In 2019, Taylor Swift's Hygiene Confession About Her Legs Sparked A National Conversation

Taylor Swift's bathing routine had the Internet all up in arms. When the pop star appeared on "The Ellen Show" in May 2019, the talk show host questioned if she washed her legs in the shower. After answering in the affirmative, Swift explained, "Because when you shave your legs, the shaving cream is like soap." When asked if she didn't wash her legs on the days she didn't shave, Swift clarified that she shaved daily. 

The simple discussion triggered an Internet debate about whether washing your legs in the shower is necessary. Even the "Today" show did a segment covering the discourse. In a poll on X conducted by "The Ellen Show," 74.9% out of 97,029 respondents claimed they washed their legs in the shower. While one of these respondents wrote that "It would be disgusting" to forgo the essential cleaning step, another person was icked out by the idea that people didn't cleanse their legs of dead skin. It's worth noting that 15.6% of respondents said they only washed their legs in the shower sometimes, and another 9.5% admitted to forgoing the step. The consensus among the non-washers was that the legs were naturally cleaned as they rinsed their upper body.

Chatting with Women's Health, Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, professed that the legs did not require special attention in the shower. "Unless your legs are visibly soiled, you don't actually need to wash them directly with a cleanser," he explained. "The cleanser that drips down your body is enough to remove most of the dirt and sweat that accumulates during the day."

During a chat with Best Life, Dr. Emmanuel (Michael) R. Loucas, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, explained why washing your legs in the shower may not be a good idea for some. After stating that he cautioned his patients with eczema against washing their legs daily, he explained, "Soaps, even the mildest, remove the natural oils from your skin. This allows the evaporation of moisture from your skin, resulting in increased dryness." 

Ultimately, Dr. Loucas said most people could get away with washing their legs every now and then, "preferably with liquid cleanser or mild bar soap." With all of this, it appears that people's idea of what happens to your body when you don't wash your legs isn't as true as they might think. However, the discussion surrounding Taylor Swift's hygiene confession on "The Ellen Show" wasn't just limited to her leg washing frequency. 

On Reddit, many wondered about what happens to your legs when you shave them every day, as the "Cruel Summer" hitmaker did. Speaking to Seventeen Magazine, Dr. Arielle Nagler, board-certified dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Health, asserted she would ideally ask her patients not to shave every day. However, Dr. Nagler was quick to stress that shaving daily wouldn't necessarily have any major downsides apart from razor bumps, which could be brought on by irritated hair follicles. Dr. Nagler noted that the risk of developing razor bumps could be reduced by moisturizing after shaving and following proper shaving practices.