Personal hygiene is the art of keeping your body clean and healthy. This practice includes washing your hands, brushing your teeth, bathing, and more.
And because every day you come into germs and viruses, personal hygiene practices can protect you and the people around you against illnesses. They will also boost your self-confidence as people tend to avoid a person with poor personal hygiene.
Keep reading to learn more about why personal hygiene is more important, the best ways to practice it, and how you can change your habits to help you feel good about your appearance.
Types of Personal Hygiene
There are many types of personal hygiene, and as such, each person has a different idea of it. These primary categories form the base of good hygiene practices:
Make a habit of washing your hands every time you visit the restroom. Scrub with soap for about 30 seconds, paying attention to the areas between your fingers, under your nails, and on the back of your hands.
Alternatively, you can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer to keep germs at bay. When choosing hand sanitizer, opt for one with at least 60% of alcohol.
How often you take a shower will depend on personal preferences. However, most people find it necessary to shower at least every day. Showering with soap helps eliminate oils, bacteria, and dead skin cells.
If possible, wash your hair at least twice a week using shampoo to remove skin buildup and protect it against oily residues that can irritate the skin.
Trim your nail to keep them short. Use a nail brush or washcloth to clean the buildup under them. Tidy nails prevent you from spreading germs into your mouth, including body openings. You should also refrain from biting your nails.
There's more to dental hygiene than just pearly white teeth. Looking after your teeth and gums is an excellent way of preventing gum diseases and tooth decay.
Brush at least twice a day for about two minutes-preferably in the morning and evening. If your schedule permits, brush after every meal and floss every day. You can also use antibacterial mouthwash but be sure to consult with a dentist before using it.
These two steps will go a long way to prevent cavities and eliminate the pockets where germs and bacteria can accumulate over time.
If you're feeling unwell, you should take measures to prevent the germs from spreading to others. This includes covering your mouth while sneezing, disinfecting shared surfaces with an antibacterial solution, and not sharing utensils or other tangible items. You should also dispose of any soiled tissues.
There are plenty of ways that germs can find their way into your body. Therefore, you should wash your hands:
- Before handling food
- Before you consume anything
- After handling garbage
- When you blow nose or sneeze
- Similarly, wash your hands after changing a baby's diaper or when you help someone clean a cut or wound.
7. Sleep Well.
Get plenty of rest - 10 to 12 hours a night so that you are refreshed and you are ready to take on the day every morning.
Lack of sleep can leave you feeling tired and can compromise your body's natural defenses, your immune system.
8. Create a Routine
Whatever your process may be to maintain good personal hygiene, make a mental checklist or write it down somewhere.
9. Wear Clean Clothes
Always were Neat and clean cloths. Dirty clothes can have bacteria that could lead to body odor.
10. Visit the Doctor
Visit your doctor when you have a concern and schedule routine check-ups.
Personal Hygiene for Kids
Personal hygiene will keep your kids healthy, prevent illnesses, and boost their inner confidence. It's never too early to educate your child on good hygiene habits-you can help your kids wash their hands before eating, brush their teeth before bed, and get them to shower daily. Before you know it, they would have taken over the process.
Below is a list of hygiene practices, how best you can introduce them, and when is the best time to start:
Start brushing your baby's teeth and gums as soon as the first tooth pops up, and introduce this process once they are three years old. However, you'll want to keep an eye on them to make sure they're brushing their teeth right.
You can play a 2-minute song of their choice when it's time to brush your teeth. Let them know that they should be done by the time the song ends. That way, they will know how long they have to brush and master the process. Similarly, you should continue flossing for them until they are ready to do it themselves.
Your child should be able to bathe himself by the age of five. Let them know that baths are meant to be taken daily and the importance of bathing. As you're supervising their bath time, you should teach them about washing different body parts, particularly the armpits, groins, neck, belly, knees, elbows, back, and feet.
These body parts provide an ideal environment for germs and bacteria to build up if not cleaned properly. You can also use this opportunity to teach them how to wash their hair without getting soap in their eyes- and the precautions to take if they do.
Wipe your baby's hand using a washcloth wrung out of warm water before and after meals or changing their diaper. You can introduce them to washing their hands during potty training and make this an essential step.
Let them wash their hands for 20 seconds for complete effectiveness. Again, you can play a 20-seconds song while they clean. Make a habit of asking your child to wash their hands anytime you'd like to inspire good hygiene.
You can trim your child's nails when they are still a toddler, but you can teach them how to care for their nails as they grow older. Encourage them to wash under their nails any time they take a shower. Then, help them trim their nails after a shower since they are softer and clip more easily. Your child should be able to handle this task by the age of 7.
Benefits of Personal Hygiene
1. Health Reasons and Benefits
You can avoid being sick by just following some basic rules, such as washing your hands, bathing every day, and ensuring you change your clothes regularly.
Rashes, athlete's foot, small cuts, among other minor conditions, should be attended to as soon as you realize them. Failing to address these conditions could lead to them spreading, leading to more severe conditions.
The one simple precaution you can take is always to wash your hands regularly. After visiting the toilet, or whenever you suspect you might have come into contact with foreign materials, you can wash your hands.
2. Social Reasons and Benefits
By maintaining proper hygiene, you'll maintain good health and become attractive to people. However, you can't remain healthy without adhering to simple personal hygiene routine practices. Not following these simple personal hygiene practices will pose several risks to you and make you unattractive to most people. And there's nothing as frustrating as getting rejected by several people.
Teach your child how to adhere to the personal hygiene routine practices. Helping them adhere to these practices will make them attractive to people and accepted by their friends. Children who are rejected end up being depressed, and I'm sure you don't want your child to go through such trauma at such an early stage.
3. Psychological Reasons and Benefits
Most people's confidence and self-esteem are usually affected by their body image. Our body image reflects how important it is that we have taken our hygiene practices.
Good hair, healthy teeth, and short, clean nails are signs of a healthy person. When you have all these, more people will always love your company, and most people will find you attractive. Besides, all these give you the confidence to tackle day-to-day activities.
First impressions usually matter a lot. You want people to have a first good impression. And you can only do this by grooming yourself properly. This starts with adhering to personal hygiene routine practices, such as cleaning your nails, trimming down your hair, washing your hands, among others.
Finally, your success rate is increased when you are well-groomed. Keeping short and clean nails, bathing every day, putting on clean clothes, washing your hands, among others, will increase your chances of succeeding in every social environment.
Consequences of Improper Personal Hygiene
Good personal hygiene translates to minor illnesses and improved health. However, poor personal hygiene practices can lead to minor issues, such as body odor and greasy skin. They can also lead to severe problems, like illnesses.
For example, it's easier to transfer germs and bacteria into your mouth or eyes with dirty hands. As a result, you end up contracting some infections, including stomach viruses and pink eye.
Failure to brush your teeth can lead to plaque buildup and dental issues. Sadly, poor dental hygiene is a risk factor for many health problems, including heart disease. It's therefore important to practice healthy dental hygiene to prevent such occurrences in the future.
Additionally, poor hygiene practices can affect your self-confidence in a social setting. Likewise, people with poor personal hygiene tend to suffer from isolation and loneliness. Looking presentable can give you a sense of pride in your appearance.
Other notable conditions that may be prevented by observing good personal hygiene practices include:
Here are a few hygiene routine tips that will help you keep germs and bacteria at bay:
- Encourage your kids to practice good hygiene until they get used to it
- Set reminders to notify your kids of any pending tasks regarding personal hygiene
- Promote good hygiene by offering rewards to those who follow personal hygiene practices set in your home
- Buy enough toiletries and encourage your kids to take advantage of them when using the toilet
Start Creating a Personal Hygiene Routine Today
Building and maintaining an excellent personal routine goes a long way. It's not something you'll build over time. Adhering to personal hygiene practices will help you stay healthy, strong, and attractive to most people.
Since this is a long-term process, start with a few personal hygiene routine practices and make them a habit. These are simple practices you can make a habit of. Start small scale. You'll soon find personal hygiene as a routine and not as a punishment as most people feel.
