10 Good Personal Hygiene Habits For Teenagers

Personal hygiene is a person's responsibility and duty to his or her own body. For teenagers, the fulfillment of these responsibilities and duties should be focused. So how to teach children to understand that?

From an early age, you have taught your child basic body hygiene techniques such as washing your hands before eating or after using the toilet, covering your mouth when coughing or taking a shower every day. Children have also learned to brush and floss properly.

When your children reach adolescence, this is the right age to help your child perfect the basic hygiene skills above. Teenage is also the age when a child's body is under certain changes, so personal hygiene also needs to be changed to match. Forming a habit of personal hygiene for teenagers will help them maintain that good habit as an adult. You need to be open and straightforward with your child so that you can talk to your child about sensitive personal hygiene issues that will happen in the future.

10 good hygiene habits for teenagers

When thinking about personal hygiene for teenagers, it's important to discuss the following with your child:

1. Take a shower regularly

Remind your child to shower every day to get rid of dirt and oil from the skin, especially after playing sports or exercising. If your child can't take a shower right after, at least tell him to change into new, cleaner clothes.

2. Proper oral hygiene

Not only teenagers but all other ages should brush their teeth 2 times a day and each brush should last 2 minutes. Do not brush your teeth more than 3 times a day because that will erode tooth enamel and damage gums (gums). You should also advise children to brush their teeth gently because that alone is enough to remove bacteria and food from the teeth.

3. Wash your hands properly

In fact, many children still do not know how to wash their hands properly, even though they are 14-15 years old. So, teach your child to follow these 5 steps of hand washing:

Wet your hands first

Then use soap or hand sanitizer and create lather

Next, work on the back of your hand, between your fingers, and underneath the fingernail. Be sure to remind your child of the hand for at least 20 seconds.

Then rinse it under running water

Finally, dry your hands with a clean towel or use a hand dryer.

4. Use deodorant / spray to deodorize and reduce perspiration

Puberty is also the time when the body sweat starts to produce more. If the child sweats too much, his body will smell bad. At that time, you should buy a roller or spray deodorant and reduce sweat for your child.

5. Comb your hair gently

Hair combing also takes skill to limit the amount of hair loss and tangled hair, especially for girls. You should teach your child to brush your hair starting from the front ends, gently using a wide-tooth comb to untangle the ends, finally to the body and roots. Avoid brushing while washing your hair or while it is still wet as this will cause more hair loss.

6. Form a habit to help prevent acne

When your baby is entering the teen years, you should advise him to wash his face with a mild cleanser 2 times a day. Many children will not develop acne during this time, however, establishing a good habit will help them later. Instruct your child not to over-wash their face, even if the skin is greasy, as it can irritate and dry out the skin.

7. Take a good shower

Just like adults, children need frequent baths to keep their bodies clean and free of bacteria. Teach your baby how to bathe yourself to be clean and create a daily bathing routine. Initially, you can help your baby bathe. Gradually, your baby will learn how to bathe.

8. Cut your nails

The personal hygiene for the child also includes cutting the nails. You should practice baby habits to keep nails short and keep nails clean. More importantly, parents should let the baby know that nail biting habit is not good because the nail contains many pathogenic bacteria. If your baby has a habit of biting his nails, wrap them with duct tape or bandages. This way, the baby will no longer be able to bite their nails. Gradually, the baby will quit this habit completely.

9. Cover your nose / mouth when you cough or sneeze

Teach your baby the habit of using a handkerchief or tissue to cover his nose or mouth when coughing or sneezing. Besides, parents should also teach children the habit of disposing of trash in the right place to prevent the spread of bacteria.

10. Comb and wash your hair regularly

Parents should practice for babies to wash their hair regularly, because most of the pathogenic bacteria are mainly in the hair, then enter the body. In addition, washing hair also helps keep baby's scalp clean, remove dead cells and prevent hair from drying out. More importantly, you should create a habit of brushing your baby's hair every morning after waking up and after bathing so that he or she looks clean and tidy.

Eliminate misconceptions about personal hygiene for teenagers

Teenagers will be exposed to many different notions about physical hygiene and are more likely to have false or false understandings. Teenagers often whisper that if they shave, they will make their hair grow back faster and thicker or if they don't douche, they will smell bad. Other rumors such as: eating greasy foods will easily get acne, dyeing skin will treat acne, masturbation can cause blindness, hair growth on the palm of the hand, go crazy ... often makes them / worried teen Please let your child know the above rumors are completely unfounded.

So when you talk to your child about the benefits of personal hygiene, you need to tell your child to reconsider what they hear from their friends. Sometimes you will be startled about strange rumors that children share with you.

Help children practice personal hygiene habits

Let your children know that personal hygiene is a responsibility for themselves. If your child does not want to take a bath after playing sports or does not want to use a deodorant, you should let them know that personal hygiene is their responsibility and that they should consider this as important as cleaning the house. Cleaning the room will make the room more tidy, likewise, bathing will help the child's body be cleaner.

1. Teach your children to take care of their skin early:  Don't wait until your child has acne before starting to teach your child how to prevent acne. You should help your child develop a hygiene routine early from the moment he starts showing signs of puberty.

2. Do not be too fastidious:  You should not be too fastidious in the personal hygiene of the child. Try to avoid twitching with your child as this may make them lose interest in what you say.

3. Make sure what you teach your child is correct and up to date:  Before talking to your child, parents should read and look up to make sure the information you are about to say is the most accurate. Some information may not be accurate now or may be wrong from the start. Children coming to teenage often ignore parental advice if they feel that the accuracy of such advice is not high. Therefore, the fact that parents carefully research and give scientific evidence will make children "confidently, dress up".

4. Be an example for your child:  If you want your child to have good habits, you need to be an example first. Don't leave your head untouched for a week and don't force your child to floss while you're not using it.

5. People of the same sex teach each other more effectively:  If possible, mothers should talk to girls and dad should talk to boys. When they are of the same sex, it is easier to discuss delicate matters with their children and they also tend to look at their same-sex parent as their role model.

6. Seek medical advice or advice:  If you are having difficulty teaching your child about hygiene , consult your pediatrician about this. Your doctor will assist you in making good habits for your child.