By Stephanie Taylor, Intimate Health Expert and Founder of Kegel8

The summer of Love is well underway at the villa, and with our dreams of a getaway to soak up the sun looking more likely to come true, swimwear trends influenced by the Islanders are set to be big this year.

But with ex-Love Island contestant Montana Brown revealing that ‘thrush’ was a common issue in her season, intimate health expert and Founder of Kegel8, Stephanie Taylor, offers her advice on the swimwear mistakes made by the Islanders to avoid this summer to look after your intimate health.

Soggy bottoms

Sitting in wet swimwear for long periods of time is likely to have caused the thrush outbreak of Love Island season 3.

Damp, warm bottoms are a hotbed for bacteria and can allow yeast and other bacteria to thrive. Much like your gym gear, you should change out of swimwear fairly soon after you’ve left the water.

Not only can it cause issues with infection, but you may end up with an uncomfortable, itchy rash, flatteringly known as ‘jock itch’. Like bacterial infections, this rash thrives in damp environments and is caused by similar bacteria to athlete’s foot.

If you’re out by the sea or the pool all day, pack two pieces of swimwear with you – one for getting wet, and one for relaxing that stays dry.

This risk is exacerbated by thong bikinis, as harmful bacteria (e-coli), can spread from the anus to your vagina and cause further infection.

Sharing isn’t caring

We’ve seen it across all the years, the girls in Love Island quite often share swimwear – eagle-eyed fans spotted this in season 5.

It’s not uncommon on holiday to swap outfits with your friends, especially if you’ve been forced to pack light. However, you should ignore your outfit envy when it comes to bikinis. As we know, bottoms are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and some of the resulting infections can be contagious.

Even in the instance where any infection isn’t transmittable, the bacteria can still sit on the surface after, which may put you at risk of a similar contraction, so it’s better not to take any risks.

Be particularly pedantic about not sharing bikinis of the wrong size, which is fairly likely to happen when you borrow from a friend. This can irritate the skin and cause rashes in your intimate area.

To bush or not to bush

In the same confessional, Montana repeated the woes of the Islanders over their intimate hair removal. She encouraged any future entrants to take their own wax strips, as it was hard to get theirs provided.

This meant many of the girls had to shave, which is not ideal as it can often result in uncomfortable, visible razor bumps, also known as folliculitis.

The best thing to do is leave your hair au-natural, as pubic hair protects your intimate health from several infections. However, many people don’t feel comfortable showing theirs off in a swimsuit.

Make sure you research the best method of hair removal for you. Experts recommend trimming or tweezing, to keep some pubic hair to naturally protect your intimate area. All methods are safe enough when practiced correctly, so it is all about education and personal preference in this department.

Avoid the “under boob”

Viewers have been quick to comment on this year’s bikini trend. The season 7 islanders are clearly big fans of the ‘under boob’ trend, as the girls entrance looks often flaunted their lower cleavage.

Fans are confused, with some declaring there may be a little too much risk involved with the ‘ill-fitting’ swimwear of this year’s girls.

For holidaymakers who want the Love Island look, make sure the bikini you choose has enough support to stay in place. A poorly fitting top may expose a little more than you bargained for and leave your breasts sore if they’ve been left unsupported for long periods.