●Sweatbands: Of course sweatbands sop up sweat, but they also collect bacteria that can stick around even after the fabric dries. If you're predisposed to breakouts, a repeat wear can redistribute the bacteria and exacerbate acne. It might not lead to imminent death but can have a significant psychosocial impact that affects quality of life, messing with your self esteem and affecting your social life, just as much as life-threatening conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, Dr. Zeichner says.
● High heels: Besides the obvious risk of falling victim to gravity (and making a fool of yourself), wearing high heels even a few times per week for a few years can lead to an ankle muscle imbalance that can set you up for injury, according to a recentstudy published in International Journal of Clinical Practice. Luckily, the researcherssay that heel lifts (stand barefoot and come up onto your tippy toes) and heel drops (stand on the edge of a stair and slowly lower your heel over the edge) can help if flats aren't an option.
●Flip-flops: Experts say that flip-flops expose your feet to all the gross things: bacteria, viruses, and fungi that can trigger an infection if you have so much as a hangnail or a microscopic skin tear and a not-so-top-notch immune system. On top of that, your sorry excuse for sandals can cause heel pain, disfigure your toes, and affect your posture to trigger a host of other aches and pains. So save your flip-flops for the gym shower and pool deck, and rely on more supportive footwear to take you everywhere else.
●Super-skinny jeans: Skinny jeans can compress nerves in the groin and legs, reducing blood flow to the lower legs. This can lead to muscle damage, swelling, and numbness. While these symptoms might sound a bit extreme, they recently caused a 35-year-old woman who squatted repeatedly while wearing skinny jeans to spend four days in the hospital, according to a freaky case study published in theJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.
●Control-top tights (and other restrictive shapewear): Stockings and Spanx might seem pretty harmless, but they can be just as destructive as denim.Experts say that too-tight shapewear can squish your organs and trigger stomach pain and acid reflux. If you still insist on wearing it, save it for special occasions and limit the time you spend sucked in there.
●Rompers: These one-piece outfits are a breeze to put on, but they're a real bitch to take off when you have to pee. It's why you probably take fewer bathroom breaks (and drink less water) when you wear your romper.You're no better off if your stay-in-this-romper strategy is to just drink less: This can also agitate a bladder infection — and affect every other system in your body, including the digestive system, which will almost definitely slow down without the liquid that keeps everything moving along.
●Last night's pajamas: People forget about nightwear, but it's just as important to change your PJs as it is to change your underwear, Dr. Rabin says — particularly for people who sleep without underwear. You don't want to put dirty PJs next to your urethra because it can bacteria can get up there, she adds. An easy solution: Sleep in clean pajamas every night.
●Leggings: Leggings hug the body, and the closer clothing is to your body, the more it rubs against your skin, picking up sweat and oil in the process. In other words: Your leggings might just be the filthiest clothing item you own. Wear them to the gym (or IRL) more than a couple times between laundry days, and you can set yourself up for fungal infections like ringworm, which can lead to scaly skin patches that peel or flake, and rashes.
Colored innerwear: Fabric dye can irritate the delicate skin around your vagina — especially if you already have sensitive skin or you're prone to recurring vaginal infections, says Dr. Montgomery. While brand new, colored underwear made of a synthetic material is likely to be the worst offender, white cotton is always your best bet.
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