The Health Dangers of Skinny Jeans

I love my skinny jeans as much as the next woman, but now (along with high heels, flip-flops and platform shoes) they come with with a health warning. The risk? A little problem called meralgia paresthetica. In English, it’s a condition that causes “pain, tingling, burning sensations or numbness in an oval area over the front and side of the thigh,” says Sharecare expert Darshan Shah, MD, a neurologist at NorthShore University HealthSystem.

When you wear skinny jeans, it can cause the artery inside your thigh and the nerve next to it to be squeezed together. As a result, says Mehmet Oz, MD, “the blood can’t flow to the tissue, plus the nerve next to it gets irritated.”

Wondering whether your jeans really are too skinny? Find out with this simple test from Dr. Oz: If you can comfortably fit a marker inside your front pocket, they’re probably okay. If not, you may need to go up a size or opt for another, less form-fitting pair. “You don’t want to have legs you can’t feel, no matter how good you look!” says Oz.

I guess I’ll pack up my skinny jeans for now—although I will miss the calories burned during the morning gyrations required to get them on!

What fashion accessories make your body hurt? Tell us in the comments below.

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