"Wait, people don't wash their legs?"
It all started on Twitter, when writer/editor Conor Arpwel tweeted a poll about the issue. It quickly racked up over 800,000 votes; officially classifying it as viral.
A surprising 20 percent of people said they don't bother washing all that way down there while in the shower, with many of them explaining that they don't bother as when they're washing the top part of their body, the soap runs down and automatically cleans their legs.
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"But I shave so it's okay"
Other people (including Taylor Swift) weighed in and said that because they shave their legs every day (or at least regularly), that that counts as washing them.
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An internet divided
So, naturally many people had some really big reactions to those who proudly they don't wash their legs. (Seriously, it's been a month at this point and I still have people on my timeline mentioning it.)
There have been some really funny comments, like this one: "Damn imagine you found the love of your life...then you see her tweeting about not washing her legs"... Or this one, that ends with, "... if you wash your car, and skip the doors... did you really wash it?!"
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What the expert says
So of course, I had to get the real info on whether you should or shouldn't be washing your legs in the shower. I spoke to dermatologist Dr. Michele Farber, of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York, about the issue and, well, it turns out it's not that big a deal — and actually, skipping the occasional scrub is better for you if you have sensitive skin.
"The reason you need to wash with soap is to clean excess dirt and oils from your skin. If your legs are not visibly dirty, it is fine to skip directly soaping them in the shower," says Farber. "Especially in patients with dry or sensitive skin, skipping the soap as consistently on legs can [help] prevent dryness," she says.
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Don't think this means you can skip washing your legs forever
Farber does point out, however, that if you do have open cuts or wounds on your legs they should be washed to avoid infection and if you lead an active lifestyle and/or sweat a lot, then you should be soaping up.
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