We use the term “Personal Hygiene” in our vocabulary so easily and so regularly, but what exactly is Personal Hygiene? Personal Hygiene is the practice, habit or action of keeping your body clean for good health and for grooming purposes.
Over the years, the rules and meaning of Personal Hygiene has drastically changed. Personal Hygiene actually refers to grooming, cleaning and caring the body at the basic level. Different people have different habits when it comes to Personal Hygiene, so reading what magazines recommend and hearing what other people do can have us questioning if we are doing things the right way. Despite what you have read from magazines and heard from your friends, there are many Myths and Facts of Personal Hygiene, which you are not aware of. So, it is important to know about these myths and facts of personal hygiene to avoid incorrect assumptions and follow the right way to personal hygiene.
Since there is lots of information circulating across the web, it is no surprise that different myths or misconceptions about our body and health get perpetuated. You will come across websites that lead you to believe some fake promises and facts, which can have you questioning your morning regime. It may seem difficult to distinguish the fact from the myth without assistance. There are some Myths and Facts of Personal Hygiene, which you already know, and then there are some, which may surprise you. However, the more you know, the better it will be for you to take proper care of your personal hygiene.
Top 10 Myths & Facts of Personal Hygiene
Personal Hygiene Myth #1: Public Toilets Should be avoided at All Costs.
Fact: Public Toilets are in fact not that big a hazard, as many people believe. The public toilet seats do have germs living on them, but they are not that harmful to make you sick after using public toilets. The natural defense of your body is skin and they can protect your body from scary disease causing germs.
Personal Hygiene Myth #2: Need to Wash your Hair Daily.
Fact: A pleasant and hot water shower is what everyone needs to wake up in the morning and kick-start the day. But, is it necessary to wash your hair daily? In many cases, it is not required at all! How often you need to wash your hair depends on a variety of factors including the health of scalp, the type of hair, how long your tresses are, how processed they are and more. It is not necessary to lather up the locks of our tresses every day. Daily shampooing of hair strips the hair’s natural oils and as a result, it makes the hair dry and ultimately leads to hair damage. So, you must avoid daily shampooing. If the scalp and hair get oily between washes, you may use baby powder or dry shampoo to absorb all the extra oil from the scalp and to maintain cleanliness and hygiene.
Note: Place where you live or work can also be a factor in deciding whether you need to wash your hair daily or not. If you are exposed to lot of pollution, working outdoors, working around dust or pollutants or construction site, then it will be a good hygiene practice to wash hair daily.
Personal Hygiene Myth #3: Dentists cannot tell if you don’t Floss.
Fact: Are you concerned about your oral hygiene and think that the dentist cannot tell if you do not floss in your first appointment? Well, it is not only the matter of flossing, it’s about your complete oral health. The gums that are regularly flossed will be healthy and if you do not floss regularly and floss just before a dentist appointment, then your gums will bleed. The build-up of plaque may lead to oral cavities and gum diseases. So, you are not outsmarting your dentist by flossing just before a clean-up, instead you are simply hurting the gums and your oral health by not following good oral hygiene.
Personal Hygiene Myth #4: Brushing your Hair 100 strokes a day makes your hair healthy.
Fact: Brushing your Hair 100 strokes everyday may fall into the category of overdoing your personal hygiene. However, it does not mean that you must avoid brushing your hair. Mild brushing of hair helps in preventing tangles and distributes the hair oil evenly across your scalp, but brushing your hair frequently or over-brushing the hair can damage your hair follicles instead of improving its condition. Brushing the hair frequently make it more prone to breakage and fraying. So, you must avoid brushing the hair again and again; instead brush it once in a day to avoid advert consequences and to maintain good hair hygiene.
Personal Hygiene Myth #5: Hand Sanitizers Are the Best Resort for Killing Germs.
Fact: If you want to avoid the germs from sticking on your hands, then wash your hand with plain old soap and water instead of hand sanitizer. Although the hand sanitizers available out there contain more than 60 % of alcohol, but they are not as good as the plain old soap and water when it comes to removing the sticky germs from your hands. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, overusing the hand sanitizers may lead to dire consequences in long run. The germs can build a resistance against the chemicals and alcohol present in the hand sanitizers and the germs will resist the hand sanitizer when you use them to wash your hands. So, if you are really concerned about the sticky germs, it is far more effective to make use of the soap and water to wash your hands and also try using antibacterial soap and water for effective results. Hand Sanitizers are best used when there is no soap or water available such as when you are travelling, then in such cases Hand Sanitizers are great for maintaining your personal hygiene.
Personal Hygiene Myth #6: Shaving Makes Hair Grow Thicker and Darker.
Fact: This is a popular and a very old myth; and the longest spread myth regarding Personal Hygiene and grooming. Most of the mothers often tell their daughters not to shave their hair too early as it makes their hair grow darker and thicker, but the fact is that shaving does not change the thickness and color of the hair. Shaving simply cuts the tip of the hair bluntly and when it grows back it look thicker and darker.
Personal Hygiene Myth #7: The five-second rule, which says that picking up food within 5 seconds of it being dropped on the floor, is okay to consume.
Fact: This is indeed a myth, as studies have shown that food which has been dropped to the ground starts to collect bacteria immediately. It is important to note that the nature of the floor surface, whether it was an indoor floor or an outdoor floor, the type of food dropped on the floor and the length of time the fallen food spends on the floor can all have an impact on whether it is safe to eat the foods fallen on the floor.
Personal Hygiene Myth #8: Hand Dryers Spread Germs & Bacteria.
Fact: According to research, Hand Dryers are in no way responsible for spreading germs or causing any diseases, so dry away your hands for good hygiene.
Personal Hygiene Myth #9: Only Dirty Hair gets Lice.
Fact: Fact of the matter is, no matter how clean your hair are, all it takes is head-to-head contact with a person having lice for you to get lice.
Personal Hygiene Myth #10: Bad Breath is Caused Due to Poor Oral Hygiene
Fact: Poor oral hygiene is only one of the causes for bad breath (halitosis). In fact, there are numerous causes for bad breath. You can experience bad breath even if you are brushing twice a day, flossing daily and gargling with mouthwash daily. Some of the lesser-known causes of bad breath include dry mouth, gum disease, sinus conditions and stomach problems.
These were some of the Myths and Facts of Personal Hygiene, which you may or may not have been aware of. Hopefully, some of the doubts and questions regarding personal hygiene have been cleared.
