5 Popular Clothing Items That Can Be Threatening to Your Health

We all want to look good, chic, and effortlessly fabulous without breaking the bank or looking tacky. In addition, it’s easy to get caught up in fashion and beauty trends. But it’s also important to think about what you’re wearing from a health perspective. Apparently, what we put on our bodies is as important as what we feed our bodies.

The Bright Side team wants to share a list of the things you should avoid when shopping for your next wardrobe upgrade.

1. Tight clothing

Many people prefer to wear close-fitting, body-hugging clothing. However, you should be aware of the potential health effects if you believe that your clothing — including your dresses, pants, shirts, or even underwear — is making you uncomfortable. Tight clothing can cause a condition called meralgia paresthetica, which is nerve entrapment, resulting in discomfort, stinging, and numbness in the sides of the thighs.

2. Yellow clothes

Aside from the fact that yellow has become super trendy in the last couple of years, it also symbolizes happiness, warmth, and sunshine. Unfortunately, yellow dye in clothing may contain a long-banned chemical. PCB11 is a form of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) that can cause skin irritation, severe acne, liver cancer, gall bladder cancer, biliary tract cancer, gastrointestinal tract cancer, and brain cancer. There are also studies showing a possible link between the dye and breast cancer.

3. Skinny jeans

Skinny jeans are a great style choice, but they can also be harmful to your health, especially for those “lady parts.” According to a study published in 2019, women who wear tight jeans often are more likely to develop vulvodynia, a chronic condition marked by external genital pain. But you’re likely in the clear if you wear skinny jeans no more than 4 times a week.

4. Wrinkle-free clothes

Wrinkle-free clothes are a convenient choice for those who want their fit fresh out of the dryer. However, there’s always a catch: formaldehyde. The Government Accountability Office found that clothes that are wrinkle-resistant contain high levels of this chemical.

The levels found in the study are not likely to irritate most people. However, it can result in dermatitis in people who are allergic to it, which can be characterized by rashes, blisters, and flaky, dry, itchy skin.

5. Wearing shoes without socks

There are many trends that promote going sockless, but it’s best to stick with the old tradition of always wearing socks with your shoes. As a barrier between the foot and the shoe, they absorb any sweat and keep the feet dry. Without them, the friction between the foot and the shoes can cause a condition called athlete’s foot, which is bacterial skin inflammation caused by rubbing against wet or moist surfaces.

What are the unhealthy or toxic clothing items that surprised you the most? How do you make sure that what you’re wearing is not damaging your health?