It’s no secret that hygiene is fundamental to your overall health and wellness. As your body is exposed to thousands of microorganisms (germs and bacteria) every day, sticking to good hygiene habits, like hand washing and bathing, helps reduce your risk of infections and diseases.
Because different people have specific standards that they consider perfect, hearing what others recommend can make you question whether you’re doing the right thing.
Despite what you’ve heard from your friends (or other people), not all might be true. Throughout the years, many hygiene myths have come up.
Some hygiene myths have been tested, tried, and taken as facts, but others are just false. In this post, we have debunked five common hygiene myths. They are listed below;
1. White teeth are healthy teeth
White teeth do not signify healthy teeth. Many people don’t know that your teeth tend to change colour as you grow older. Diet and lifestyle habits can also influence this colour change.
In essence, you can’t use the colour of your teeth as a measure of hygiene. What you need to do to maintain good oral hygiene is to brush and floss) regularly.
2. Hand sanitisers make your hands free of dirt
Contrary to what people say or think about hand sanitisers, using one doesn’t always mean your hands are really free of dirt. Although it helps kill germs, it doesn’t actually wash them away.
So, hand sanitisers can only temporarily terminate germs; you still have to wash your hands (with soap and water) frequently.
3. Never use public restrooms
Okay, public restrooms (toilets) are a breeding ground for microbes. But some situations can arise whereby you just have to use them. The saying that goes that just touching the toilet seat will give you an infection is a myth. Making contact for a short period isn’t sufficient to pass germs on to you.
4. Washing your hands
Though washing your hands is very important, washing them every two minutes isn’t going to help you lessen those germs. Likewise, using lots of soap doesn’t help either.
In some cases, soaps and detergents can be a source of nutrients for some types of microbes. Therefore, you should wash your hands only when it’s required.
5. Showering every day
Daily showering is more of a social standard than a fundamental necessity. Too often than not, frequent showering can dry out your skin and hair. It can also strip your skin of its natural oils and immune-system-supporting bacteria.
Know that everyone has their hygiene routine, so you don’t need to feel compelled to believe everything you hear from other people. Stick to medically proven facts.
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