An Actual Gyno Explains Why Vaginal Steaming Is Definitely a Bad Idea
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Four years ago, Goop queen Gwyneth Paltrow vent viral for telling her readers they should steam their vaginas—and for some reason, we still can’t stop talking about it.
Actress Lucy Hale recently told W that she is pro-vag steam, and that it’s something she’s been wanting to try for a while. “They offer it at a place downtown, and I’m not really sure what the benefits are,” she told the publication. “It just sounds really relaxing. I’m going to grab a girlfriend, and we’re going to go and get our vags steamed.”
TBH, steaming any part of my body sounds kinda nice, and spas that provide the service (usually for about $125, although it depends where you live) suggest that a “V-steam,” a li’l vagiphobic term for sitting on a chair with a hole over a pot of steamy, herby water, can increase your libido, cleanse your vagina, revitalize your uterus (which means basically nothing), reduce period pain, and relax your pelvic floor muscles. Cue an Owen Wilson “Wooooow.”
But, ICYMI, gynos are very much against the practice. “There is no proven medical benefit derived from vulvar steaming,” says Jill Maura Rabin, MD, a New York-based Northwell Health physician who specializes in Urogynecology and Obstetrics and Gynecology.
If you’re also considering steam cleaning your vag (Lucy, if you’re reading this, we’re here 4 u), read on to find out why this is a waste of time, money, and a perfectly good vulva.
1. You could burn yourself.
A 2019 case study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada documents the story of a woman who wound up with second-degree burns after undergoing a steam.
2. It’s probs not going to make you want more sex.
Even if steamy heat coming for your undercarriage is your jam, it’s highly unlikely it would increase your sex drive in the long run, says Dr. Rabin: “There’s no reason why steam on the vulva [the external part of your genitals] or lower part of the vagina would increase a person’s libido.”
3. You’re not actually cleaning anything up in there.
Generally, soap and water (or even just water) are enough to “cleanse” your vulva, explains Dr. Rabin. And as you may know, your vagina does not need any sort of washing—ever, says Dr. Rabin. That’s because it contains healthy bacteria called lactobacilli, which produce lactic acid. These guys keep your vaginal pH nice and low (aka acidic), and that prevents bad bacteria from thriving up in you, says Dr. Rabin. Um, also, it’s unlikely steam could travel far enough into the vagina to have any effect, says Dr. Rabin. So there’s that.
4. You might actually eff up your perfectly balanced pH.
On the rare chance that steam does reach the inside the vagina, it hypothetically could kill off some of those acid-producing bacteria, making you more susceptible to infections, says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
5. Your uterus does not need to be “revitalized,” guys.
“I cannot think of why folks would want to revitalize the uterus,” says Dr. Minkin. And there’s no way steam would even be able to reach that reproductive organ, adds Dr. Rabin. Meaning? It likely would have no impact whatsoever.
6. It won’t make your period less painful.
Uterine contractions (aka cramps) are caused by prostaglandins, a hormonelike substance made by all mammals, explains Dr. Rabin. Taking an NSAID like ibuprofen can reduce the amount of those compounds in your bod, minimizing crampage. But steam won’t do that. And although warmth from a hot-water bottle applied to your abdomen could relax the muscles down there, heat from the treatment won’t reach your uterus, says Dr. Rabin. So it’s pointless.
The bottom line: Just say no to steaming.
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