Your Shapewear Might Be Doing Really Messed Up Things to Your Body...Could It be damaging your life?

You might credit shapewear for helping you look *~fLawLesS~* in a bodycon dress or super-thin sheath, but some medical experts are saying that stuffing yourself into skintight garments can actually be quite dangerous.

Whether you wear Spanx for vanity's sake or compression leggings to improve your fitness, any clothing that compresses the body could be reason for concern, says Dennis Cardone, D.O., physician and orthopaedic surgeon at the New York University Langone's Hospital for Joint Diseases. Wear your tummy-tamers for too long, and you could develop a condition that's known as meralgia paresthetica, pressure on the nerves that run in front of your hips. This could lead to numbness, tingling, and pain down the front of your thigh to the knee, and it can last for days or weeks, according to Dr. Cardone. It all depends on the fit and whether you wear the garment for a few hours or to work every day. (Longer periods are worse.)

Temporary nerve damage is just part of the problem for women who stuff themselves into shapewear. Jay Kuemmerle, a Virginia-based gastroenterologist, told theLos Angeles Times that putting pressure on the abdomen squeezes internal organs, which can push acid from the stomach into the esophagus to cause reflux and result in stomach pain.

Other doctors told the paper they worry the garments can slow digestion and trigger incontinence. In other words, not much good can come from wearing shapewear — besides a confidence boost.

The same goes for athletes: While you might think compression fitness clothes are made for more flattering gym selfies, many brands design it to improve sports performance. But Dr. Cardone says there's no convincing, statistically significant evidence that working out in these clothes can do any such thing.

The only time compression wear can physiologically help you out is after exercise — and we're not talking about slapping on a pair of Spanx. Compression socks can prevent blood and lactic acid (toxins produced by the muscles) from pooling in your feet, which can help muscles recover — theoretically, Dr. Cardone says.

Another theoretical use case scores the gear a couple of brownie points: Compression may make cellulite look better, according to Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a dermatologist and the director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City. Compression wear helps prevent skin from stretching by keeping it in place, he explains. "By keeping the skin the best possible shape, you allow your natural 'Spanx' (aka your skin) to hold superficial fat in place too, which could make cellulite appear less prominent."

If that makes you want to suck up the other side effects and wear your shapewear all the time, hold up: Overwear it, and oil and sweat could accumulate underneath, which can lead to icky breakouts, redness, and inflammation within a few hours, according to Dr. Zeichner.

In other words? There's still no quick fix to cover your "flaws" without doing your body any harm. Unless, of course, you're in the market for a 100-percent safe muumuu.