The 16 Best Ways to Prevent Camel Toe in Leggings

Avoid camel toe with these leggings, underwear, & accessories

Co-authored by Melissa Young and Devin McSween

Last Updated: May 19, 2025 Fact Checked

Wearing snug-fitting leggings can give you camel toe, which is slang for when fabric bunches around your bikini area and outlines your labia majora. While some people don’t mind the look of a frontal wedgie, it’s totally understandable if you feel more comfortable covering it up. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled the best ways to avoid camel toe while wearing leggings, including the types of leggings and underwear to wear as well as quick cover-up tips. As a bonus, these hacks also apply to other tight bottoms like yoga pants, athletic shorts, and swimsuits!

Things You Should Know

Choose thick, well-fitting leggings without a front seam to prevent camel toe. Opt for dark or patterned fabrics to conceal your bikini area, too.^{[1]
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Melissa Young
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Wear seamless underwear to help smooth out your pelvic area. Or, wear period or cycling underwear to create a thicker barrier.
Put on a panty liner or camel toe concealer to prevent your leggings from riding up. Or, make a DIY concealer out of an old bra pad insert.

1

Wear leggings that fit.

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Both tight and loose leggings can lead to camel toeing. A pair of perfect-fitting leggings or yoga pants feel snug, comfortably sit around your waist, and are opaque when you bend and move. Too tight leggings stretch the material over your pelvic area while too loose ones leave excess material, both of which can cause camel toe.^{[2]
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- Well-fitting leggings are also more comfortable, breathable, and can prevent chafing and irritation.

2

Opt for thicker leggings.

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Thick fabrics create a larger barrier between your skin and pants. When you’re shopping for new leggings or yoga pants, opt for ones made with thicker, blended fabrics like lycra, rayon, spandex, nylon, or bamboo.^{[3]
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Melissa Young
Freelance Fashion Stylist

Expert Interview} Wearing bottoms with more material helps prevent your camel toe from making an unwanted appearance.^{[4]
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- In general, stay away from thinner fabrics like linen, polyester, and 100% spandex.^{[5]
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- Sit, bend down, and walk around when you try on leggings and other bottoms. The fabric is likely too thin if you can see your skin through the leggings when you move.^{[6]
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3

Choose leggings that don’t have a front seam.

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Seamless leggings prevent camel toe, unlike ones with a center seam. Leggings with a vertical seam running down the center tend to pull upwards on your crotch, giving you a frontal wedgie. So, look for leggings with a flat front panel to prevent camel toe from showing.^{[7]
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- Seamless leggings tend to be more expensive than ones with front seams, as they are typically made with thicker, higher-quality materials.

4

Select leggings that have gussets.

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Leggings with large gussets help prevent bunching and creasing. Gussets are wide, rectangle or diamond-shaped strips of material sewn into the crotch area of leggings and other bottoms.^{[8]
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Research source} Wearing leggings with a gusset adds more material around your pelvic area, allowing you to move and exercise without developing camel toe.
- Leggings and yoga pants with gussets are a great choice for working out, as the extra fabric reduces chafing and improves moisture wicking.

5

Choose leggings with a lower waistline.

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High-rise leggings and yoga pants can create tension around your waist and pelvic area, causing the fabric to bunch up around your crotch. When you wear lower-rise leggings, there’s less fabric pulling upwards around your pelvic area, which reduces your chances of developing camel toe.^{[9]
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6

Wear underwear without a front seam.

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Seamless underwear adds material between your skin and leggings. While you might prefer to go commando when wearing leggings, yoga pants, or other athletic bottoms, not wearing underwear can cause the fabric to crease around your pelvic area. So, opt for seamless panties to add a smoothing barrier between your crotch and leggings.^{[10]
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- Wearing underwear with a vertical front seam can create or emphasize camel toe.

7

Opt for leggings with built-in underwear.

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Thick, built-in underwear can prevent panty lines and camel toe. If you don’t want to worry about choosing the right underwear to get rid of camel toe or panty lines, opt for leggings with built-in underwear or shapewear. The added material around your pelvic area prevents the fabric from bunching up around your crotch while improving sweat absorption and moisture wicking.

8

Put on leakproof or period underwear.

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The thicker fabric of period panties stops camel toeing. Leakproof underwear are made with several layers of absorbent fabric to keep your bikini area dry while you’re menstruating.^{[11]
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Research source} The extra material makes these panties thicker, helping them smooth out your crotch when you wear leggings, regardless if you’re on your period or not.
- Wear period underwear when you exercise, too. The absorbent materials make them great at wicking away sweat.

9

Wear cycling underwear.

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Cycling underwear are made of thick material that prevents camel toe. Cycling underwear have sewn-in chamois, which are cushiony foam pads designed to reduce friction and soreness when you ride a bike.^{[12]
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Research source} The extra padding prevents leggings, bike shorts, and other bottoms from pulling at your crotch and giving you camel toe.
- If you cycle or prefer wearing bike shorts instead of leggings, look for bike shorts with built-in chamois.

10

Put on a panty liner.

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Panty liners create a thick barrier to get rid of camel toeing. If you find yourself rocking a frontal wedgie while you’re out or at the gym, just stick a panty liner inside your underwear to conceal any creasing. The thick material of the panty liner prevents your leggings or bottoms from bunching up around your pelvic area.^{[13]
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- If you prefer to wear thongs, wear thong panty liners. These are made with less material to fit inside your underwear while still covering up camel toe.
- For extra camel toe protection, wrap the panty liner horizontally around your underwear instead of sticking it on vertically.

11

Fold toilet paper and put it in your underwear.

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If you don’t have a panty liner on you to smooth out your camel toe, don’t worry. Just head into the nearest bathroom and fold up several sheets of toilet paper. Then, place them in your underwear to prevent your leggings from pulling at your crotch.^{[14]
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12

Wear a camel toe concealer.

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Camel toe concealers completely hide creasing and bunching. If you want a reusable alternative to panty liners or toilet paper, opt for a camel toe concealer. This is a silicone pad specifically designed to cover your bikini area and prevent your leggings or yoga pants from riding up. You simply insert it inside your underwear and go about your day.^{[15]
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- Or, wear camel toe-proof underwear. These are made with built-in silicone pads.

13

Make a DIY camel toe concealer.

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Cut an old bra pad insert to make your own camel toe concealer. Get out an unused pad insert from a bra, workout top, or bathing suit and trace the crotch of your underwear onto the insert. Then, cut out the outline and slip the DIY camel toe concealer inside the pocket on your underwear.^{[16]
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- Simply wash the bra pad insert in your washing machine and let it air dry to wear it again.
- If your underwear doesn’t have a gusset pocket inside the crotch, just place the pad insert on top.

14

Put on dark or patterned leggings.

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Dark colors and patterns hide camel toe. If you tend to have camel toe no matter which leggings you wear, wear dark or patterned ones.^{[17]
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Melissa Young
Freelance Fashion Stylist

Expert Interview} Dark colors like black, gray, and navy obscure any frontal wedgie action while patterned leggings in bold paisley, abstract, and animal prints draw the eye away from your pelvic area.^{[18]
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- Light-colored leggings and other athletic bottoms in colors like white and blush pink tend to draw more attention to your pelvic area.

15

Pair your leggings with a long top.

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The quickest way to hide camel toe is to throw on a top that falls below your crotch and booty, like a long button-down, a stylish sweater, or a cozy sweatshirt. Alternatively, style your leggings with a pair of shorts or a skirt. Or, wear your leggings under a dress for a cute, put-together look.^{[19]
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16

Avoid getting a Brazilian wax.

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Waxing off all of your hair removes the natural barrier between your skin and leggings, which can cause the fabric to ride up and give you a frontal wedgie. While your grooming choices are personal and entirely up to your comfort level, letting your hair grow out can help reduce the likelihood of getting camel toe.