Everything you need to know about vaginal steaming.
Vaginal steaming is an alternative treatment for supporting a person's reproductive organs. It has gained recent popularity in modern spas and DIY treatments. Some claim benefits from this treatment such as reduced menstrual symptoms and increased fertility. This method of steaming your genitals may be used by those born female at birth, intersex or non-binary. But does vaginal steaming work? and should you do it?
What is vaginal steaming?
Which is also known as V-steaming or yoni steaming vaginal steaming involves a person sitting or squatting over a hot pot of steam-water containing herbal remedies to enhance and cleanse your internal reproductive organs.
Vaginal steaming supporters believe that absorbing herbal steam through the pores inside your body will enhance blood flow and promote healing. Although, select spas offer vaginal steaming the primary at-home method involves sitting on a seat with a hole in the middle filled with steaming hot water and natural herbs, usually rosemary, basil, mugwort and wormwood. A person typically will cover themselves with a towel and squat on top of the seat for around 20 to 45 minutes per session.
Where did the idea behind steaming your vagina come from?
The origin of vaginal steaming is unclear, some suspect it may be a centuries-old Korean practice or based on a practice called fumigation, dating back to the classical period in Greece.
A 2011 study by the world health organization looking at vaginal traditions in South Africa, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Thailand found the practice was relatively common. For instance, two things of women in the Thai province Chonburi practiced vaginal steaming as a way of maintaining wellness and their feminine identity. In Southeast Asia, 86% of women reported using vaginal steam for self-care and to help with healing after childbirth. Southern and Central American cultures have also promoted vaginal steaming as a healing remedy after birth to tone the womb and repair damaged tissue. Finally, the study found that people practiced vaginal steaming in Mozambique is intending to tighten the vagina.
In recent years, vaginal steaming has made a comeback in modern spas and as a popular DIY remedy in the US. Made famous by Gwyneth Paltrow. In 2015, people have become increasingly curious about vaginal steaming and its detoxifying benefits.
Paltrow, who visited a Santa Monica spa retreat told her fans about the energetic release while boasting about its uterus cleansing abilities. Chrissy Teigen even praised vaginal steaming in an Instagram photo of herself squatting over a steaming pot while wearing a face mask.
What are the claims about Vaginal Steaming?
Vaginal steaming has become a popular holistic treatment despite there being no scientific evidence pointing to its effectiveness. The practice of vaginal steaming claims to cleanse the vagina relieve monthly bleeding symptoms and rebalance hormone levels among other things.
Vaginal steaming offers the following benefits:
Detoxify the womb
Regulate monthly menstrual cycle
Treatment for stress
Increase fertility
Relief from menopause symptoms
Decrease fatigue
Treatment for hemorrhoids
Improves energy
Faster healing after childbirth
Decrease headaches
Is it safe?
Your vagina is sensitive so when exposing it to hot steams you have to be careful because there is a possibility the steam can burn you.
Burning your genital tissue from the hot steam is possible as it is thinner and more sensitive than other body areas. Vaginal steaming equipment must also be kept clean or infection could occur. Also, it is important to avoid vaginal steaming if you are pregnant as its unknown how the practice can affect a developing baby.
Foods that help Vaginal health:
There are many ways to help keep your vagina healthy. You may not realize that eating a healthy diet and choosing certain foods can also promote vaginal health.
Water Water Water!!!
Ok, it's not food but, water can help your vagina by keeping tissues hydrated and helping your body eliminate wastes effectively.
Cranberry Juice
You've probably heard that drinking cranberry juice reduces your chances of developing urinary tract infection, but it words off vaginal infections too. Compounds in cranberries could balance the vagina's pH level and its acidic properties help fight bacteria that cause infection.
High-Fiber Foods
High-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nut seeds, and whole grains contain compounds known as prebiotics. Prebiotics are a favorite food of good intestinal bacteria that helps keep your entire body including your vagina healthy and in balance.
Fermented Foods
Like yogurt, certain fermented foods contain good bacteria. These include some type of sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, kombucha and kefir. Check food labels to see if the products your buying contain live cultures.
Yogurt
Your vagina contains large amounts of good bacteria that help protect you from the bad bacteria that could enter your body. You can help increase levels of helpful bacteria by eating foods such as yogurt. The good bacteria in yogurt may also help your vagina by balancing acid levels in your vaginal fluid. For the best benefits choose yogurt brands that contain live cultures such as Lactobacillus.
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