I grew up doing this; you probably did too- patting your inner thighs with talc powder. Some of us took it further by actually pouring the powder into our underwear or directly on the panty liner.
Wearing pants more than skirts kind of helped stop the friction of my thighs rubbing together so I have not had to do the talc powder thing in a long time.
If you still pat your inner thighs with talc powder, please stop that habit this second. Reports are coming out about the fact that the talc powder triggers an inflammatory reaction down there that could lead to developing a rare form of ovarian cancer.
This reasoning makes sense because cancer cells are not necessarily alien or foreign cells. They are actually normal cells produced by an individual’s body but these cells have gone rogue and no longer respond to any checks or balances.
You want to limit any known triggers that could cause inflammation or make your normal cells go ballistic; ahem tanning booths.
Did you ever pat your thighs with talc powder? Will this piece of information make you ditch the habit?
I have never heard this before.. but i will take it into consideration..
Luckily for me, I only ever had to do this when I was pregnant.
I remember doing that, wow, I had no idea it could cause cancer, that is scary
Thanks for sharing this! I love HealthGist!
You are welcome Jennifer.
I do it sometimes when it’s really hot outside.
Now you know April.
I had no idea that I could be putting myself at risk. Thanks for the post!
You are welcome Holli.
I have never used talc powder on my body. I guess it’s a good thing.
Good for you Rosemary.
YES. I did this ALL.THE.TIME.
I don’t really use baby powder anymore but sometimes splash a little if my daughter’s thighs are irritated. I need to read that study. Thanks for the heads up.
Andrea,
We all grew up throwing some powder down there. There’s no mention of cancer risk in babies- just us adults and post-menopausal women in particular. This article on EveryDay Health goes over the compilation of the actual study. Here is an actual research paper on the subject; http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/19/5/1269.full
Help Dr. Bola! What is the alternative for those of us who have friction in places we would rather not OR for many of us who sweat in places we would rather be dry?
Drysol lotion (aluminum oxide) is an anti-persipirant that can fill in the void for Talc (zinc oxide). Wearing breathable fabrics like cotton also helps.
Note that outside of the underwear region, talc (zinc oxide) is safe otherwise and still used as barrier sunscreen and as face powder.
Isn’t zinc oxide what is used on baby bottoms to prevent diaper rash?
Yep, zinc oxide is used to prevent diaper rash and also used as sunscreen. There was no mention of problems in babies or pre-purbertal girls. The diaper rash formulation typically comes as a paste that sticks on the skin unlike the talc powder where the particles could float up the female organs.
How can powder get up into the female body? It’s topical not used internal.
The powder is typically applied in between the thighs or directly on the panties.
The particles could then blow up into the vagina.
Once in the vagina, it could move up the cervix into the uterus which is connected to the Fallopian tubes.
The arms of the Fallopian tubes in normal anatomical position go over the ovaries.
It is believed that the talc could cause some inflammatory response and repeated exposure could then lead to cell changes and cancer.