What are the Best Personal Hygiene Tips?

Good personal hygiene demonstrates both self-respect and respect for other people. Tips for personal hygiene include bathing regularly, practicing good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing daily, keeping hands clean and using deodorants to address body odors. By following personal hygiene tips, people can improve their physical comfort, their emotional state, and prevent the spread of disease. They also can avoid upsetting others with their appearance or bad body odor.

Basic personal hygiene tips include the need to maintain personal cleanliness. This means bathing using soap and water at least every other day. It also requires the practice of good dental care, including brushing and flossing teeth at least once a day. Hand washing also is a crucial aspect of personal hygiene; in fact, it is so important that many institutions and even governments enforce hygiene rules that stipulate hand washing before and after handling food, performing medical examinations or procedures, and after using the toilet. Changing clothes, particularly underwear, on a daily basis is also important in maintaining one's appearance and preventing offensive odors.

Personal hygiene tips for hair care include the need to wash hair with shampoo at least every other day, though people with very fine or oily hair may not be able to skip a day. If an individual has physical mobility issues that preclude regular hair washing, dry shampoo can be sprayed into the hair so it can absorb oils and then be brushed out. Dry shampoo is also a great option for those who get their hair professionally blown-dry and wish to maintain their salon hairstyle between visits.

Most adults need to pay special attention to body odor. Simply washing with soap and water may not be enough to control odor, particularly in the armpits and on the feet. Deodorants and antiperspirants can be used on a daily basis to prevent most body odor, while those who have trouble with foot odor can take special care to wash their feet and use odor control sprays and insoles. While the subtle use of perfumes and scented body care washes can enhance a person's personal hygiene, overdoing either can be counterproductive and irritate those who are sensitive to scents.

Failure to maintain normal standards of personal hygiene can be a symptom of mental and neurological disorders, such as depression and dementia. If you notice that someone you care about is not paying attention to their personal hygiene, they may need assistance beyond kindly-offered personal hygiene tips. It may be necessary to take that person to a doctor or mental health professional who can assess their situation and assist in developing a treatment plan.