PERSONAL HYGIENE

Good personal hygiene involves keeping all parts of the external body clean and healthy. It is important
for maintaining both physical and mental health.
TYPES OF PERSONAL HYGIENE
1. Hand washing
2. Grooming
3. Dressing
4. Physical health
5. Mental hygiene
6. Menstrual hygiene and genital hygiene
HAND WASHING
DEFINITION:
Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infections and communicable
diseases.
HAND HYGIENE:
- Hand hygiene or hand rubbing is used for the routine method way, hand rubbing with alcohol-
based hand rub or sanitizer take into your hands perform the hand hygiene steps.
- These are:

HAND WASHING STEPS:

To effectively perform the hand washing must last 40-60 seconds and should be performed by following
all illustrating steps.
1. Wet your hands with water
2. Apply enough soap to cover the hands.
3. Rub the hands palm to palm together.
4. Use one hand to rub the back of other hand and clean in between the fingers. Do the same with
other hand. Rub your hands together and clean in between your fingers. It means the interlocking
the fingers.
5. Grip the fingers of each hand together with the backs of your fingers against the palms of your
other hand. Rub your fingertips together and rub the back of your fingers against your
palms.(Interlacing the fingers)
6. Rub one thumb using your other hand. Do the same with the other thumb.
7. Rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of your hand. Do the same with other hand.
8. Apply the soap with your hands from fingers to elbow.
9. Rinse your hands with water.
 10. If you are doing medical washing rinse the water fingers to elbow, while you are using the
surgical hand washing rinse the water elbow to fingers.
11. Dry your hands completely with a disposable towel.
12. Use the disposable towel to turn off the tap.

DRESSING
Dressing helps promote their individuality and personality and makes them feel good about
themselves.
- Avoid wearing outfits which expose much of your body parts. Wear clothes which fit you best.
- appearance is main goal for dressing, Dressing professionally can help form a positive
impression to people you meet in the workplace or going to college.
- This is especially important for interviews and when meeting upper-level managers who make
hiring and promotion decisions.
- Shoes/ slippers are of the right size and non-slippery to prevent fall.
- Shoes and socks can maintain the foot hygiene
- Neat appearance is good for the health and remove the infections.
GROOMING
Grooming means clean and make their face, hair and skin look nice. Daily maintenance grooming
activities are
- Oral care it means brushing & dental care
- Nail care
- Bathing it means skin care
- Hair care it means shampooing & combing
HAIR CARE:
Maintaining cleanliness of hair, i.e. free from dandruff, dirt, nits, lice, flakes, dryness and
irritation.
- Daily care: the hair should be thoroughly combed and brushed daily.
- Hair shampoo: shampooing the hair in order to maintain its cleanliness
- Pediculosis to hair – it is the treatment given with DDT 5% of carbolic lotion 1:40 applied
thoroughly on the scalp and it is left for overnight, and the next day a thorough bath is given
and the linen is change.
- Massage your scalp well. It will remove dead skin cells, excess oil and dirt
- Wash combs and brushes frequently.
- Don’t share combs, brushes etc.
- Too much heat can cause the layered cells of your hair to split apart and even break off.
 - If you put your hair in a ponytail, use a coated rubber band or soft cloth hair band.
NAIL CARE
Care of the nails includes trimming the nail short periodically and keeping the nails clean through
frequent washing.
- Pay particular attention to areas of dryness, inflammation and crackling
- Also inspect areas between fingers, toes, heels, and shoes of feet
- Start to trim the finger nails and cut free end of the finger nails straightly
- Avoid trimming or digging into nails at the lateral corners
- Clean under the surface of the nail with tooth pick or nail bed and discard properly
- In toe nail care also same and lastly dry the feet and nails
MOUTH CARE
Dental hygiene involves more than just having white teeth. A good dental hygiene routine can help
prevent issues such as gum disease and cavities. It can also prevent bad breath.

- Do not use too much toothpaste - it just fills the mouth with froth.
- Clean the inside surfaces of the teeth - keep the same 45˚ angle.
- The brush can also be used to clean the tongue.
- Use a lip balm for dry cracked lips.
- The toothbrush should be washed in clean water and left to dry before storage.
SKIN CARE
Skin can maintenance of heat balance, texture, sensation and protection functions. Normally it regulates
the vaporization, water resistance, absorption, excretion and vitamin D formation.
BATHING:
Normally we are using the shower bath and complete bath.
 During the shower, keep under warm running water to help prevent chilling.
 If a shower is used, check it for sturdiness and adjust the height as needed.
 Apply soap. Carefully wash face, ears and front of the neck.
 After that clean up to the waist, arms above his head. Itwill be easy to clean the axillae in
this position. Clean chest and abdomen.
 Lastly wash the genital region and feet regions.
 Finishing bathing dry the body use of towel.
 Apply powder if indicated. skin is wrinked the application of oils/creams are applicable.
 Dress up the neatly.
 In normal bath we are doing this type procedure only. That is tub bath.
The common skin problems are:
- Acne
- Bad odor
- Skin allergies
 Bad odor: It is causes by maintain poor hygiene, used for the onions & garlics foods heavily. Bad odor
means bad smell coming into your skin during sweating, limph glands liquids secrete heavily
(apocrine). Apocrine combines bacteria, virus, fungi.
 Acne: acne is created when oil from the oil glands mix the dead cells and plug up the hair follicles in
the skin it creates a white head. A black head is when the air touch the plug, turns black.
 Skin allergies: Rashes & itching coming from foods, insects pricking and mosquito bites. So avoid the
skin allergies due to use of mosquito coils, clean the surroundings and rooms.
FEET CARE:
Large collection of sweat glands live in our feet so following measures are:
- Wash your feet well at least once a day.
- Dry them carefully, especially between the toes.
- Keep feet skin clean and dry.
- Change socks daily.
- Avoid walking barefoot in public areas.
Menstrual and genital hygiene
Females:
- It is important to change sanitary products regularly and to wash the hands before and after changing
tampons, pads, or any other sanitary products.
- As vaginas are self-cleaning, using soap to clean the vagina can cause an imbalance of its natural
bacteria and lead to infections.
- The vulva (the external part of the vagina) should only need cleaning once a day using a mild soap
and water.
- After voiding urination clean the vulva and dry it.
Males:
- Clean the penis area with use of water and soap.
- Clean the hands after voiding urination.
- Daily it cleaned up bathing procedure.
MENTAL HYGIENE:
Mental hygiene maintaining mental health and preventing disordres, to help functions of brain, practicing
good mental hygiene equally keeping your body free of bacteria, viruses etc.
- Get regular exercise
- Eat healthy, regular meals
- Sleep at 8 hours daily
- Relaxing activity is relieving the stress
- Gratitude and respect the others
- Stay calm and keep smile on your face
- Control the emotions & feelings
- Relieve angry & anxiety behaviour