Do you wear new clothes before washing them? Then, you really need to watch this

If you're someone who wears your clothes right off the store rack — like half of the "Today" show hosts do, apparently — you might want to consciously break that habit when you hear what a prominent dermatologist has to say about what might be living inside those garments.

Dr. Donald Belsito is a professor of dermatology at Columbia University Medical Center who specializes in contact dermatitis. “I have seen cases of lice that were possibly transmitted from trying on in the store, ”Belsito told The Wall Street Journal. "And there are certain infectious diseases that can be passed on through clothing.” So that means the scarf you just bought could also be the preferred method of transportation for a germ that'll give you a rash.

Even if a label identifies where the garment was made, there's no way of knowing how many people touched it on its way to you. And with clothing, we’re usually talking about materials with plenty of places for tiny things to hide. “Lice can’t last long without a host, but they do tend to attach better to natural fibers than synthetics,” Belsito said. Nobody goes shopping to pick up a case of scabies. 

Another problem with not washing clothes is that there are some funky chemicals in the dyes and fabrics. Even if the garments themselves don't contain a communicable disease, there's a decent chance you could be allergic to whatever was used to make it.