Overview
Chances are good you have showered during the past 24 hours. During that same period, you likely brushed your teeth twice, washed your hands multiple times, and brushed your hair. Most people invest a significant amount of time maintaining good personal hygiene. While all this effort may at times seem unnecessary, good hygiene can have a significant impact on your health, career and social life.
Health Benefits
Perhaps the most important benefit of good personal hygiene is the positive effect it has on your overall health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand washing is the best way to prevent illness. Brushing and flossing your teeth consistently lowers the likelihood of cavities, which if left untreated, can potentially cause blood poisoning and death. Long or unkempt hair can obscure your vision, possibly leading to accidents while driving or operating machinery.
Career Implications
Good personal hygiene can also affect your financial health. At worst, poor hygiene could actually cost you your job, as most employers have dress and grooming codes that must be followed as a condition of employment. Even if you manage to keep your job with a shabby appearance, your odds of getting a raise or promotion are lowered. Maintaining a professional appearance gives you a confidence boost and demonstrates to your supervisors that you are serious about your job.
Healthy Social Life
Your personal relationships will also benefit from proper hygiene. Like it or not, people will judge you based on your appearance. And while friends and family may be less critical than your supervisor at work, even dear old mom will appreciate careful grooming. Of course, appropriate hygiene practices are context specific; the personal grooming and clothing choices for a Saturday gym session with your friends would be disastrous if employed at your sister’s wedding.
Hygiene Help
People are not born knowing how to have good hygiene, but fortunately, anyone can learn the basic principles. If you are not sure where to start, a trusted friend or family member can often provide you with some basic tips. For health-related hygiene issues, you should consult with a health care provider. College career centers are a good resource for workplace hygiene and grooming standards, while health and lifestyle magazines provide a solid overview of current casual trends.
Considerations
As important as good hygiene is, some experts suspect that it is possible to be too clean. The controversial “hygiene hypothesis” proposes that excessively clean environments, such as a typical middle-class home, don’t provide enough exposure to pathogens for people to develop robust immune systems, leading to severe allergy conditions. And hand washing can lead to cracked and bleeding hands when done in excess. A balanced approach to good hygiene is essential.
