If you spend a consistent amount of time on this platform, you know that if there is one thing that I like to write about, it’s vaginas (overall) and vaginal health (more specifically). And why not? Vaginas (and vulvas) are a blessed thing — are they not? So, why not give them as much attention as they deserve?
Today, that’s just what we’re going to do. We’re gonna hear from 10 women who intentionally take things up a notch in the vaginal-attention-giving department by living their life sans any underwear down below. And although I’m aware that roughly 40 percent of women between the ages of 16-25 go commando and roughly 30 percent of women over 50 do it, what I wanted to learn was their reasons behind it.
Thankfully, these women (middle names were used) were more than willing to share — and honestly, they provided some solid arguments for why more of us should strongly consider not wearing panties either…at least every once in a while.
GiphyEmery. 29.
“I don’t wear bras or panties. I stopped wearing bras about five years ago and panties during the pandemic. Bras because I did research on how they can actually work against you when it comes to weakening breast tissue. Panties because — I was basically naked and working from home during shutdown, and I just felt more comfortable and stress-free that way. Since I mostly wear loose-fitting and flowing clothing, nobody knows what I have going on but me.”
Shellie here: She’s got a point on the bras. Some experts definitely say that they actually aid in weakening breast tissue. There are even science-based studies that say going without a bra can increase collagen and elasticity in younger women. Just something to think about. We even touched on the topic last spring for the platform via “Better Off Braless: The Benefits Of Not Wearing A Bra More Often.”
Michele. 37.
“Panties have always gotten on my nerves. Even though they’re supposedly supposed to prevent friction and discomfort, I always found them to be the cause. I ain’t crazy — when I’m on my period, I’ll wear them, but even then, I’m slightly triggered. The rest of the time, I like that my vagina is able to breathe. It also makes quickies a lot easier. I won’t get into how much public sex my hubby and I have had because, without panties, you feel sexy as hell. Bolder too.”
GiphyMyah. 27.
“The question that I get asked a lot is don’t I worry about wet spots on my clothes? Umm, if you’ve got so much discharge coming out of you that it’s drenching your outfits, you might want to see a doctor. Me? I don’t worry about that at all.”
“Anyway, what got me off of panties was realizing how often we were supposed to replace those bad boys. Every six months? I look at going without panties like I do ditching my pads for a menstrual cup — in this economy, every coin helps, right?”
Rolandae. 49.
“I’ve had C-sections with both of my kids — and when you’re waiting on that cut to heal? You don’t want ANYTHING touching it. Not even a little bit. It’s been since my younger child that I’ve gone without panties, and I’ve had less issues since then. I’ve only had one yeast infection. There’s been no odor. And I can’t explain it, but it seems that my pubic hair even feels softer.
"I do workout a lot, and some people ask me if it’s uncomfortable to wear those clothes without any underwear. Nah. I just make sure to take everything off immediately so that no sweat sets in. No panties [are] one of the best decisions I’ve made in life.”
GiphyDavelle. 41.
“I used to be really insecure about my vagina. I didn’t look at it. Beyond the bare minimum basics, I didn’t do any upkeep. I just didn’t give it much thought besides my period and sometimes sex.”
“Once I met the man who totally changed my views on sensuality, I started ramping up the attention that my vagina received and when I would take a mirror and look at her. And that started to make me feel like underwear was hiding her when there should be absolutely nothing to be scared or ashamed of.”
“No one has to know that you don’t have drawers on but you, so I recommend that all women at least go a week without any on. It’s so liberating, and it makes me feel like I’m giving my vagina the low-key spotlight it deserves — even if no one knows about it but me, chile.”
Zellè. 33.
“Listen, I’ve got a big ass, and I love it! Problem is, no matter what kind of panties I would buy or material they were made from, I constantly had the urge to pull them out of my butt. I don’t like how that feels, and I’m pretty sure that no one likes how that looks either, so — I did us all a solid and went panty-free. And I LOVE it!”
GiphyWiley. 25.
“It started out as a dare. My boyfriend dared me — us both, really — to go a week without any underwear. The chafing made him quit after the third day, but it’s been almost a year now for me, and I haven’t looked back. I feel more confident, sexier, and the health of my vagina has improved a lot. I still wear panties during my cycle and to church, just in case I pass out and don’t want to scare the church mothers. Other than that, nope. Panty-less is a mantra for me.”
Christine. 45.
“I feel sexy without having any panties on. What’s wild is I’m actually a pretty conservative dresser, for the most part, and that’s why I think not having any underwear on is so alluring. It’s like there’s a mystery going on that nobody knows about…well, few people know about. Mind ya business.” LOL.
GiphyJayda. 38.
“Meanwhile, I’m over here wondering why women wear panties at all. For what? What really are panties doing for you? They’ve always felt so confining, and then, once I found out that a certain amount of fecal matter remains in them, no matter how much you wash them out — yeah, I’m good on those things. When the topic comes up, sometimes people will ask if I’m nervous about sitting on park benches or at restaurants — I’m not naked; I just don’t have on any panties! I feel more secure knowing that fresh air is hitting it than some old discharge is just lying there. Eww.”
Xaniya. 36.
“Even though I don’t announce it to the world, whenever someone thinks it’s crazy that I don’t wear any panties, I think about how a lot of people who do don’t change theirs every day or they keep the same ones for years at a time. To me, that is what’s nasty. Doing something that’s traditional, if it’s not hygienic, makes absolutely no sense. You stay over there with your growing vaginal infection, and I’ll be over living my best life!”
Shellie here: She’s right. Reportedly 45 percent of Americans seem to have no problem with wearing the same pair of underwear at least two days in a row. Have mercy!
____
You know what else I enjoyed about this article? Back when I was younger, I would sometimes hear older Black women speak on the topic with the approach that it was what white women do. Umm, clearly not. All of these women are Black, proud to be that, and have no intentions of returning to panties any time soon.
Welp, there goes another myth debunked. Love to see it.
Anyway, did they convince you to go panty-less? Either way, hop in the comments and let us know. We’d love to hear if you’re Team Panty or…not.
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2023 was my year, and it was my turn. I had just completed an 8-month holistic detox. The glow-up was real and well-deserved. The way I have poured into myself is unmatched. Let me tell you, self-love is a love you have never known. After a five-year healing journey, I finally felt like myself again, and I was ready to play. My heart was open, my mind was clear, and my body hella transformed. I had told all my friends that I was ready to explore dating again, and at the height of summer, I did exactly just that.
This time I decided I wanted to take my time. I wanted to date the “right way” or the “healthy way.” You know, keep your options open, ask the right questions, believe actions and not words, observe patterns and pay attention to red, yellow, and green flags. I was never the dating app type of girl. I sincerely miss everything about human connection and dating from 2000 to 2012. Can we please bring all of that back into 2024? I prefer to feel a man’s energy and presence in real-time. Nonetheless, I still chose to dabble with a few dating apps. I was all the way outside and dating for practice.
Unfortunately, with today’s dating culture, social climate, and how some of these men move and/or behave, these dates were a dead end. Not one guy made it to my roster. What these men were was benched this season – not one of them could be my first-round select draft pick. It didn't seem like anyone I met was interested in a serious relationship. And it’s completely fine. Miss me with the ghosting, lack of effort, inconsistency, and poor communication. I continued to just do me because what is for me will not miss me.
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The universe must have heard me talking because I had specifically told my closest girlfriends that I wanted to meet someone who lived in the vicinity, no more than twenty minutes away, and no more long distance. And I did meet him (it’s crazy how I manifest exactly what I want). As we started to get to know each other, I liked his energy and effort. I liked the direction it seemed to be going to the point my girlfriends had to tell me not to run from him. Because every part of me wanted to run from something that seemed normal.
I liked what he was coming with until I became uncomfortable with my own feelings, and I didn’t know how to communicate them to him.
With that said, I knew if I truly wanted to experience the truest of loves, a reciprocal, requited love, and be in a healthy relationship this story had to come to a pause. What I didn’t know was that he was going to show me things I didn’t know I needed to work on. I didn’t know he inadvertently was going to help me continue to heal parts of me that were hidden.
As someone who has learned to self-heal, I am no longer the type that runs from herself. I am here for the growth.
The truth is I am emotionally detached from myself, and I am not actively dating at the moment. I am the one that has to work on herself. My reiki healer called it, too – she told me this year would not be a year for a relationship, but a year of continuous growth. And now I see why. After all the healing work I have done thus far – I am an unemotional mess. How?
At my big age of 39, I struggle to communicate my wants and needs.
I still struggle to communicate and process uncomfortable feelings. I would rather give myself anxiety, act nonchalantly, emotionally react, and choose non-communication when I am bothered with someone than address the issue (I will later explain why). I have been ignoring my feelings for so long it has become a habit, a defense mechanism, and more so a trauma response.
If you are someone like me who grew up in a household that didn’t discuss feelings, your emotional needs were unmet, and you don’t feel safe to share your feelings – emotional detachment is quite common.
Oftentimes, we always talk about men being emotionally unavailable, but what if it’s a woman who is emotionally unavailable or emotionally detached? How does she navigate herself, dating, or being in a relationship? As I navigate my emotions this season, let’s explore what it means to be emotionally detached, the signs of detachment, and how to reconnect with yourself emotionally.
Emotional Unavailability vs. Emotional Detachment
When we look at the terminology emotional unavailability and emotional detachment, one might argue that the two terms are interchangeable and have the same meaning. One could also argue that both terms mean that some people are not in tune with their emotions or lack the emotional capacity to be responsive to someone else’s emotions. Fair enough. However, there is a big difference. The definition of emotional unavailability is described as people who have difficulty with sharing their emotions and being receptive to the emotions of those around them.
According to Verywell Mind, signs of emotional unavailability can look like being distant or cold, lack of closeness, and emotional intimacy in relationships, inability to understand and relate to others’ feelings, defensiveness when asked to change or let others in, tendency to shut down or avoid topics that require emotional openness, or withdrawal from people or situations that provoke emotional reactions.
GIF by Kim's ConvenienceGiphyWhereas emotional detachment is defined as the inability to or willingness to connect with others on an emotional level. Furthermore, Psychology Today states emotional detachment can also mean that people do not engage with their feelings. Exhibit A – me. Emotional detachment has various causes – past neglect, childhood or adult trauma, PTSD, depression, personality disorder, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, or, in some cases, medication (i.e. antidepressants). It is important to note emotional detachment is a complex issue. For someone like me, it’s a coping mechanism.
It is easier for me to ignore uncomfortable feelings to protect myself from stress or getting hurt. Hence, my nonchalant demeanor. It is also true for some people it is a reaction to trauma, abuse, and unprocessed emotions. Exhibit B – me. As it is difficult for me to open up about my feelings at the moment. On the contrary – emotional detachment can be helpful in navigating some situations like listening to people’s opinions and gossip.
Unfortunately, emotional detachment is not a behavior that can be turned on and off at will. Please note that emotional detachment is NOT a mental health diagnosis but can be a symptom of a mental health condition such as an attachment disorder. And if you know anything about attachment theory, it is related to the relationship we develop in our childhood with our primary caregivers.
Signs You're Emotionally Detached
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According to Psychology Today and Verywell Mind, general signs of emotional detachment can look like difficulty showing empathy to others, sharing emotions, committing to a relationship, feeling numb, poor listening skills, lack of self-esteem, preferring to be alone, struggling to feel positive emotions, inability to identify emotions, lack of physical, verbal, or sexual contact and losing touch with people or maintaining connections.
In a romantic relationship, emotional detachment shows up as you or your partner not being available for connection, poor communication, or reduced affection.
For me, my experience with emotional detachment is collective. I am an empath to my core. I don’t have a problem relating to other’s feelings or circumstances. I don’t have commitment issues, nor do I have an issue connecting with others or maintaining those connections. I struggle with sharing emotions, at least the negative ones.
Due to the emotional abuse from my childhood and a toxic relationship, I learned sharing emotions just wasn't the safe thing to do. As a survivor of trauma, I learned to suppress feeling negative emotions in general as a form of protection.
How To Reconnect To Your Emotions When You're Emotionally Unavailable
Serious Kid Cudi GIF by Apple MusicGiphyExploring my emotional side in-depth started late last year simply by noticing my reaction to something that he did. I didn’t know how to properly communicate to him how I was feeling or what he did bothered me in the moment. So, I swallowed my feelings and said absolutely nothing. I intentionally chose to avoid the issue. I chose to rationalize the situation instead of acknowledging that my feelings at the time were valid. I chose to act like everything was all good because it was all good.
“It wasn’t that deep to begin with” is what I told myself. And this is where the problem lies.
The saying is true, “What happens in your childhood shows up in your adult relationships.” I came to realize that because I was not able to express my feelings as a child, I struggled to process them. I either hold back my feelings, take a long time to say how I feel, or don’t say anything at all. This is because I fear people will walk away from me like my mother did if I share what I truly feel. I fear my feelings won’t be validated, or they will be rejected.
With that said, I was completely unaware that I was emotionally detached from myself until recently. So, here we are with this article. It all started by reading Instagram’s @theholisticpsychologist, Dr. Nicole LePera’s newest book How to Be the Love You Seek: Break Cycles, Find Peace, and Heal Your Relationships, which was released on November 28, 2023. As I read through the first chapter, I became triggered.
How Dr. LePera describes her childhood with her parents and experiences with her romantic partners somewhat mirrored my experiences with my own parents and relationships. As Dr. LaPera stated in her book, I have no issue showing up for others or meeting their needs and wants. But when it comes to expressing my own needs and wants – I cannot or I don’t. This is mainly due to my hyper-independence.
At an early age, I learned to show up for myself because the people I trusted to show up for me failed. Given my home environment, I had internalized it is not safe to talk about feelings. I never knew my emotional responses and behavior were abnormal. But because I am willing to continue to do my inner work, I know that I can reconnect to my emotions, and undo four decades of repressed emotions.
If you are someone like me who struggles with emotional connection with yourself and others, here is how you go about it:
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1. Know Your Attachment Style
For me, the first step was to understand my attachment style. I asked my therapist if she could help me identify my attachment style to understand my triggers. She recommended The Attachment Theory Workbook by Annie Chen, LMFT. My therapist administered the associated online quiz – Attachment Quiz. If you haven’t figured out my attachment style yet by reading this article, I have an anxious attachment style.
This means I don’t do well with inconsistent behavior, especially from men (but I’m the type that holds men to standards too). People with an anxious attachment style have a need to feel close to their partner. It may come across as “clingy” or “needy.” However, this same need is often driven by fear of abandonment, mistrust, and low self-esteem. I would say knowing your attachment style is helpful because you can work towards having a secure attachment style (with practice) in your relationships – familial, business, work, platonic, or romantic.
2. Become Self-Aware
Most people who are not in the practice of self-care or self-healing are unaware of their triggers, patterns, and behaviors. We are so caught up in the daily minutiae of life that we forget to pay attention to the most important part of our days — ourselves. As Dr. LePera says, make it a conscious habit to pause throughout your day to check in with yourself. Ask yourself:
- How does my body feel?
- What am I doing right now?
- Am I present?
- Am I distracted and lost with other thoughts?
- What do I think or feel when I recall a specific experience with someone?
- What do I think or worry about?
- What would happen if I shared my authentic thoughts, perspective, feelings right now?”
This is what Dr. LePera refers to as exploring your embodied self or fulfilling your authentic needs in chapter two of her book. Consistent mindfulness and self-awareness are key to self-discovery and in any healing journey. Learning to focus on the present moment also includes paying attention to our emotional response to an event or how we think about emotions in general.
3. Practice Vulnerability
The idea of vulnerability is a tough one for me and so many other women for countless reasons. Whether it be toxic family, friendships, relationships, or trauma – trusting others with your thoughts and feelings is not easy. As much as I am open and transparent, I am not as vulnerable. And I believe there is so much power in the duality to be both. To trust someone, let alone a man with your authentic self is a delicate matter.
But it is emotional vulnerability that allows us humans to build authentic connections, create stronger relationships, and break down emotional walls. Emotional vulnerability is not something to be rushed – it takes time and practice from you and the people you choose to have in your life. Medical News Today suggests that we can learn to be vulnerable by opening up more to our closest friends, building our ability to become more trusting, and developing skills to regulate our emotions.
4. Seek Therapy
I have been in therapy for six years and counting. I would consider therapy one of my safe spaces. I am one of those individuals who recommend therapy to everyone as it has given me the tools and resources I need to navigate my life challenges. By choosing to get help, I was able to put my PTSD and depression in remission for four years now. I have also learned how to manage my anxiety.
I am fully aware that in this season of my life requires me to do the work to unlock new levels of self. And any time where I have consciously chosen growth – the universe or life has not failed me. I was able to heal my body, my heart, and my spirit. Now, it’s time to heal my inner child, this hurt little girl who lives in me.
I will say choosing a therapist is similar to dating; you might go through a few potentials until you find a therapist you connect with. Actually, one of my lifelong friends said to me the other day, “Your relationship with your therapist is one of the most important relationships in your life.” I needed her to say that, and I needed to hear it because it’s true. You are essentially trusting a licensed stranger to help you navigate your life on so many levels.
Be picky and ask the questions. Cut the cord at the first red flag given. Again, let me reiterate that emotional detachment is not a mental health diagnosis. It can be treated with the help of a therapist. Emotional detachment only becomes a problem when it starts to interfere with your daily life. Pay attention to changes in your daily behavior and make decisions to cope accordingly.
I am genuinely excited about reconnecting with my emotions. I want to feel all the feels – good, bad, and indifferent. I want to cry all the tears – especially the sad ones. I want to process and release negative emotions. I want to say how I feel in the moment with no fear.
If you are that girl who struggles with emotional connection or thinks you're emotionally detached, I hope that you become willing to face your inner child and show up for her. Don’t run – she has been waiting for you.
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