- Everyone poops, and, as a result, most people wipe their butts.
- But the majority are likely wiping their behinds incorrectly and may cause injuries in the process, Dr. Evan Goldstein, a rectal surgeon, told Insider.
- You should use a patting motion rather than a wiping motion to prevent anal tears, and steer clear of baby wipes.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more.
Everybody poops, but the way many people clean up may be causing their backsides serious harm.
Dr. Evan Goldstein, a rectal surgeon in New York City, said that the most common butt-related injuries he sees are anal fissures, or tears, caused by improper wiping.
"Nobody talks about s---ting the right way," including how to clean up properly, Goldstein told Insider during Butt-Con, an event hosted by Tushy, a company that sells bidet attachments for toilet seats.
He explained that the skin on the anus is quite thin and delicate, especially for women, so any harsh actions could lead to tears and, in turn, pain and bleeding.
Wiping too much or too hard can injure your butthole
Anyone can get anal fissures, but Goldstein said it's often college-aged kids who are most susceptible to the tears.
"In college, no one is eating right, and you're drinking a lot," he said. Those dietary habits can lead to constipation, a condition that can wreak havoc on your behind because when you try to force out poop it puts extra pressure on the anus and can lead to a tear.
To make matters worse, students might wipe too hard or too many times in an attempt to feel clean, injuring the delicate skin and tearing it even more, Goldstein explained.
People who try to force out their poop when it's not ready are also more likely to develop anal fissures for the same reason. "If you don't feel the urge to go before class," Goldstein said he tells students, "don't force it — it can cause tears." The same advice applies to anyone who might try to force out poop.
Stay away from wet wipes and use a patting motion
The products you use to wipe after going number two are also important if you want to keep your rear in tip-top shape. Goldstein specifically warned against cleaning up with baby wipes.
It's a common misconception that the wipes are cleaner than regular toilet paper, but in reality they remove healthy bacteria from your backside that protect you against yeast infections, bacterial infections, and fungus, making you more susceptible to them.
"Wipes have moisture, and you get rid of the good stuff. They're an irritant no one should use," Goldstein said. (The American Academy of Pediatrics does, however, recommend disposable wipes for babies during diaper changes.)
He added that baby wipes are especially dangerous for people with HPV because they could spread anal or vaginal warts to other areas of the genitals when the wipes pick up the sexually transmitted infection.
To keep your backside happy, Goldstein recommended using a patting motion rather than a wiping motion and being as gentle as possible. Ideally, he added, you should use a bidet to clean yourself and then pat the excess water dry with a bit of toilet paper if need be.
- Read more:
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- This guy invented a genius solution for pooping in space — here's how it works
- Why dogs eat poop, according to a dog cognition scientist
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