are all transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.
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So do you need to break up with your Brazilian? Not necessarily. The research didn't find evidence that waxing causes STIs, just that small tears below the belt (whether brought on by waxing, shaving, or even sex), could make transmission of a virus easier. So if you're worried about your hair removal making you more vulnerable to infection, don't have sex if your skin is irritated from a wax. Dweck advises waiting at least a day after waxing before you put it to use with a buddy. This should be enough time for typical irritation to calm down, but if you still notice any tears, bleeding, or redness, hold off.
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If you already have an STI, it's also important to avoid irritating your skin with waxing when you’re experiencing a flare-up, says Dweck. "If you have a herpes lesion that’s popping up, hair removal can disturb it and allow it to spread throughout your skin," she says.
To make sure everything goes smoothly when you’re getting smooth, read up on these seven things you need to know before you wax.
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