Good Health Vs Looking Good

Heels or flats? Skinny jeans or loose slacks? Good health or looking good? The last question doesn’t represent a choice between mutually exclusive concepts. Every day, however, women wear clothing, shoes and accessories that can cause pain and health problems, all in the name of looking fabulous.

If your wardrobe includes potentially harmful items, don’t renounce them. Simply limit how often you wear them and include less hazardous — read: smaller, looser or more supportive, depending on the item in question — alternatives in your fashion rotation. Remember these thoughts as you plan your outfits:

• Bigger isn’t better. Large, heavy earrings catch the eye, but they can also catch on things or be tempting tugging targets for children, with painful consequences. Big baubles can also stretch the piercing hole and earlobe over time.
• Oversized, filled-to-the-brim shoulder bags, especially those with long straps, interfere with the natural balance and movement of the shoulders. Your bag should weigh less than 10 percent of your body weight, according to the American Chiropractic Association. Wear the bag with the strap looped across your chest, and switch sides often.
• Shoes should support. High heels invite ankle sprains and Achilles tendon problems. Flats with poor insoles can promote plantar fasciitis, and flip-flops make the toes work overtime. Rule of thumb: Choose comfortable, relatively flat, supportive shoes when possible.
• Tight is terrible. Cinched-up belts and skinny jeans do more than make breathing and moving uncomfortable — they can squeeze nerves in the legs, leading to pain and numbness. Tight jeans have also been associated with yeast infections and reduced blood flow.

Shapewear has come out of the shadows in recent years, with everyone from celebrities to your friends wearing them. Figure-molding undergarments can be a blessing when you want to achieve a desired shape in a pinch, but you could find yourself cursing them if you wear them too often.

Made from tight spandex, constrictive shapewear has been linked to a variety of health pitfalls. It can cause a nerve condition called meralgia paresthetica, symptoms of which include pain and numbness in the outer thigh. The undergarments may also cause bruises and digestive problems and contribute to urinary tract infections.

To avoid shapewear-related issues, wear it infrequently and wash after each use. Loving your profile in the mirror isn’t worth sacrificing your health.

Unexplained pain isn’t something you should ignore. Your doctor can help you determine whether the culprit is clinical or just poor fashion choices.

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