In the post-COVID-19 world, no one can underestimate the importance of hygiene. Keeping yourself clean and neat, taking care of proper sanitation and self-care is essential to stay away from disease and unpleasant state or appearance. Our physical bodies need regular grooming, care and upkeep to continue functioning optimally. It ensures a hassle-free and healthy life.
Hygiene can easily be ignored due to hectic routines or lack of awareness, sometimes even regarding practices or products. Yet, striving for a self-aware and well-balanced life is the way to happiness and contentment.
Personal hygiene
Keeping yourself clean and free from impurity is vital. Besides protecting from illness, it gives you a confident and charismatic aura. Good personal hygiene practices include bathing and showering regularly, taking care of your skin, nails, hair, oral hygiene and avoiding unpleasant things like body odour and unwanted hair. It also involves regularly changing and keeping your clothing (especially intimate items) and bedding clean and tidy.
Body odour
Body odour is unpleasant yet natural and can affect a person of any age. However, it is usually a problem for teenagers and adolescents as well as for most people during hot seasons. Body odour is caused when bacteria on the skin mixes with sweat. Antiperspirants is a must after showers and before dressing. Choosing the right one is easy. It can be roll-on or spray, depending on your personal choice. You should carry a spray one when going to school, university or work during summers. Reusing it during breaks will keep you smelling fresh all day.
Menstrual hygiene:
This is an important aspect of a woman’s personal hygiene. During menstruation, it is important to change your pad, tampon or menstrual cup regularly. Pads should be changed every 4 hours, while tampons should be changed every 4-8 hours and menstrual cups every 12 hours. Reusable menstrual cups can be reinserted after washing and wiping but disposable ones should be discarded. Leaving any of these feminine hygiene products will cause buildup of bacteria leading to infections or foul odour. If there are leaks the underwear must be washed right away.
Regular vaginal discharge:
Vaginal discharge is a sign of a healthy vagina. There is natural moisture in the vagina. However, at some time during the monthly cycle, the discharge may vary. To keep clean and hygienic during heavier discharge, panty-liners should be used. If panty-liners seem costly, then the underwear should be changed more frequently.
Underwear should be changed daily or even more than once a day, again, depending on the vaginal discharge. Cotton underwear are the friendliest to the vagina as they are more absorbent than nylon, polyester and spandex. They reduce the chance of bacteria buildup.
Moreover, to stay hygienic and free of vaginal infections, you must consult a doctor if you notice a foul smell or change in the consistency and colour of the normal discharge.
Hair:
Hair is a woman’s crown, the epitome of her beauty and a praise magnet. Undoubtedly, it should be taken good care of and washed regularly. The right shampoo is the first essential. There are many brands to choose from but you must choose, by trial and error, the one that suits you best. All shampoos come with their respective conditioners, whose use is all-important in keeping hair smooth and manageable. A special mention for some conditions is in order. Dandruff and extreme hair fall are problems that can take away your sleep. Therefore special care should be taken while selecting shampoos for these conditions. There are specialized products for remedial purposes which would be the best options in these cases.
Another problem that may arise from poor hygiene is head lice. In hot and humid weather, this problem may catch you unawares. But stay vigilant against this parasite. Avoid leaving sweaty scalp unwashed. Do not cover wet or sweaty hair as it provides the right environment for this parasite to thrive.
Hair oiling, scalp massages and protein treatments are helpful for beautiful and healthy hair and should be added to the hair care routine.
Unwanted hair:
Contrary to women’s hair, facial, pubic and bodily hair are totally unwanted. Yet they need attention so the body is free of them. It is just like body waste. This is especially true for pubic hair, which should be removed or shaved once a week if not every other day. If unremoved, pubic hair and hair in the armpits can become a breeding ground for bacteria and thus odour.
Similarly, hair on the legs and arms should also be removed or shaved. In late teenage, girls may be guided to this practice using the most suitable and preferred method by an adult. This is important for hygiene as well as for looking and feeling confident in every setting and dressing.
To appear tidy and confident, unwanted facial hair should be removed regularly. It may be threaded or waxed fortnightly and can even be removed permanently through laser.
Oral-hygiene:
Dental health and hygiene can also easily be ignored although it is essential from enjoying food to winning hearts with a shiny smile! We all know brushing twice a day is healthy, but there is more to oral hygiene than just that. Firstly, brushing in the proper way is important for it to be effective. Brushing between the teeth, on the inside of teeth and behind the last molars by opening the jaw sideways (moving the upper jaw to the right and lower to the left or viceversa) is the correct way recommended by dentists. Moreover, the bristles should not touch the gums during brushing as gums are sensitive and it can cause them to recede.
Secondly, flossing at least twice a week is as important as brushing twice daily. Floss, floss picks, common thread dental pearls
Thirdly, scaling at least yearly is as important as flossing bi-weekly and brushing daily. Scaling removes all the plaque and deposits that do not go away with either brushing or flossing. It is essential for the overall oral health.
Nails:
Germs grow under the nails and we usually use fingers to eat comfort food, if nothing else! That is why nails should be trimmed weekly. Even if you want to have long nails, gel nails etc or are following any of the latest nail art trends, you should clean and file them.
Skin:
Just like the hair, the skin is what people notice first about you. And just like the hair, the skin needs preening and special care. The basic three-step skin care routine is a woman’s secret to looking great. Cleansing, toning and moisturizing is the proper cleansing routine that makes all the difference. It keeps dead skin, dirt, sweat, blackheads, pimples and zits out. Like with hair care, skin care products i.e. cleanser, toner and moisturizer should be chosen carefully keeping your skin type and need in mind. All three products may belong to the same brand that suits you or, again through trial and error, you may mix and match a suitable cleanser, toner and moisturizer from different brands.
Moreover, for neat skin a fortnightly or monthly facial is also important starting between the ages of 20-25 years.
Feet:
Feet need to be kept clean as, interestingly, it has more sweat glands than any other part of the body. There are many conditions that can develop owing to poor hygiene, which include athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. Therefore, it is important to wear a new pair of socks every day. You must also change socks after work or school if you are going for another activity like sports or workout. Your shoes should be cleaned, wiped or washed as applicable and put away in a dry place rather than a damp or humid place like a cupboard etc. Never wear socks over wet, damp or sweaty feet.
In cold weather or changing weather the skin becomes rough and flaky and the heels may crack. Good products should be used to soothe the skin and keep it soft. Special care should be taken during pedicures to avoid deep cuticle removal which may later result in nail ingrowths and is extremely painful. Avoid wearing tight fitting shoes after a pedicure so ingrowths don’t develop.
Regularly following all personal hygiene practices is the foremost aspect of self-discipline and self-care. A charismatic personality and a healthy, happy and easy life depends on it.
Written By: Amna Saadat Ali
