PERSONAL HYGIENE-A LIFESTYLE

Personal hygiene and good health go hand in hand. One cannot be achieved without the other. And if we want both, then we really need to understand:

1. What personal hygiene is,
2. How it can be practiced,
3. And how can it be incorporated into our lifestyle?

GETTING TO KNOW PERSONAL HYGIENE

A lot of essentials that we might be overlooking constitute personal hygiene. Protecting ourselves from body odor, infections, viruses, bad breath, or dirty surroundings are some of the essentials of good personal hygiene.

 A lot of what we refer to as personal grooming, is actually good hygiene. How clean we keep ourselves by washing, bathing, adorning clean garments, and taking care of our oral hygiene, falls under maintaining good personal hygiene. Unknowingly, the simple everyday grooming routine can also have a positive effect on maintaining good mental health.

HOW TOS OF PERSONAL HYGIENE

There are certain basics of personal hygiene that everyone should look into.

• ARE YOU BATHING FREQUENTLY?

Our skin has been designed to shed. An unclean body means that you let the shed skin collect on your body in layers. Can you imagine that? Yuck, right?! What’s more? If these layers remain on the skin, it leads to illnesses. So, while the body is naturally trying to get rid of dirt for us, our job is to wash off those layers regularly.

Washing our whole body is also able to rid us of body odor. There are certain bacteria that cause irritation on the skin, as well as create body odor. These bacteria are easily removed by washing the whole body. Our bodies need to be washed and dried thoroughly from head till toe including all crevices like behind the ears, and the feet. A number of common diseases like the athlete’s foot are a result of poor grooming.

In case of water scarcity, or other problems, sponging the body would serve the purpose too. Whether bathing or sponging, soap must be used to cleanse the body.

• ARE YOUR HAIR AND NAILS GETTING THE CARE THEY NEED?

Many a times we don’t realize that hair and nails are equally in need of cleansing as part of personal hygiene. Cleansing the hair and nails would mean trimming them regularly and washing them properly.

Our hair doesn’t need to be washed every day. But thoroughly washing the scalp is important at least twice a week. It helps remove oil build up that causes irritation and rids us of dandruff also. The hair should also be trimmed every once in a while, so that they can be managed easily.

Nails need to be trimmed every week. Maintaining trimmed nails keeps germs and dirt from gathering inside our nails. While washing the hands or bathing, nails should also be scrubbed with soap. Dirty nails are the birthing ground of diseases and infections. Leaving toenails dirty or long can lead to some painful problems.

• HOW WELL ARE YOU KEEPING YOUR TEETH?

Healthy teeth make for a great smile, and good health. Brushing twice daily is important to help teeth from decaying and from getting gum disease. Brushing teeth and flossing the teeth are both equally important. The food particles that remain stuck between or behind the teeth protects from pockets of germs to build up. Gum diseases and tooth decay can actually lead to heart diseases too! An antibacterial mouthwash will further help keeping the breath fresh and diseases at bay.

So, if you keep that smile looking nice, it will in turn keep your overall body feeling fit.

• WASH YOUR HANDS AND SANITISE THEM … REGULARLY AND PROPERLY!

Our hands are always exposed to germs and our hands can easily carry the germs into the body through our eyes, ears and nose. As clean as we may think our hands are, they must be washed with soap every time that we touch a surface outside the house, handle the garbage, before and after eating, before and after treating a wound, and after coughing or sneezing.

Using a sanitizer is just as important specially while outdoors. There are many surfaces that our hands come in contact with when we go outdoors. The benches and swings in the park, the doors at restaurants and malls, carts and trolleys, and so many other surfaces that others constantly touch as well. Keeping a good alcohol-based sanitizer handy means you are successfully protecting yourself from germs even when on the go. 

• ARE YOUR SURROUNDINGS SAFE?

Safe surroundings don’t always refer to protection from theft and robberies. When talking about health and personal hygiene, we need to make sure that as a society we contribute to maintaining a clean and pollution-free environment.

Waste is usually collected at street corners and in residential areas. Care should be taken to dispose off all waste at a distance from residential areas. It should be disposed off correctly in trash cans and appropriate garbage bags. Incorrect disposal of waste leads to epidemics and major diseases like jaundice, tuberculosis, and typhoid.

Our homes also need to be cleaned thoroughly. Only cleaning those surfaces and spaces that are visibly dirty is not enough. Washrooms, toilets, walls, counter tops, floors… all need to be cleaned and disinfected every day or as frequently as possible.

• BE A WARRIOR, FIGHT OFF THOSE ILLNESSES, WEAR A MASK!

Wearing a mask helps everyone maintain good general health. If worn properly, masks are 70% successful in preventing the spread of airborne diseases. A lot of times people are unaware of the infections they are carrying. They can unknowingly transmit diseases. Masks protect us from catching known and unknown infections. Similarly, those who are unaware of the infections they may be carrying can protect others by wearing a mask.

If worn properly, masks prevent the spread of influenza and allergies specially with the rapid rise in air pollution.

• HOW TO MAKE GOOD PERSONAL HYGIENE YOUR LIFESTYLE?

It can sometimes get tiresome to stick to habits that promote good hygiene. In that case we need to make them easy and practical. Here are some tips for doing just that:

• Carry a small nail cutter, dental floss, small mouthwash, small deodorant, wipes and sanitizer in a travel pouch to keep yourself clean and groomed at all times.
•  Always keep a small towel or bath sponge in the bathroom so that you don’t have to look for one, for those times when you don’t have time to shower and would rather sponge yourself.
• Fix days for your hair wash, nail trimming, and hair trimming and set reminders on your phone.
• Place a disinfectant with gloves and a sponge within reach above your kitchen sink or other accessible space so that you never overlook the cleanliness of your house.
• Place boxes of disposable masks close to the exit in your house, inside your car, and at your workplace so that you always have a mask to wear.
• Set up a small table or a spot at the entrance of your house with a sanitizer and wipes for everyone to use just as they arrive.
• Carry tissues in your bag or pockets so that you sneeze and cough in the tissue papers and not your hands.
• Always have wipes accessible on your workstation to wipe your laptop and mobile screens, and other gadgets that you frequently use.

A lot of times people do get weary of good habits in the beginning. But making them easy and sticking to them for some time helps them become part of our lifestyle. Once you care about personal hygiene, you will also see marked difference in your appearance.

Now, what do you say would be better than feeling and looking good all at once?!