One of the worst parts about living in the dorms was finding a time to shower. Between 15 girls and three showers, an empty bathroom was a rare but valuable sight. Maybe your a morning showered, maybe you prefer to shower at night, maybe its in the middle of the day, or maybe you prefer a bath? Regardless what your preferred hygenic method is, bathing yourself is not something people should skip. But did you ever think what would happen if you didn’t wash yourself?
Okay, disgusting. That is probably your first reaction, and maybe your second and third. Then you may think about the dreaded greasy hair and raunchy body oder, but lack of bathing goes way beyond that. According to Katherine Neer of Discovery Fit and Health, the human body is covered in millions of sweat glands and hairs which contain proteins and fatty acids, and a lack of hygiene can lead to serious long term effects. Some of these are issues that a little dry shampoo cannot solve. Along with the sweat glands, the average person sweats 1-3 liters a day, and the lack of cleaning can then become an internal problem. Excess sweat can lead to bacteria, fungi, and yeast, and when they enter
the bloodstream, major problems start to arise. Ringworm, chiggers, and staph infection are j
ust a few possible things that can occur, and they are just about as gross as they sound.
Now if your the type of person that absolut
ely loves to shower, and clean hyg
eine is one of your top priorities, than you may be glad to hear that there are in fact many benefits to those who bathe regularly. MagForWomen.com states that there are five major benefits to bathing daily, so if you are the type of person who looks forward to a hot shower or bath, than you are also benefiting yourself in more ways than one.
- Helps maintain hygeine—this may be an obvious one, but staying clean prevents germs and bacteria from forming
- Helps to feel rejuvenated—water flow helps wake up the body and ignites the senses
- Improves blood circulation—when cool and hot water are integrated throughout your bathing routine, your blood circulation tends to improve
- Prevents insomnia—Weather your a heavy or light sleeper, bathing before bed naturally calms you down and helps put you at ease for sleep
- Prevents diseases—bathing in warm water can be beneficial to headaches and diabetes, while improving circulation and putting the body at ease
So the next time your feeling lazy after the gym, or cant get out of bed to shower, remind yourself of the possible diseases that could occur, and then remind yourself of the benefits. If you need to take a bath, thats always and option too. This website talks about hygienic types, misconceptions, and considerations so check it out!
I shower every day and if I skip a day I shower the next morning. I cannot go without a shower like some people can and it truly grosses me out. However there are side effects from showering TOO much which include stripping the skin of the top layer which offer protection as well as lipids which keep the skin moist, you can read more about the drawbacks from showering too much on this discovery health article here: http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/daily/tips/daily-shower-skin1.htm
While I love my hot shower every night before bed I know that the water here in the dorms has a higher pressure than other showers so it’s sometimes more dangerous to shower here than anywhere else because just the water pressure alone can strip the skin of any protective layer. I agree that showering everyday is good because it makes you feel so much better but if you skip a day or two here in there you won’t automatically be subject to all of these diseases.
Showering daily is something everyone should do. Unless you’re physically unable to get in the shower, you need to be showering (and if you can’t shower then you need a sponge bath). Washing your hair daily isn’t what I’m talking about, you can put on a shower cap if you do not wish to wash your hair. You’re completely right that many diseases can reek havoc on your body if you aren’t washing yourself daily. My Dad had been hospitalized last Spring with a staph infection that was near deadly. The infection wasn’t caused from not showering daily, but from touching wrestling mats at my brother’s tournament and then touching a cut from shaving. Washing hands is also important before touching any area that is an open wound/sore. Some staph infections are the strain called MRSA, which is a life threatening infection. The CDC page on MRSA does a good job of explaining how to minimize the risks of the skin infection like practicing good hygiene of washing hands and bathing daily, wiping down weight lifting and cardio equipment after each use, and not sharing personal items. Doing these preventative measures should be a priority, as MRSA is resistant to antibiotics and can be life threatening if it is contracted.
As somebody who doesn’t shower every day, I can say that I’ve never experienced any side effects of skipping a wash. In fact, I think that it can actually be good for us. According to dermatologists, washing your hair and body can actually strip yourself from healthy oils. I know that for my own hair, if I wash it too frequently it actually gets really dry and straw-like. I think that it depends on the person washing that determines how often you should shower. http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2010/11/04/the-benefits-of-skipping-the-daily-shower/