Hygiene care in men

Maintaining proper personal hygiene can be essential both for maintaining a satisfactory level of health, and for maintaining satisfactory social and family relationships.

Why is hygiene so important?

Hygiene is a way of staying healthy, through attention to body changes, sweat, and odors that the body can emit.

By maintaining a correct level of hygiene, we will maintain the germ control that normally coexist with us on the entire surface of the skin and mucous membranes. With the periodic washing From the areas with the greatest contact with the environment and from the areas that most frequently can be the source of odors or even infections, we will maintain the balance of the skin's protective layer and the germs that live in it.

For this reason, periodic washing of the entire body will be essential to maintain optimal health and social relationships, providing special attention when washing hands, the areas with more hair or that with greater intensity have sweating and the fattest areas. In addition, the washing of the anal and genital areas It will also be essential for the care of our health and personal hygiene.

Most important areas when maintaining proper hygiene

Hands

The hands are the zone that enters greater contact with the environment, so these are the areas most susceptible to presenting dirt and transmitting infections; therefore, hand washing with soap and water or with special products it will be essential for the maintenance of health; hand washing is recommended several times a day, especially after coughing or sneezing, after having contact with other people or objects and before meals, when getting out of bed and before going to bed;

Mouth

The periodic brushing of the teeth and, if necessary, it will maintain the hygienic conditions of this important area of ​​the body, maintaining the correct balance of germs that must be in this cavity; This will result in a healthier maintenance of the dentition, increases the chances of proper nutrition and the avoidance of bad odors from the oral cavity); the recommendation is for at least two brushings a day.

Ears

The auricles must also be taken into account for proper body hygiene, by washing the pavilion and nearby areas with soap and water. Keep in mind that swabs should not be used or any object to be inserted into the external auditory canal: this can introduce the earwax into the interior and even injure the eardrum; the recommended daily washing of this area.

The feet

They must be periodically washed and subsequently carefully dried, especially the interdigital areas; With this, the possibility of bad odors and the frequency of infections will decrease. Daily washing of this area is recommended.

The face and neck area

They should be washed with soap and water to remove dirt and excess grease, reducing the possibility of infections; washing this area is recommended, twice daily

The genital area

Due to its special characteristics, this area is susceptible to more frequent infections and derived pathologies; therefore, the care of the anal and genital area must be careful, through a single daily wash with soap and water, and rinses with water as many times a day as necessary;

Scalp

To avoid pathologies in this area, generally covered with hair and with a large amount of sweat glandsDaily soap and water washes are recommended.

The body and the places with the highest sweat production.

Regular washing with soap and water will reduce the presence of body odors; body hygiene is recommended through a shower or bath full diaries.

As it helps to wash all areas of the body, it will also be important to change and periodic washing of clothes and the use of clothing and clothing that is clean and appropriate to the surrounding circumstances.

However, over-washing can be harmful to all areas of the body: the excessive loss of the fatty layer of the skin and the elimination of all germs from both the skin and the mucous membranes predisposes to the appearance of injuries and infections that can become serious and difficult to control. The abandonment of habits that increase body odor (smoking, ingestion of some foods, etc.) will also reduce the bad odors that the human body can emit.

Therefore, the recommendation will be to maintain a daily body hygiene, without it becoming excessive.

The recommendations to maintain good daily body hygiene have proven to be the origin of the reduction of a large number of skin and general pathologies, especially of infectious origin, and the reduction of bad body odors that result in a greater capacity for social relations of the person . Therefore, maintaining a correct body hygiene will result in a better physical health and a better social and family adaptation of the person.

Family and Community Medicine Specialist Master in Clinical Gerontology

Bedside Medicine