Hygiene refers to the practice of cleanliness, but also refers to the preservation of health. Proper hygiene requires a range of behaviors that promote cleanliness, health, disease prevention and the social etiquette of personal hygiene, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Puberty is the time when most people become aware that their bodies are changing and proper hygiene requires greater effort.
Puberty
Puberty is the onset of changes that include increased hormones, the growth of hair in new places, perspiration and oily secretions. Your diet becomes more complex, you are outdoors more and you are more physically active. The changes signal the need to move beyond soap and water. Proper hygiene requires daily bathing, deodorant and special attention to body hair.
Proper Tools
Proper hygiene requires age- and gender-appropriate tools, including soap, water and deodorant and oral hygiene items, hair care tools and cleaners, nail care implements and detergents for laundering clothes and housecleaning. You might also need razors, shaving gels or creams and antibacterial liquids for cleaning hands when on the move. Depending on your individual needs, proper hygiene might require additional tools, such as lotions to prevent dry skin or special facial cleansers.
Maintaining Cleanliness
Proper hygiene is maintaining a state of cleanliness that includes the body, clothing and your environment. Daily bathing prevents body odors. The Academy of General Dentistry recommends daily brushing and flossing for proper dental hygiene. Proper hygiene includes laundering your clothing, wearing clean clothes, changing bed linens and keeping a clean home.
Disease Prevention and Health
Proper hygiene includes practices that prevent disease and promote health. Frequent hand washing prevents transmission of many illnesses and ensures safe food handling. Bathing removes illness-causing bacteria and encourages you to examine your body for signs of problems that might require attention. Eating healthy and nutritious foods helps with oral health, weight control and the provision of nutrients your body needs.
Hygiene Etiquette
Proper hygiene includes your personal etiquette practices when you are around other people. Hygiene etiquette includes covering your mouth when sneezing, being careful to prevent germ and disease transmission, proper food handling and prevention of body odors. Hygiene etiquette includes proper handling of animals and being mindful of others when engaging in activities such as swimming.
