Why good personal hygiene matters?

Keeping clean is an important part of staying healthy. For example, the simple act of washing hands before eating and after using the toilet is a proven and effective way of fighting off germs and avoiding sickness.
Being clean is also an important part of confidence for teenagers. If your child’s body and breath smell OK, their clothes are clean, and they're on top of their basic personal hygiene, it can help your child feel comfortable with other people.

Learning the importance of personal hygiene for teens is essential to help them maintain good health. Personal hygiene is a set of practices used to keep one’s body clean, promote good health, and avoid disease
(1). Children pay attention to basic personal hygiene routines until late childhood, such as coughing while covering their mouths and washing hands after meals. However, when they enter adolescence, this list expands to include certain new habits critical to the teen’s health and well-being. You may assist your teen in developing a good personal hygiene regimen as a parent. This post discusses the importance of teenagers maintaining personal hygiene, how they can do so, parents’ role in this endeavor.

Types Of Personal Hygiene For Teenagers

Personal hygiene is a dynamic term that encompasses several types of self-hygiene practices such as bathing, washing hands, brushing teeth, etc. Following are the various categories of good hygiene habits

1. Skincare: The skin of teenagers might get oilier as they attain puberty. Oily skin traps dust and dirt and thus serves as a breeding ground for germs. It leads to the development of several skin issues, such as acne and blackheads. Therefore, it is good for a teen to develop a proper skincare routine by regularly washing their face with mild soap or facial cleanser and water. Consult a dermatologist if the teen faces persistent skin issues. The doctor can prescribe appropriate skincare products, such as mild acne cleansers and creams.
2. Haircare: Teenagers go out more often than children. This way, their hair (as well as skin) tends to become dirty. Also, hormonal changes might make the hair oily and smelly. The thickness of the hair only compounds the problem. Therefore, encourage your teen to wash their hair with a mild shampoo twice or thrice a week. They may also nurture their hair by applying some homemade or other hair care products after consulting a trichologist (hair doctor).
3. Nail care: Teenage is the time when they like to grow their nails, style them into different shapes, and design them. However, fingernails are an ideal breeding ground for germs. These germs can transfer into the mouth while eating with hands. Touching the face can also cause the germs to get into the mouth, eyes, and nose, or on the skin. Thus, it is necessary for your teen to have a nail care routine. They can scrub the dirt out using a nail brush. Besides, a weekly clipping should help get rid of dirt and reduce the possibility of painful ingrown nails.
4. Oral care: Poor dental care can lead to problems such as bad breath and tooth decay. Make your child brush and floss their teeth twice a day. They should also wash their mouth after meals, either with plain water or with a mouthwash.
5. Washing hands: Hands can spread germs to almost any part of the body. It is necessary to wash hands before and after meals, after playing outdoors, after feeding or playing with pets, after using the toilet and after any other situation where they touch a contaminated surface. Create a fun hand washing routine so that teens do not try to bypass it.
6. Bathing: Body odor develops due to the development of a new type of sweat gland during adolescence, in the armpits and genital areas. The bacteria on the skin feed on the compounds in the sweat from these regions and cause body odor. Therefore, you need to explain to your teen that bathing or showering, especially after physical activity, helps remove sweat and bacteria and prevents body odor. They may also use an antiperspiranti to control sweat production or deodorant to prevent body odor.
7. Toilet hygiene: This might not be a new hygiene practice for teens; however, it needs to be updated once they hit puberty. They should be advised on wiping their genitals every time after using the toilet and washing them while bathing as teens normally have some secretions from their genitals.
8. Menstrual hygiene: Teaching menstrual hygiene to a teenage girl involves guiding them to track their periods, use hygiene products such as a sanitary pad (reusable or disposable), or tampon, and their safe disposal after use. A teenage girl should also be given directions on the correct usage of these products, and their frequency of changing these products
9. Shave safe: Teenage boys can develop a mustache or beard, depending on their hair growth. If the boy wishes to shave, then you can buy them shaving cream and a teen-friendly razor. Teach them how to shave their facial hair carefully without inflicting injuries. Similarly, teen girls, who want to remove their underarm hair, need to be told about the importance of using sterilized equipment and to be careful while shaving their genital area, and to avoid removing this unless absolutely necessary. You can teach them proper pubic hair grooming techniques to avoid shaving accidents. Also, teach them about after-shave skin care routine and why they should not be sharing their paraphernaliai with others.
10. Clean clothes and shoes: It is important to change clothes, especially undergarments and socks, every day. Clothes retain dead skin cells, sweat, and other body fluids that can harbor germs. Teens who wear clean clothes and shoes can effectively combat puberty-related issues such as body odor and smelly feet. Maintaining clothing hygiene can also make you feel refreshed.

Why Do Teens Face Personal Hygiene Issues?

The following are some of the common causes for teens to face personal hygiene issues.

1. Lack of awareness: This is one of the most common reasons for a teen to show disinterest in personal hygiene. The teen may not be aware of the importance of hygiene and the steps they need to take in this regard.
2. Habit of procrastination: They may tend to postpone their bath or avoid taking a bath or brushing their hair if they have no plans of going out for the day. They may take it easy on washing their hands after using the toilet or before eating. These instances might be fewer in teens who have been oriented into personal hygiene from a younger age itself.
3. Delay in cognitive development or mental health problems: Some teens may have an issue in maintaining basic hygiene routine due to cognitive development delay or some mental health problems such as depression. In such special cases, either the teen is not able to understand the importance of personal hygiene, or they forget the steps to perform the practice.

How To Talk To Your Teen About Personal Hygiene?

You may take the following steps to talk to a teen about personal hygiene.

1. The best phase to strike a conversation about personal hygiene is at the beginning of puberty. It can ensure that by the time your tween enters adolescence, they are well-prepared for the changes they might experience.
2. Do a quick research on the issue that you want to discuss. It will help you share correct information with your teen.
3. Pick a quiet and alone time for the conversation. A teen who is at ease can participate in the conversation comfortably.
4. Keep the participants of the conversation limited to you and the teen to respect their privacy. It will also help your teen develop trust in you, and they will likely confide in you in the future as well.
5. Share your observations and tell them how poor hygiene habits could become a problem. However, while talking, ensure that you do not make it seem shameful and embarrassing. It is good to start your conversation by praising your teen and then slowly progress to the areas that need improvement.
6. Share about the social aspects of hygiene. Share live examples and be a role model. Guide them with examples of how hygiene is important for physical, physiological, mental, and social health. For example, when you talk about oral hygiene activities, talk about a relative or friend, who ended up going for a root canal treatment because they were not brushing and flossing their teeth.
7. Once you have shared your part, ask your tween or teen if they have any questions or suggestions to make. Listen to them patiently and make them feel heard. Try to answer what you can and show that you are willing to help them.
8. Be supportive and continue to communicate about their personal needs. Bring them all necessary personal hygiene items as per their needs. Take your teen along for shopping for their personal care products.
9. Praise and reward the teen appropriately when you see positive changes. If the teen does not improve, then set some strict hygiene rules.
10. Seek a professional’s help if you observe any erratic behavior related to personal hygiene that you cannot sort out.