Personal hygiene is the maintenance of personal (both your body and clothes) cleanliness so as to preserve general health and wellbeing.
It entails taking a bath, cleaning your hands after visiting the toilet, taking proper care of your mouth, keeping your clothes clean and dressing and grooming. These activities are instrumental to activities of daily living.
Personal hygiene is considered a preventive health measure capable of preserving your social, physical and emotional being.
It is essential to make personal hygiene practices part of your everyday routines so that you think little about them. You should brush your teeth, bathe, visit the doctor and dentists for regular checkups and wash your hands when preparing foods, before eating and after handling unsanitary items. Doing so keeps you healthy and safe. It also helps you teach your children
to practice and uphold good personal hygiene.
Importance of personal hygiene
- Washing your hands after using the washrooms removes disease-causing germs hence helps you prevent certain illnesses.
- Failing to brush your teeth on a regular basis makes them susceptible to cavities and eventual fallout. So, to prevent teeth loss, practice good personal hygiene.
- Personal hygiene practices like washing your hands when preparing foods keep stomach problems at bay, thus saving you money you would otherwise use to treat the condition.
- Bathing and cleaning your clothes increase your positive feelings and self-confidence which will translate into increased motivation to meet your life goals.
- Conditions like athlete’s foot and head lice if not addressed through personal hygiene cause infection or even spared to others.
- If you want to be admired and even emulated by your peers and young people, maintain good personal hygiene and you will become a role model.
- If you have a compromised immune system personal hygiene will help you live well. Washing your clothes prevent the buildup of bacteria that can potentially cause
- Washing your face both in the morning and at night washes away excess grease, makeup and dirt of the day thus preventing clogged pores that create spots.
- Washing and changing your clothes often not only eradicates body odor but also help your attire’s fabric last longer.
- Proper grooming, which involves shaving, properly fitting clothes and brushing your shoes, increase your social acceptance.
- If you are trying to win over a potation partner practicing good hygiene increase your chance of succeeding. Bad breath and unkempt hair will scare them away.
- Personal hygiene accelerates your career progression. Your employer is likely to consider you for promotion when you are always clean and tidy.
- Maintaining good hygiene practices helps you have a positive feeling about yourself which is beneficial for your mental health.
Conclusion
Personal hygiene involves comprehensively caring for and cleaning your body. Besides helping you keep at bay many diseases and helping you project a positive image, the practice increase your social acceptance. If you have a compromised immune system practicing personal hygiene will help you live a trouble-free life. So, make a habit of washing your hands, bathing, washing your clothes and brushing and flossing your teeth regularly. The social and health benefits you will get are well worth your sacrifice.
By: Joni Kim