7 surprising ways that you could be damaging your vagina

Vaginas tend to be fairly high-maintenance, from the monthly bleeding to the cramping that tends to come along with it.

And, because having a vagina can be a little bit of a chore, chances are good that you are already aware of your basic vagina don'ts, such as don't douche (it messes with your vagina's natural bacteria levels and causes an increased risk of irritation). Don't forget to pee after sex (this helps to flush out bacteria that can gather in the urethra during sex, reducing your risk of UTIs and other infections). Don't wipe from back to front (this can bring fecal bacteria close to your vagina, which can cause infections).

But there are some other potential vagina pitfalls that you need to be aware of, too. INSIDER spoke with Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a gynecologist in New York and the author of "The Complete A to Z for Your V: A Women's Guide To Everything You Ever Wanted To Learn About Your Vagina" in order to figure out exactly what you should avoid to keep your vagina in tip-top shape.

Sitting around in a wet bathing suit

Sure, it may not exactly be peak swimsuit-wearing season right now. But it's generally pretty good practice to try and reduce your time in a bathing suit whenever you can.

"If you are prone to yeast or urinary tract infections, don't sit around in a wet bathing suit," Dr. Dweck told INSIDER.

This can leave the residue of the water — and whatever was in the water — on the skin, and lead to an imbalance of bacteria within the vagina, increasing your chances of a yeast infection or UTI. So, if you find yourself in a context in which a bathing suit is necessary, try to bring a set of clothes to change into afterward. Your vagina will thank you.

Scrubbing with harsh soaps

You probably know that douching is a pretty terrible idea for your vagina. But you also shouldn't try to "clean" your vagina with anything else — especially not harsh, heavily perfumed soaps, which can cause irritation inside the vagina.

In fact, there is "no need to scrub the inside of the vagina," Dr. Dweck told INSIDER. "The vagina is self-cleaning."

If you really feel the need to wash, you can do so with warm water and mild soap on the vulva.

Smoking

"Stay away from cigarettes" isn’t exactly a revolutionary piece of health advice. But if those black lung diagrams from your middle school health class didn’t do the trick to convince you not to smoke, know this — smoking is also pretty bad news for your vagina.

According to Dr. Dweck, smoking reduces blood flow to the genitals and can lead to an an uncomfortable, dry vagina.