A doctor has shared a list of body parts that many people are not washing enough, and revealed a simple way to check if you need to give them a clean
Maintaining good hygiene is not only crucial for our mental health and wellbeing, but it can also significantly affect our physical health.
For instance, neglecting to wash your hands can facilitate the spread of infections and diseases. Inadequate washing can also make you more susceptible to skin conditions and fungal infections. With this in mind, a doctor has expressed her worries that some individuals do not always clean themselves thoroughly.
US-based family physician, Doctor Jen Caudle, highlighted five body parts that are frequently neglected during our hygiene routines. Through TikTok, she advised her over 160,000 followers to ensure they clean these areas. She stated: “These are five body parts you are not washing enough. Our number one, your belly button. That’s right, a lot of people don’t wash their belly button at all. Guys, it gets gross. Please wash your belly button.
“Number two is behind the ears. The top of the ear behind this little area here, and the back, and also the lobe I want you to specifically wash that area.” She shared a simple method to determine if the back of your ears needs cleaning, reports the Express. “And one way to know is if you do this, you rub your ear, you rub somewhere and you smell it and it’s gross, you haven’t washed it recently,” Dr Caudle explained.
She then turned her attention to the fingernails. “The next thing is making sure that you wash or rather scrub underneath your fingernails,” she added. “This is where a lot of dirt and grossness gets trapped under our fingernails. We don’t often think about it.
“Fingernails should be kept short, and the undersides should be cleaned frequently with soap and water. Because of their length, longer fingernails can harbour more dirt and bacteria than short nails, thus potentially contributing to the spread of infection.”
Dr Caudle warned that just letting soap and water run down your legs in the shower is not good enough. She said: “Number four, our legs. Yeah, I want you to actually wash your legs.
“I’m not talking about letting soap run down your legs in the shower, I’m talking about washing. Wash your legs please. And number five, your toes. Okay, get in between those toes and make sure you’re washing them.
“You want to make sure you’re providing infections of many different sorts, so make sure you’re deliberately washing your toes and the rest of your body, by the way.
Some of her followers were horrified, with one commenting: “Me thinking it’s common knowledge to wash all of these.” Another replied: “I already wash these places, ESPECIALLY belly button and legs.”