Show me your vagina thumbs

If you're not the kind of woman who regularly examines herself south of the border, you might not realize that, just like the rest of your body, your vagina is getting older. It's not that your vagina is celebrating your exact birthday. After all, "your body doesn't know that the calendar is changing," says Alyssa Dweck , MD, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Ichan School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York and a practicing gynecologist in Westchester County. But genitals undoubtedly change as time goes on, and knowing these changes are totally normal—and that the unpleasant ones can often be managed—at least offers a little comfort. Of course, every woman—and every vagina—is different.

Just like the rest of your body, your vagina will undergo some changes as you get older. It's not something to fear. None of that woe is my poor vagina, which must face off against the dreadful ravages of time stuff. Nah, it's normal, and knowing what's to come can help alleviate any of the shock you might otherwise feel upon discovering these changes. Keep in mind that everyone's different, so you might not experience all of these, or you might see varying degrees of these changes. With that said, let us look into the crystal ball of your vaginal future!

Washing the vagina can lead to many problems. You might have heard that the vagina is like a self-cleaning oven — a pretty accurate metaphor. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists points out that your vagina cleans itself and keeps itself healthy by maintaining the correct pH balance and cleaning itself with natural secretions.

It cleans itself. That's what vaginal discharge is for, after all. Having a clear or white-ish discharge is perfectly healthy, and it flushes out bacteria and old cells to prevent any unwanted pathogens from entering the uterus. So there's no need for you to come at your vagina with scented soaps —only baby shampoo, please—as you don't want to upset its pH balance. And for the love of all things healthy, don't douche.