You pull on another pair of skinny jeans in the fitting room, looking to see if they are tight enough. Finally you settle on the perfect pair. The denim seems to magically compress all the baby fat you never managed to lose. But as you try to walk, a slight pain shoots up your knee. Could the jeans be too constrictive? You brush away the thought and smile at how sexy you look in your pants. But what if your skinny jeans really are hurting you?

Skinny jeans are a hot trend loved by celebrities and movie stars, but did you know that they can lead to infections and poor circulation? Yeast infections can result from wearing tight clothing that constricts airflow, and the symptoms are definitely not sexy.

Bladder infections are another danger of skin-tight pants that apply to both males and females. The pressure from too-tight clothing causes soreness and allows bacteria to easily enter the body and migrate to the bladder, where the problem starts. Bladder infections cause fever, discomfort, and increased urination.

Blood clotting is another extreme effect of wearing skinny jeans. Coagulation occurs when clothing is constrictive. Deep-vein thrombosis is a type of blood clotting that happens in the legs, and for skinny jean-wearing divas, it's usually in the pelvis. Clots can form in veins or arteries, then detach and flow through the body until they reach the heart, where they may inhibit blood flow, causing pain, swelling, and even disease.

If you're still in love with the look of skinny jeans, don't despair. Try jeggings – or jean leggings – made of stretchy, thin denim that isn't dangerously constrictive. Or maybe a not-so-tight pair of skinnies could still give you the style you want, or simply buy one size bigger than usual. You could also try gauzy tights or leggings instead of super-skinny pants. How about revitalizing the fashions that died after skinnies had a rebirth: flares are always cute with Converses, and old-fashioned straight-leg jeans can be slimming while not overly tight.

If you think that you have a health problem related to skinny jeans, talk to your doctor or drop the skinnies before they drop you. So now the question is, will you wear skinny jeans after learning about the infections and circulation problems that can result? I hope not. Everyone, especially teenagers, wants to look good and make an impression. But if a trend is hurting you, it's not worth it.