When You Stop Wearing Underwear, Your Body Won't Be The Same. Here's Why

 When You Stop Wearing Underwear, Your Body Won't Be The Same. Here's Why

Deciding to stop wearing underwear may be even more difficult than choosing between trunks or briefs, hipsters or high-rise. Yes, maybe the ultimate question really shouldn't be about boxers or briefs, but whether or not you should you wear any at all.

Abandoning your undergarments may not seem like a typical choice, but going commando is becoming a fairly common occurrence. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Vanity Fair and 60 Minutes, a quarter of us like to skip the underwear altogether. You may be thinking yuck, but before getting your panties in a knot, bare in mind there are many pros when it comes to ditching your drawers.

Aside from the obvious panty line problem, getting some fresh air down there has quite a few health benefits as well. However, if you've already been enjoying wearing one less piece of clothing — after all, it is less laundry — it's important to understand that going without underwear can have a negative impact on your body too. Before completely committing to going commando, read on to find out why your body won't be the same when you stop wearing underwear.

You could say goodbye to nerve pain when you wave goodbye to underwear

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If you find yourself squeezing into a pair of underwear to provide shape and support around your center, you are in for a surprise. You may, in fact, just be setting yourself up for some not-so-fun nerve pain.

Tight waistbands and thick elastics that dig into your skin are capable of damage the nerves underneath — and this damage can run deep. The sciatic nerve, which is a part of your lower spine, can be affected by your underwear. It may sound over the top, but it's a very real pain bound to get under anybody's nerves.

While your undergarment may not seem like it's tight enough to cut off circulation to your spine, it compresses the surrounding muscles, which then put pressure on your sciatic nerve. Longterm effects from your lingerie can even cause sciatica, a repetitive pain that radiates from your lower back down through your legs (via One Oak Medical). If you're looking for a way to nix your nerve pain, saying no to underwear — or at least going for a looser style — may be the way to go.

You may avoid unnecessary skin irritation by not wearing any underwear

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Eczema from your underwear? It may sound out there, but it happens. If you're allergic to any type of laundry detergent or forget to wash a new garment before wearing it — whoops! — this could seriously mess with your skin. Certain detergents and dyes that come close to your downstairs can cause contact dermatitis, women's health expert Dr. Donnica Moore explained to Considerable. "The tissues that your panties come in to contact with are a lot more sensitive than your elbows."

Even static cling can cause issues for your delicate skin. Shocking! This buildup of electricity causes friction in the fabric, which can rub up against your bits. Eventually, this can lead to dryness and eczema, internist Keri Peterson revealed on The Dr. Oz Show. The ultimate solution? You may just want to go without any undergarments at all.

You could fall sleep faster sans underwear

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For a night full of undisturbed sleep, you might want to consider forgoing underwear — and maybe all of your clothes, actually.

According to Healthline, the ideal temperature for sleeping is a solid 65 degrees Fahrenheit. However, even with your thermostat turned down that low, you may find your layers are making you too warm. Yes, between your underwear, pajamas, partner, and however many blankets you hoard on your side of the bed, you could just be too toasty to drift off to sleep. We're not saying you should kick out your bedmate or throw away your blankets, but you may want to consider ditching the drawers. 

"Sleeping naked can help the skin cool off faster, which may help lower body temperature and allow a person to get to sleep sooner," Medical News Today explained. Going undie-less will help if you're looking to turn down the heat in your bedroom — or, you know, up. You're not wearing any underwear, after all.  

You may experience fewer UTIs if you avoid wearing underwear

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A urinary tract infection — that which causes a painful burning feeling whenever you use the bathroom — unfortunately affects about 60 percent of women and 12 percent of men.

Some popular fabrics that our favorite undergarments are made of, like silk or nylon, can keep moisture up close to your body, making it a breeding ground for bacteria. In a world filled with so many pretty panties and snazzy boxers, it's difficult to keep it basic — but that's actually best. Cotton underwear is ideal because it helps your bits breathe, relieving you of bad bacteria that can creep its way into evolving into an unfortunate UTI, Alyssa Dweck, a New York-based gynecologist, told Prevention. You'll want to especially steer clear of "thongs with a thin, chafing G-string" as these "can transfer bacteria," according to Dweck.

One way to avoid this conundrum altogether? Go commando. It will save you some money, some laundry, and some time at the doctor's office.

Without underwear, you could stop having heartburn

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If you had your heart set on some adorable undergarments, you should know they could actually set you up for heartburn. Weird, huh? How could your briefs possibly be setting you up for the same bad stomach pain as your fave burritos?

It all depends on the height of your undies, according to Everyday Health. If hipsters aren't your thing and you opt for tight high-rise underwear instead, the stakes for heartburn are raised. If the band squeezes your stomach, it may be able to push stomach acid back up to your esophagus to settle there — hence the heartburn.

Unfortunately, acid reflux disease is fairly common and even if you've never dealt with this uncomfortable condition before, wearing tight undergarments over the course of just two weeks can cause you to develop it, Jamie Koufman, a reflux specialist, revealed to Everyday Health. Nixing your knickers, it seems, may be the most helpful when it comes to putting a halt to heartburn.

You'll likely have fewer yeast infections if you stop wearing underwear

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Wearing underwear is something most people do. and yet your underpants could actually be setting men and women up for yeast infections. Yikes. "Silk and synthetic fabrics are not breathable, which increases the risk of moisture being trapped and retained," women's health expert Donnica Moore explained to Considerable. Men, too, will want to prevent a buildup of moisture, according to WebMD. With moisture can come redness, burning, and an unbearable itch.

The easy solution to avoid such an infection is exactly what you'd expect: Put your drawers back in the drawer. By not allowing moisture to accumulate, you'll ultimately win the battle against bad bacteria being built up down there. Although yeast infections aren't nearly as common in men, three out of four women will experience this irritating infection at some point in their lives, according to Mayo Clinic. So it only makes sense that committing to going commando is the best solution for this issue. When in doubt, air it out!

Not wearing underwear may increase sperm production

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It turns out that wearing underwear could be causing your infertility. While, yes, it's pretty obvious that wearing it isn't going to help when it comes to getting pregnant, there's some science hiding beneath the waistband — and it all has to do with sperm.

To produce the best little swimmers possible, temperature is important. "To produce sperm efficiently, the testicles need to stay at about 94 [degrees Fahrenheit]," Healthline explained, which is a few degrees cooler than the average body temperature. Wearing underwear, especially tight boxer briefs, causes your downstairs to heat up drastically while being pushed up against your 98-degree body. This, in turn, can cause a lower sperm count.

While mixed research is out there regarding just how underwear affects infertility, letting some fresh air down there doesn't seem to hurt. And if you're trying to grow your family, why not try going commando