YONI STEAMING

five to seven V steams a day. She says the practice can release the toxins in a woman’s vagina and increase lubricants while assisting with reducing cramps, yeast, and more.

Furthermore, Ekwem has even said that the steam can assist women who are having fertility issues. “It is a pot of earth that produces a lot of steam which we fan into the uterus area. It comes with a lot of the benefits such as regulating your cycle and helping with infertility. We actually have clients who can get pregnant after dealing with infertility for many years,” said Ekwem.

According to GoodRX Health, a 2011 study by the World Health Organization found this practice to be common in countries such as South Africa, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Thailand.That same study showed that 86% of women reported using vaginal steaming for self-care and to help with healing after childbirth in Southeast Asia.

According to Ekwem, though the practice has existed for centuries, the concept began to be popular about five years ago, prompting modern spas to offer it as a service.

However, though the practice is said to be beneficial, some warn against it. According to GoodRX Health, steaming can be harmful for many reasons, for example, the article said that it could burn your genital tissue and alter your pH balance.

Then, there are some medical professions that support the practice. In 2020, Essence Magazine interviewed Dr. Tosha Rogers, a renowned OBGYN about her thoughts on the topic. “Do they work? Well, the truth is there hasn’t been any clear scientific data to support the benefits of vaginal steaming. If you ask me, I say yes – but it all depends,” said Rogers to Essence Magazine,

So is this something worth adding to your selfcare routine? Well, while speaking with Ekwem who is a board-certified esthetician, the practice is worth trying out. “The services that we do are for a lot of people, especially women of color, who suffer from discoloration from shaving, and just not having the knowledge of the difference between shaving, waxing, and exfoliating dead skin away,” said Ekwem,

The outcomes of the practice have various opinions, but what do you think? Would you give a V steam a go?