Wearing Underwear That Supports the Scrotum Has Real Health Benefits
When it comes to underwear, most men think in two ways: the classic boxer briefs versus briefs debate, with many guys shying away from wearing boxers in an effort to get the best of both worlds. As with many menswear options, there is a traditional and gendered lack of interest in anything that goes beyond mere utility. Even men who pay more attention to what they wear focus mainly on style and fabric.
But your underwear could do more. In particular, underwear can provide support to the scrotum, the pouch of skin that contains the testicles . Of course, it’s designed to hang freely, but this can lead to a lot of discomfort and discomfort – which can be avoided by wearing underwear that is designed to support the scrotum. There are many reasons why pouch underwear is a good idea for most guys.
General comfort
First of all, men’s pouch underwear is a step forward in terms of comfort. As Fast Company notes, these pouches can safely be thought of as a ” ball bra ,” and they have the same general purpose – to support a part of the anatomy that usually flops freely. This can make a difference in how you feel on your walk, especially if you’re an older dude (more on that below).
Another way that underwear with some scrotal support makes you more comfortable is the way its design lifts and separates your body parts. Instead of sweating in your hairy thighs, which can lead to chafing, scrotal support underwear separates everything, improving ventilation in the swimsuit area. This can only be a good thing.
Recovery from injuries
If you’re an active guy who plays a lot of sports, you’re almost always at risk for testicular injury. There’s a reason why many sports leagues and schools require the use of a protective “cup” when playing sports: It’s easy to get injured in the scrotal area when people kick, run, and throw things at high speeds.
If you’re unlucky enough to suffer any bruising or injury to your testicles (or worse ), wearing support underwear with a pouch can speed up your recovery as it protects the scrotum from further irritation and allows the muscles to relax and heal while supporting them .
Sagging
Unless you’re a guy of a certain age, you may not know that as you age, your scrotum tends to sag. The whole point of the scrotum is to keep the testicles outside the body where they can more easily regulate their temperature and the body naturally raises and lowers the testicles in response to ambient temperature and other factors (known as the cremasteric reflex ). As we get older, our skin loses its youthful elasticity, and as a result , the scrotum may hang lower than before, sometimes significantly. This means that it is quite possible for older men (for the most part) to accidentally sit on their own testicles . This is usually not a serious injury, but most people choose to avoid it, and wearing underwear that compresses a sagging scrotum goes a long way in preventing this type of injury.
Varicocele
Guys are lucky that the testicles can cause so much concern and anxiety, including a varicocele , which is a swollen blood vessel in the scrotum. Many varicoceles have no symptoms, but sometimes cause pain and discomfort. If the pain is severe enough, surgery is the only option; but if it’s a less immediate discomfort, underwear with built-in scrotal support may help reduce pain by taking pressure off the affected testicle.