PERSONAL HYGIENE: THE RIGHT RULES TO BE OBSERVED EVERY DAY

Hygiene is a real medical discipline that deals with the relationship between human health and the surrounding environment, creating rules for both individual and collective behavior in order to establish a situation of well-being general and prevent the onset and spread of as many diseases as possible.

Thus, it is easy to understand how proper personal hygiene is the basis of the care of each of us and how it allows us to reduce bacteria and infections, keeping us healthy and in harmony with our body.

Let's start by saying that the right care of your body does not necessarily coincide with the use of many high-priced products. In fact, the important thing is to always follow a series of rules that are in favor of our health. For this reason, today we will see in detail the "list" of behaviors and those fundamental precautions to maintain proper personal hygiene, starting with the generic one of the body, then moving on to the oral and intimate one, to finish with the rules to follow in the correct change of clothes, sheets and other accessories.

Body hygiene

We assume that there is no precise number of showers to take in the course of a week: this depends on many factors, for example the lifestyle and time dedicated to physical activity. However, you should never go below the two showers (or baths) every seven days, while it is recommended to wash the face, armpits, groin and feet daily.

However, the shower is still the best way to eliminate traces of dirt and sweat residues that accumulate over the course of the day. For proper hygiene, it is advisable to use a detergent suitable for your skin type, to be applied carefully on everything. the body, particularly on the neck, feet and the part behind the ears. It is not necessary to wash your hair every time you take a shower, on the contrary, it is usually recommended to wash it a maximum of three times a week in order not to excessively weaken the scalp and the lengths.

To wash hands

We are becoming more and more aware of how essential it is to wash your hands well: what may seem like a foregone gesture actually "saves" us from bringing home thousands of bacteria and from coming into contact with potential viruses and infections.

But when is it really essential to wash your hands? Assuming that it is necessary to wash your hands before touching mucous membranes or delicate parts of our body, including nose, eyes and mouth, here are the most common situations in which to implement this healthy habit:

Before eating and before starting to cook, touch food and utensils.
After touching raw foods, especially meat, fish and eggs.
Whenever you return home, especially if you have been in crowded public places, including public transport, bars, offices, gyms.
After going to the bathroom.
After sneezing and blowing your nose.
After touching animals.
Before putting on contact lenses or making dressings or touching wounds.
After using household cleaning products, handling diapers, sanitary napkins, waste and potentially toxic substances.

After having seen on what occasions to implement this personal hygiene rule, let's see the steps necessary to wash your hands correctly.

1. Wet your hands with water
2. Apply enough soap to cover the entire surface of your hands
3. Rub your hands, hand to palm
4. Press the right palm over the left back, interlacing the fingers together and vice versa
5. Then rub palm to palm in an up and down motion, interlocking the fingers together
6. Press the backs of the fingers against the opposite palm, keeping the fingers tightly together
7. Take the left thumb with the right palm and rub it in a rotation; do the same with the other hand.
8. Thoroughly rinse any soap residue from your hands with water.

Wash your face and ears

The facial area is very delicate and needs the right personal hygiene to avoid or treat unpleasant ailments, such as dehydration, dryness and acne. First of all, never wash your face with the soap you use for your hands: you have to choose the right products according to your skin type. For example, those with oily skin opt for a cleanser that does not weigh down the skin and prevents that shiny effect that tends to occur on such skin. Similarly, for very sensitive skin, a product is better. hypoallergenic that contains fewer aggressive chemicals.

Never forget to remove your make-up before going to bed: you can buy a cleanser that also covers this function, in addition to cleaning, or choose a make-up remover to be followed by a complete cleansing of the face.

As for cleaning the ears, you can use the classic cotton buds that are on the market as long as they do not push into the cavity, but are gently rotated to collect the residues of dirt and ear wax. As an alternative, there are emollient drops, such as natural oils or other special products, to be used to soften ear wax, and then rinse the ear with warm water. Ear hygiene is also to be treated once a day.

Oral hygiene

As for oral hygiene, it is good to brush your teeth three times a day and always after each meal. Experts recommend waiting at least 15 minutes from when you finish eating because in the first phase of digestion the ph in the mouth is altered and therefore the action of toothpaste and toothbrush could ruin the enamel.To eliminate the residues of food and other substances from the oral cavity, it is necessary to brush the teeth for at least 2 minutes, without exceeding 3 minutes, paying attention to also clean the tongue. The movement to be made is not so much horizontal, but from top to bottom with rotation, touching all the teeth. Finally, we try to replace the toothbrush with the right frequency: doctors recommend changing it every 2-3 months.

Proper oral hygiene not only serves to have a bright white smile, but above all to prevent plaque and tooth decay, as well as avoiding gum problems, toothaches and other related ailments.

Personal care

As we have already said, intimate personal hygiene must be practiced every day and to do it you need the right products. In fact, it is a very delicate area of the body, where germs and bacteria that cause infections can nest. In this regard, it is important. use a special soap because normal soaps can be too aggressive for the mucous membranes.It is good to wash your private parts with the correct detergent especially after sexual intercourse, physical activity and before going to sleep.

Underwear should always be changed after a shower, bath or bidet.

When to change clothes

It is also part of personal hygiene to know when to change clothes. First of all, some are to be changed daily, that is underwear, tank tops, socks and T-shirts, that is, all those that come into contact with parts of the body where sweat glands are present. Others, such as pants and skirts, can be used more than once before being washed.

Moving on to the "sleeping area", pajamas must be changed after five days, up to a week, depending on how often you take a shower or a bath before going to bed. The sheets, on the other hand, should be alternated once every two weeks.