It’s early in the morning. You’re tired after your routine laps around the cul-de-sac when you spot someone with no pants lying on the ground, lifting up their legs before spreading them open in a V shape towards the sun…

Introducing ‘perineum sunning’, also known as ‘who needs coffee when I can butt-chug sunlight?’. The latest wellness trend includes exposing your perineum—the super-thin area of skin between your vagina (or, in men, the penis) and the anus—to the sun for a period of 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

“In a mere 30 seconds of sunlight on your butthole, you will receive more energy than you would in an entire day being outside with your clothes on,” says Ra of Earth in his video, introducing Instagram to this ‘self-care’ trend. The viral video, which has amassed over 84,000 views, features three nude men approaching the sun and pulling off ‘The Sunny Spready Solstice Pose’ at a mountainside.

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The wellness enthusiast has also been kind enough to post step-by-step instructions for ‘sun worship exercise’ pulled from The Tao of Sexology: The Book of Infinite Wisdom written by Doctor Stephen T. Chang. “Turn your body so that your back is towards the sun,” the instructions read. “Lean over so that the sunlight comes into the opening. Feel the warmth penetrate into the tissue.” According to the post, sunlight has excellent germicidal qualities that can neutralise germs in the nether regions, keeping the area healthy and free from infections.

The trend later shook spiritual influencer Metaphysical Meagan who took to Instagram to preach the practice. “I start my day with 5 minutes of perineum sunning and feel energised for hours,” writes Meagan, recommending the wellness trend to “anyone who is seeking optimal health.” Meagan notes that perineum sunning is an ancient Taoist practice that originated in the Far East. In Taoism, the perineum is called the “gate of life and death” and is considered a gateway where energy enters and exits the body.

According to Meagan, benefits of perineum sunning include strengthening of organs through solar energy, preventing the leakage of ‘chi’ or life force energy from the body to sustain health and longevity, increasing creativity, aiding libido, regulating hormonal functions, promoting deeper sleep and amplifying your aura. “The ideal hours of the day to do this is between 7 to 9 a.m,” Meagan guides, wrapping up with “the intention of this is not to tan your butthole!”

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The trend doesn’t stop there. A-listers like Shailene Woodley, Diplo and Johnny Knoxville are the latest butthole-sunning advocates. “I like to give my vagina a little vitamin D,” Woodley tells Into The Gloss. She admits to having read about the practice in an article written by a herbalist about yeast infections and other genital issues. “If you’re feeling depleted, go in the sun for an hour and see how much energy you get. Or, if you live in a place that has heavy winters, when the sun finally comes out, spread your legs and get some sunshine!”

But what do those with actual medical degrees think about this trend? “As a dermatologist, I cannot recommend any sun exposure without sun protection,” Nazanin Saedi, MD, Director of the Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Center, tells Health.com. “These areas, just like other areas of the body, need sun protection and clothing tends to provide that.”

“It’s actually dangerous,” comments David E. Bank, MD, founder of Mount Kisco’s Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery. “This skin is particularly sensitive. Over time, it could result in an increased risk of skin cancer,” he adds.

In fact, Josh Brolin, an Academy Award nominated actor, admitted to having sustained ‘#severeperineumburns’ after unquestionably-following the trend. “My pucker hole is crazy burned and I was going to spend the day shopping with my family and instead I’m icing and using aloe and burn creams because of the severity of the pain,” the actor wrote, sharing the viral image of Metaphysical Meagan on Instagram.

While physicians recommend safer options like meditation, mindfulness and actual vitamin D diets and supplements to substitute the trend, it seems like the rest of the internet couldn’t help butting in, some pouring their morning coffees down the drain to try it themselves, others wondering why aliens don’t visit us anymore:

never thought I’d be able to use this meme i found so long ago pic.twitter.com/Ds4HUjxpV8

— doritoqueen250 (@sandiacontajin) November 25, 2019

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump suggested that scientists may want to explore bringing UV light inside the body to kill a Covid-19 infection.....#PerinealSunning #ButtholeSunning #Tao #SunWorshipExercise #ButtChuggingVitD

— XRP SPARTAN (@DavidDarvishian) April 24, 2020

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Repurposing has been a trend since time immemorial. But what if the purpose of an object was entirely redefined by our ancestors in the process? Bubble wraps, for starters, were originally meant to be used as textured wallpaper. Lysol, on the other hand, was advertised as a ‘vaginal douche’ in times when birth control was expensive and difficult to come by. And intentionally or not, butt plugs seem to be the latest addition to the list.

Invented under the name ‘Doctor Young’s Ideal Rectal Dilators’, the existence of butt plugs can be traced back to the late 1800s. They were sold in sets of four and included ‘torpedo-like’ dilators made with hard rubber varying between 1 to 4 inches in length.

 

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An instruction card sold with the set informed users to begin with the smallest dilator and work their way up, further guiding them through the process: “First warm dilator in warm water. Then lubricate outside of dilator with Doctor Young’s Piloment (or if it is not available, with vaseline) and while in a squatting position—or while lying on the side with knees drawn up—gently insert into the rectum as far as the flange or rim.”

“Hold in place a minute and the anal muscles will close and retain it. Sit or lie down and allow it to remain for half an hour or an hour to get the best results,” the instructions continued, with further advice along the lines of: “When ready to go to the next size, it is best to use the same size you have been using for a few minutes first, inserting and withdrawing it several times.” Highlighting the need for ‘supervision’ only if the user was under the ripe age of…8, Doctor Young encouraged all of his patients to self-prescribe and self-administer the instrument.

Butt why? How exactly did all of this help back then? Initially marketed as a tool for constipation by “strengthening and toning the muscles controlling defecation,” Doctor Young’s dilators claimed to be a ‘miracle cure’ for every ailment under the sun. Headaches, insomnia, bad breath, acne, anemia, anorexia, hemorrhoids, nervousness, irritability, cold extremities—you name it, they cured it. In fact, the doctor also recommended rectal dilation as a cure for insanity, claiming that at least “three-fourths of all the howling maniacs of the world” were curable “in a few weeks” time.

So what happened to these claims? Why do doctors recommend pills instead of 4-inch butt plugs if you approach them with these ailments now? Well, this can be credited to a certain court case with an extremely pleasing name—US v. 67 Sets of Doctor Young’s Rectal Dilators and 83 Packages of Doctor Young’s Piloment.

Even though the packaging of the dilators advised to “have no fear of using them too much,” the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that the claims were not backed up by evidence, instead declaring the device “dangerous to health when used with the frequency and duration prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling.” All consignments of Doctor Young’s Ideal Rectal Dilators and their lubricant, Piloment were ordered to be seized and destroyed, putting an end to all of the quackery in 1940.

No longer used for its intended purpose, and no longer just self-prescribed or self-administered, it is safe to say that the butt plug has come a long way. The invention now adds to an increasing list of sex tech defying its original intent. Curious to know what else is on this list? Well, vibrators! Don’t be bummed out, we promise to cover their evolution soon too.

Was this in response to the phrase "Not tonight, dear, I've got a headache?"

— Mike Haskins (@MikeHaskins11) February 14, 2021