The Type Of Underwear You Should Avoid Wearing On An Airplane

Although some people see air travel as a reason to wear the most comfortable things they have in their closet, for others, it's all about dressing to the nines. While there's nothing wrong with either approach, in fact, both options make sense depending on where you're coming from, where you're going, and your overall personal travel fashion, there's still something that all people need to be aware of. In news that might be initially surprising for some, when you're dressing to fly, you need to take your underwear into consideration. In other words, you need to leave the synthetic undies and shapewear at home or pack them in your carry-on bag so you can put them on when you land.

If you're someone who doesn't wear synthetics, then you're already doing right by your body. You're not only avoiding the possibility of infections that can occur when you're sitting in underwear for a long period of time that doesn't let your body breathe, but you're also limiting your chances of a possible physical injury should a plane-related emergency occur.

When you're getting ready to board a plane, especially one that's going to be a long flight, you want to think about what your body needs. "Generally speaking, the best fabrics for underwear are natural fabrics like cotton," board-certified OB-GYN, Dr. Andrea Braden, told HuffPost. "It really has to do with the breathability of that fabric... It is important for vulvar health to have good air circulation." 

Even if you get up to stretch a few times, the majority of the flight will consist of you sitting in your seat watching movies or reading for hours. If you want to avoid a yeast infection or something similar from all this sitting, you may even want to stop wearing underwear altogether. If you have an event that you need to attend immediately after landing and you want your shapewear to help you feel confident, then hit the bathroom after the plane lands and put it on then.

If you're someone who isn't prone to yeast infections and feels most comfortable in things that hug the body, then here's another thing to consider: synthetic fabric is highly flammable. Which means, if there's an incident involving flames, as that fabric melts, it's going to become hot and sticky, possibly burning your skin. While burns, in general, are something all people want to avoid, more than anything, no one wants their genitals burned.

Of course, what you choose to wear for an undergarment every time you board a plane is up to you; these are just things to consider. Will every long flight in synthetic underwear result in a yeast infection, or, if there's an in-air issue, will your undies melt against your skin, causing painful burns? No. But at the same time, dressing for the "what if?" isn't a bad idea. (Here are some other underwear mistakes you probably didn't know you were making.)