Newest Vagina "Fix"

It seems that every new year, right before the advent of Valentine's Day, a new "trend" is being thrown in our face.  And I'm not talking fashion trend.  I'm talking anti-vagina trend.

Well, maybe I'm taking it a bit far.  But I don't know why everyone's always trying to improve the vagina!

In some Los Angeles (which has a large Korean population) spa's and one Manhattan spa, they are offering vaginal steam baths.  The idea is that herbal steams directed toward the vagina help to "reduce stress, fight infections, clear hemorrhoids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid infertility, among many other health benefits." (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/20/health/la-he-v-steam-20101220)

Chai-yok, as it is called, is presumably a traditional Korean health remedy and many women in Korea go for a steam after their periods.

C'mon...I had to use this picture.

The article linked above states that there isn't any actual research to back up the actual health benefits.

To me, it's just too similar to vaginal douching, which is proven not to have any real health benefits.

Firstly, I'm a fan of steam baths and going to the spa.  Big fan of spas!  Naturally, it makes sense for a spa experience to reduce stress.  Also, I understand the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of putting heat on certain areas to help circulation of energy.

But that reduction and relief of stress in and of itself is a major health benefit that can actually lead to more health benefits (such as regulating the menstrual cycle AND fighting infections).  So, I'm not necessarily surprising that people would assume that targeting the steam to the vagina would them target specific vagina-related health issues.

Not only that, but when will we learn that the vagina is its own self-cleaning oven?  You don't need to douche, you don't need to scrub internally, you definitely don't need a targeted steam bath.

If you're feeling "unclean," I would personally suggest finding out whether the "unclean" feeling is physical or psychological.  There's so many hang-ups related to the vagina, that I'm not surprised that people would see this as a viable health treatment.

Now, I'm all for keeping the vagina area clean.  While the vagina (internal) cleans itself, you can't always rely on tissue paper to keep the external parts clean.  There's nothing wrong with getting a pH balanced feminine wash (preferably gently scented - I used to use Summer's Eve, but the smell is too purfumey!), like Athena's Splash.

I love this product!
Great for every day use in the shower.

Honestly, if you want to spend $50-75 on a spa treatment, you really don't need a vaginal steam.  I highly recommend a body scrub or a milk bath or anything that involves a massage.  You just might find yourself more relaxed, allowing your vagina to do its own thing.

The "Doctors"

I've caught several glimpses of this afternoon show while at nail salons.  But today, I just needed to take a look at an episode.

Doctor Actors

After watching this episode, I've decided that I really dislike the lot of them.  I'm sure they have medical degrees based on the fact that they're wearing scrubs and lab coats, and I wouldn't be surprised if they are just the figureheads for the actual less-attractive doctors who provide the real information.

So, today's show was mainly a recap show about laughter and how good it is for you.  I'll agree with that statement.  But the majority of clips from previous shows were about sexual health and body image issues.

They showed several clips with Dr. Ruth, who I think is pretty awesome.  She brought a couple of toys to show them, and they all had a good laugh.  They also brought up that there are some foods that would boost your sex drive and  would help give you orgasms.

One recipe was an "Orgasm Smoothie" which is a blend of blueberries, bananas, peaches, milk, flaxseed, ginger, honey, and nutmeg.  If you know anything about food, you know that these ingredients are generally great for anyone's diet since they're full of antioxidants and vitamins.  The other food item was some "Viagra-like" ice cream.  Dr. Ruth then pipes in, "You don't need ice cream!  You need to feel attraction to your partner and know what feels good!"

Amen Dr. Ruth.  Amen.

Then the clips turned to "trimming the hedges," as they called it.  They shared their own opinions about how much hair should be "down there," also sharing that trained professionals should handle any waxing action.  I do wish, however, that they addressed manscaping!  Taking care of yourself or doing personal maintenance is mainly a personal preference.  Nonetheless, I think it's also not something that should be focused on any specific gender!

After this segment, I was ready to start throwing things at the television.  The conversation about pubic hair removal then "naturally" moved on to the one thing I really hate right now...vajazzling.  It worried me that the only female doctor seemed to be somewhat approving of vajazzling.  But it made me feel almost less angry that the men were just quite skeptical of glittery vaginas.

I have to admit that the entire show is extremely frustrating.  It's hard to take any of them seriously.

I'm sure there have been studies that show that people are more inclined to trust or listen to someone when that person is considered "attractive."  But this makes me trust them less.  The fact that the "Doctors" all look like they're also actors makes me feel worried and nervous.  The fact that the majority of the show is really an hour long commercial for a variety of products makes me feel like there are hundreds of thousands of people being duped.

I guess in the scheme of things, it's better that some of the information is getting out to the masses rather than people living ignorantly.  I just hope that the information is more correct than anything else.