Simple Rules for Personal Health and Hygiene

Have you been following a plan for your own personal hygiene, ordo you get up in the morning, take a bath, brush and blow dryyour hair, use the bathroom through the day, and go to bed atnight? If you only do the latter, you need to put more planningand preparation into your personal care and grooming.Cleanliness is seen nowadays as next to Godliness, and neglectof your own personal hygiene may cause health and socialproblems of which you are not even aware. Bad breath, forexample, is a common problem--the perpetrator is often accusedof it, but he or she may not be attending to it. Problems suchas dandruff are forgivable, but good looks are usually theresult of great care and attention paid to personal grooming.You should put some time and effort into it if you want to feeland look your best every day.All external parts of the body need time and attention. Below isa partial list of the body parts which you should be taking careof with your grooming plan. Here are some tips as to how toattend to your most common and ordinary daily grooming needs.HAIRFirst of all, keep your hair at a length and style which you canproperly maintain in a cleanly manner at all times. Wash yourcrowning glory at least twice per week, using a mild shampoodevoid of borax or alkalis. It is not a good idea to use soap,as it can leave a fine film of stickiness in your hair. Shampoois meant to wash totally out of your hair. Be sure and carefullytowel dry your hair after you wash it, and be cautious with theblow dryer. You don't want your hair to become too dry andbrittle. Especially if you have long or thick hair, brush itthree to four times per day, using a soft bristled brush or widetoothed comb. Be sure to wash your hair grooming tools everytime you wash your hair. And oil your scalp with grooming oilonce per week, preferably one hour before you wash it. A hot oiltreatment is fine--if you know exactly what you are doing.Hair coloring or dye is not recommended, as no current dyes havebeen found to be completely safe for long term use. They containchemicals which can seep into your scalp and even causepremature hair loss. So we recommend not using hair dye ifpossible. Also, try not to wear a hat for a very long period oftime. Wearing hats has also been shown to cause premature hairloss. Redheads need to be particularly concerned, as they aresubject to early hair loss.SKINA good bath once or twice per day is essential for cleanlinessand good grooming. You should always bathe after any strenuousphysical activity. Mild soaps are best, and you don't need touse a germicidal or antiseptic soap unless you have a medical or"smelliness" problem. Bath brushes, bath sponges, and mildlyabrasive scrubbers are recommended. You must also pay specialattention to your genitals and anal area, as lack of care paidto these can lead to serious infections--as well as aninadequate sex life. Rinse yourself thoroughly after washing,and be sure to use a dry and clean towel to properly dryyourself. Don't ever share towels, try not to share bathingequipment, and wash all of your equipment after each bath.Putting a teaspoonful of bleach in one gallon of warm water,rinse your bathing equipment in the water, and then under warmrunning water. And always change into completely clean underwearafter each bath.It's good to use a fine organic moisturizing oil or cream everyday, especially as you get older. Put it on at night to avoidthat sticky feeling, and so as to not attract dust and filmydirt throughout the day.TEETHBrush your teeth two to three times every day, or after meals orsnacks as needed. It's important especially to brush rightbefore bedtime. Pay attention to getting rid of the foodparticles stuck between your teeth. Flossing is highlyrecommended over toothpicks for this. You only need about a peasized dab of toothpaste on your toothbrush. When brushing, brushdown on the upper teeth and brush up on the lower teeth, using acircular motion. Also, brush the inner as well as the outersurface of your teeth, and before you brush each time, carefullybrush your tongue. Your toothbrush should never be shared with anyone. It shouldhave resilient bristles, and it should be well rinsed and leftsomewhere completely sanitary to dry after each usage. Try touse organic toothpaste, one that's completely safe and free ofharsh abrasives or strong antiseptics. Baking soda has beenfound to be a very effective substitute for toothpaste, if youdon't mind its strong flavor.HANDSYou should always be washing your hands. There's no such thingas too often. Use a good hand cream if they become dry. Payattention to your fingernails when you wash your hands. A goodnail brush placed near your bathroom sink is a sound investment.Use soap every time you wash, and always wash before and aftermeals--and after you go to the bathroom. Many infections such asE. coli are caused every day by people who don't wash theirhands after going to the bathroom. You should also keep washingyour hands while preparing meals.NAILSYour fingernails completely replace themselves every five to sixmonths. You need to keep them well trimmed, and preferablybuffed and polished too. Men can buff their nails and use a nailshining tool instead of polish to give their nails a healthyglow. Women may of course polish their nails with beautifulcolors, which can hide the discoloration that comes with age.Clip your nails to the length you want them, but don't ever trimtoo close to the skin. If your nails chip easily, consideradding more protein to your diet, as finger and toenails are allmade of protein. Eating gelatin can work for this.Very brittle, highly yellow or discolored nails can be a sign ofa serious health problem. Please see your doctor immediately ifyou have this. Also, do not always keep your nails painted withpolish. This can lead to stripping of the natural keratin of thenails. Also, either go out or give yourself a home manicure anda pedicure once every couple of weeks. Be sure and buy a verygood manicure kit for this purpose.FEETMany people take no care whatsoever of their own feet, usuallyto their detriment. Always keep your toenails clipped, shapingthe nails but not cutting too close to the skin. Always giveyour feet a good scrubbing with a pumice stone or mildlyabrasive brush when taking a bath, and before you put on yoursocks, dry carefully between your toes. Try wearing a clean pairof cotton socks every day; this will pamper your feet and keepthem dry and not smelly. Powder your feet after you take a bath.Try not to wear the same pair of shoes every day, and alternatewearing your shoe pairs. And make sure you wear comfortableshoes. Comfort and safety should come before stylishness. Highheels can lead to the shortening of important calf muscles.DEODERANTYour underarms don't emit an odor until you hit your preteens.That's when your apocrine glands, which are located under yourarms and around your genitals, begin to function, producing amilky, oily type of perspiration. Bacteria then thrive in thissweat, causing the familiar underarm odor. To control strong odor, you can wash daily with an antibacterialsoap such as Lever 2000. You should always wear clean clothesthat are free of staining and sweat. Use a deodorant that isalso an antiperspirant, which will dry up moisture in thearmpits. Cut back on your caffeine intake--it puts your apocrineglands into overdrive. After a bath, dust yourself liberallywith a fine talcum powder. Always drink plenty of water, both toflush your system of toxins and to regulate your bowels. Thisalone may end some problems you may have with "smelliness." TANNINGGetting a "healthy tan" is not considered to be healthy anymore.Now doctors are telling us that you shouldn't mind your paleskin. Skin cancer, which is often deadly, is not a fair tradefor good looks. When sunning, protect your fair skin with an atleast SPF 30 sunscreen lotion. Keep your skin oiled andmoisturized during the summer, and don't bother with the "bronzelook."BODY HAIRAround puberty, your hair follicles respond to hormones ragingin your body. You can end up with hair around your belly button,on your back, near your breasts and for both women and men, onyour upper lip. If it's especially coarse, show your doctor, asyou may have a treatable hormonal imbalance. Some such "peachfuzz" is normal for girls, and if it seems unsightly to you, youcan try bleaching or removing it. Nair is known to be a gentlepermanent hair remover. We hope you found these simple rules to be helpful to you. Ifyou follow your own careful grooming and personal care plan, youwill feel better, look more attractive, and probably live alonger, happier and more fulfilling life.