Personal hygiene is something we don’t stop and think about, every day. We have been drilled about it since our childhood, and then we just sought of fell into a routine. Get up, brush your teeth, wash your face, do this, do that. But have you ever stopped and thought about the fact that we might be doing it wrong?
There are a lot things to be taken into consideration for personal hygiene. Most of the people are scientifically informed about what is good and bad for their hygiene. So we prepared a list of things you might be doing wrong:
1. Too Much Cleanliness
It sounds contrary to the concept of hygiene but being too clean can be a bad thing for you. Not getting exposed to bacteria means that your body is unable to produce required antibodies to fight the infection. Frequent use of sanitizers can kill the good bacteria on your hand and also damage your skin.
While you should have regular baths, too much scrubbing and cleaning will make your body more prone to infections. When you have a bath, you wash off the dead skin and open up pores by removing dirt which allows the body to breathe.
But having too many baths is detrimental to your health because dry and open areas from washing too much will allow bacteria to enter deeper into your skin.
2. Not flossing
Everyone knows the importance of brushing their teeth twice a day. You brush them in the morning after you get up, and then you brush them in the night before you go to sleep. Proper brushing helps to keep away build up of plaque on the teeth. It also keeps the mouth fresh, removes foul odor and wipes the stains off the teeth. But while most of the people brush, they often don’t floss.
Flossing is as important for dental health as brushing. By not brushing, you miss cleaning about 30% of the surface of teeth. It also helps get rid of bacteria beneath the gum line and prevents bad breath along with gingivitis and gum recession.
3. Using Cotton Swabs
You, along with lots of other people have been using cotton swabs to clear out your ear wax. But this is actually harmful. The wax present in your ear prevents ear infections and also stops foreign particles like small insects, dust particles from entering inside.
Also, using cotton swab can be bad for your ear. It pushes the wax deeper into the air canal and damages the ear drum. If you do have a disproportionate amount of wax in your ear, you should get it removed by a doctor.
One method you can try at home is syringing. Put body temperature water in a syringe. Keep your head straight, hold the outside of the ear and gently pull upward. Now inject a small amount of water against the ear canal wall next to the wax plug. Tilt your head to drain the water. Repeat it till the wax clears out.
4. Sharing Nail Clippers
It is a common practice to share nail clippers, especially by people living in the house. Most people do it without thinking about how it can negatively affect their health.
Bacteria from somebody else’s skin can get on the nail clipper. You might cut yourself or your skin might break while clipping your nails, which gives all those bacteria on the clipper a direct route inside.
Also, when clipping your toenails, use a clipper that has only been used on the toes. Remember not to cut the cuticles as it can cause infections.
5. Not Cleaning Everyday Used Objects
Most of the germs are transferred by objects you don’t even think before touching. The keyboard of your PC , the television remote on your sofa, the door knobs or handles and even your smart phone are all breeding grounds for bacteria.
A University of Arizona research found that television remotes were the worst carriers of bacteria in hospitals. Even toilet handles were found cleaner than remotes.
So remember to clean these items regularly, preferably with an electronic safe disinfectant, to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria via them.
6. Sharing Your Makeup
It is a pretty commonplace habit and if you are someone who wears makeup often, you might have indulged in it quite regularly. Nobody thinks twice about sharing eyeliner or a blush. But sharing makeup can be pretty dangerous, especially things like eye shadow, eyeliner or mascara.
While it may not seem such a big deal at the time, borrowing makeup is an easy way of letting bacteria enter your eyes and getting an infection.
7. Not Using Public Bathrooms Carefully
While nobody uses public bathrooms because they like using them, but even when using them reluctantly, you could be making a few mistakes on the hygiene front. One thing you can do is use a disposable seat cover to use on toilet seat so as to avoid your skin being in contact with it directly.
When using urinals, if you are getting splashed or splashing it around, then you are really not getting the hang of using a urinal. You’ve got to get close and aim low to properly use a urinal.
8. Not Getting the Post Workout Scene Right
Working out is healthy. It is a good thing that you go to the gym. What is not good is what you do after you are done with workout. There are basically two things that you don’t want to do. One, do not wipe your sweat with your hands. Your hands have been in contact with a million bacteria. Using those same hands to wipe of sweat is like real bad.
Second, speaking of sweat, you might want to have a shower immediately after you finish working out. Lazing around with those post workout gym clothes can be disastrous for your skin. Sweat can get trapped inside closely knitted clothing, leading to skin problems like irritation, acne, rashes and others.
While showering is the best option after workout, in case you can’t shower, the next best thing to do is have a change of clothes as soon as possible.
9. Daily Exfoliation
Like mentioned above, too much cleaning is also bad for health. Exfoliating feels good because your skin gets rid of all the dirt that had been sitting on your face.
But as good as it feels, exfoliating daily will cause more harm than good. Regular exfoliation can damage you skin, irritation, acne, reddishness and tiny tears on your skin can all be caused due to it.
Instead, exfoliate a couple of times in a week so that you can thoroughly cleanse your face without damaging it.
Resources:
Health.gov.au: Department of Health
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