Handbook for Women with Visual Impairment - 9.

Personal Hygiene
  

By
Preeti Monga & Tina Sutaria

"Nothing is impossible for anybody", says Captain Reza Beg, a septuagenarian who took a dive off a tall mountain after half a dozen bypasses.
  

Having said this, while it is easier for a person with 20/20 vision to look nattily presented and well groomed, it is possible for the visually impaired to do so too. It takes a lot more effort and time on her part, but with a little practice, anybody can accomplish it.
  

Have you ever swooned over the woman sitting next to you on the bus? No, not because of her killer perfume. Because her breath smelt like sharp and ripened blue cheese. Or realized your folly when hugging someone, because her armpits smelt like yesterday’s garbage? All of us have, and lived to rue it!
  

Grooming, hygiene, fashion, etc. are not about buying expensive clothes, accessories, or products. They are about a co-ordinated, homogenous look. Simple but clean clothes, fresh as the day and well ironed, is all it takes. For this you must be careful to throw clothes for a wash after every use, just to be on the safer side, as unlike a sighted person, you may not be aware of a stain or dirt that has fallen on it. If you know exactly where the stain has fallen on a particular garment, you could wash it off yourself with a blue detergent cake of soap, after which you could soak the garment in individual plastic tubs. A neatly organized bathroom with everything in place would make it effortless for you to do so. The little tubs could be stacked or stored under the basin, and all detergents kept close at hand. Of course there is no convenience like a washing machine that literally does all the dirty work for you. To use this amazing gadget, you will need somebody to take you through the different functions on it, once. You could put stickers of different textures on each button, e.g., felt for wash and sandpaper for start. In this way you will be able to do your own laundry, independently.
  

Ironing could be delegated to a dhobi, laundry, servant or even yourself. By outlining the article of clothing with your fingers, you can note its shape. From the touch and feel of the fabric, you could decide what temperature would suit each garment, depending on whether it is more cotton based or more synthetic. It is cooler to warm temperature for synthetics and warm to hot for cottons, linens and thicker fabrics like trousers. Keep in mind that the temperature knob turns to the left to make the iron cooler and to the right to make it warmer to hot/hotter.
  

If you want to make absolutely certain that clothes are clean and stain free, request for help from a family member to run a check on your garments before you wear them. If this is not possible, the dhobi, laundryman, servant would surely assist you. As your other senses become more efficient due to continued use because of loss of sight, you could rely on your olfactory senses to smell clothes to make sure they are washed and not dirty. Dirty, unwashed clothes have a particularly stale and used smell, as also the smell of perspiration, which can put people off.
  

PERSONAL HYGIENE:
  

So many of us spend hours selecting beautiful clothes, spend exorbitant amounts of money buying fancy accessories, yet few realize the importance of spending both a little time and money over what may matter most of all-our personal hygiene. Looking and feeling fresh brings a spring to our step and adds loads of confidence to our everyday strides in all aspects of our lives.
  

Personal hygiene is maintaining cleanliness in body & dress, from top to toe. It is the first act of beauty, without which all the others are meaningless. The most beautiful woman in the world dressed in couture, can put you off if she doesn’t look and smell as fresh as a new day.
  

So how do we go about it? The first step is awareness. We need to be aware of our bodies and how they behave. For example, some people have oily skin which attracts more dust and dirt. If not washed frequently, this skin type could face serious problems like pimples and acne. Both these skin eruptions arise from dirt collection resulting in clogged pores.
  

Others may emit strong and undesirable body odour. Each person has their own distinct body odour. If you are aware of yours, you could combat it by bathing, using deodorants, after bath splashes, perfumes and so on. Personal hygiene therefore could be maintained by sustaining high standards of personal care.
  

Hygiene is not a 21st century funda. People have been aware of its importance for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks spent many hours in the bath, using oils, milk, fragrances and make-up in an effort to beautify themselves. With modern day schedules, this is not possible, but with a little effort, we can look and smell just like they must have if we follow and maintain good hygiene practices in our daily routine.
 

This would make us flatteringly presentable to others and should ideally include:
  

BATHING:
  

It is the best way to keep clean & fresh. Without it, all other preparations, perfumes, lotions and potions would be pointless as your body odour and daily grime would be omnipresent for all to smell and see. Areas of concentrated sweat glands emit certain odours. In our climate where humidity and extreme heat make us sweat profusely, the chances of having a particularly acrid odour are high. This problem is compounded by certain foods we eat, like garlic and fenugreek, whose strong odours are emitted by our sweat. Drinking plenty of water leads to detoxification, minimizing body odour.
  

Also, bathing is more than just a bar of soap, water and a towel. It is therapeutic and can be used to soothe, massage, relax, stimulate skin, exercise & perfume your body. The skin also rejuvenates itself, as scrubbing sloughs off dead, dry skin, exfoliating it and keeping it healthy and refreshed.
   

When bathing, remember to clean behind the ears, around the nape of the neck, the back, the sides and other difficult to reach areas that are conveniently forgotten or given a miss. Give special attention to underarms, feet, spaces between the toes & crevices in the body form. This is because underarms get smelly with perspiration, feet manage to catch all the dirt possible, and the toes and other crevices get filled with bacteria. Preferably, use mild glycerin, anti-bacterial soaps, which do not dry out the skin too much. Many such brands are available on the market for you to choose from.
  

Always use individual bath towels as sharing a towel could spread fungal and other skin infections. Dab the towel gently on skin as vigorous rubbing could cause the skin to stretch.
   

It is best to follow the "One fragrance routine" where you use the soap/shower gel, talc, moisturizer and perfume of the same fragrance. For example if a woman is in a woody mood, she should use all the above in the woody fragrance. If she combines a lemon-soap with woody talc, the result will be conflicting fragrances. It may not be possible to jump into a shower cubicle each time we sweat, but it is possible to over-ride these odours by spraying a little fragrance. Fragrances come in three strengths-Perfumes, colognes and eau de toilettes.
   

• Perfumes are used on formal occasions and at night. They are strong and do not need renewal and are the most expensive of the three.
   

• Colognes are very mild & need constant renewal.
    

• Eau de toilettes are used during the day but do not need constant renewal.
    

• Floral fragrances are used during the day and are best suited to young girls.
    

• Spicy perfumes are for older women and night use.
    

WASHING HANDS:
  

Hands pick up germs from here, there and everywhere hence it is most essential to wash them and keep them clean.
  

Before meals: It’s important to have clean hands before you sit down to eat so that you do not carry bacteria to the table as you eat and pass food.
  

Immediately after restroom use: To ensure you don’t spread faecal or other bacteria to other parts of your body or to other individuals.
  

Before preparing food: Wash hands before cooking so that you don’t contaminate food.
  

After preparing food: Again, scrub your hands for at least 2 minutes with hot, soapy water after you have prepared food (and before serving) to ensure you don’t carry bacteria with you, potentially infecting yourself or others.
   

Instant hand sanitizers are a wonder as they are so convenient. A small bottle can be carried about in a purse, glove compartment or even a pocket. One drop kills 99.99% germs without any water or towels as it uses alcohols to destroy germs physically. And don’t worry. It’s an antiseptic, not an antibiotic, so resistance can't develop.
  

NAILCARE:
  

Your hands are observed all the time, by one and all. Therefore it is in your hands, literally, to keep your nails spotlessly clean. If dirt collects under them, they not only look bad, but the nail beds could get infected and contaminate the food you cook or eat. Use a nailbrush to clean dirt from under the nails. Periodic manicures/pedicures keep hands & feet clean and their skin smooth.
 

Don’t bite nails however tempting it may be, for in doing so, you will ingest germs, bacteria and dirt that are on your finger tips and under your nails. Also, it is unhygienic when your saliva, which is now on your fingers, touches other people and objects.
  

Hygienic Practices During Important Stages in Life:
  

Onset of puberty:
  

Firstly, say a big welcome to the onset of puberty if you are at this crucial juncture of your life. Celebrate the beginning of your journey to womanhood. Most people look at these five days of the month as a "Dirty period". If you view it positively, it is in fact a time of internal cleansing, ridding you of unwanted substances, detoxifying your body in the process. However, more than ever before, it is essential to be extremely hygienic during this time, as this elimination of blood, creates a particularly unpleasant odour. If your hygiene practices fall short at this time, your body odour will emit a foul smell and others will not like to be near you.
  

How would you know that you need a wash, bath or simply a change of pad/tampon or cloth? The easiest way is to put your nose into your blouse and sniff hard. You will know whether a change is necessary. The safest bet is to bathe twice a day to put to rest any fear of undesirable odour or to wash your genitals thoroughly with soap and water a couple of times a day.
  

Pads are best changed twice a day and if the menstrual flow is extremely heavy, thrice a day. A close companion or care giver who is sighted must also be told that you are in that time of month so that he or she is able to see any spots of blood on your clothing. However, the best insurance for stain free clothing is to change clothes more frequently.
  

To avoid unnecessary embarrassment, please carry sanitary napkins in your bags when going out. Today one can buy special ones which one can carry easily. Also carry some extra tissues to wrap the used sanitary napkin before disposing it off into the dustbin. Take care to use extra talc on these special days.
  

Pregnancy:
  

The next big change comes when you step into motherhood.
  

Both health and hygiene are to be taken very seriously at this stage. It is important to be healthy as not just your life and health are at stake, but also that of another one who is too tiny to know that he or she would be in danger if not looked after properly.
  

During pregnancy eating good nutritious food, taking supplements and drinking a lot of water is very important. Equally important is paying attention to hygiene to prevent infections of any kind. For instance, if underwear is not absolutely clean and changed frequently, the risk of developing a rash or skin infection is possible. If the thigh area and genital area is not kept dry, fungal infections like dhobi’s itch could appear in these regions or could cause urinary tract infection. Remember that it is not advisable to take medicines on your own when you are pregnant as it may harm the developing foetus. Consult a doctor If you have any infection.
  

Lactation:
  

Now you not only have yourself but you have your baby to keep healthy. As you would be Breast feeding your little one, it becomes mandatory to keep the twice a day bathing rule along with changing your bra and clothes at least twice a day. Take care to use a clean ball of cotton which has been sterilized in boiling water to clean your breasts every time you begin to feed your baby.
  

During lactation period the breasts leak a lot of times. The breast milk soaks the upper clothes and a stale smell emanates from the body. Therefore the new mother will need to wipe her breasts from time to time and wear breast shields that are available in shops. She could also prepare her own breast shield by simply wadding them with small towels or cloth.
 

Inculcating Healthy and Hygienic Habits in Children:
  

It is said that children learn best by example. If a mother sets a good example of healthy and hygienic habits, her child will surely follow suit. If the general atmosphere of the home propagates these, then the child will grow to incorporate these in his/her daily life. The mother has a way of gently persuading her offspring to follow certain hygiene routines. A visually impaired woman can do the same by gently taking her child to the basin to brush his teeth in the morning, bathe thereafter, comb his hair, put on his clothes, socks and shoes. She could feel his face and clothes to see if he has dirtied himself while playing. She should change his diaper as soon as she detects a smell of urine or faeces or she could feel the nappy to see if it is heavier than when she put it on.
  

Visually impaired mothers with young children must take extra care in developing the habit of washing hands in them. She should personally wash the children’s hands before all meal times, after the children have used the toilet and once they have come home from anywhere. This habit then will be with the children forever. The child should be encouraged to use handkerchief or tissue if he catches cold and to cover his face while sneezing. Picking nose or wiping the running nose with hand or on the sleeves should be discouraged.
  

She should also develop healthy eating habits in the child making him eat different variety of vegetables. Eating food on time and not skipping any meal is equally important for a child. Take care that meals are never offered in front of a T.V.This is not only a bad habit but also it is not good for his digestion. Early to bed and early to rise should be the motto. Bedtime must be no later than 9 pm at the latest. The child must be encouraged to play outdoors and not be made to sit in front of the television to keep him occupied. To keep healthy the child should be helped to follow a daily routine. While going to bed he must be told to wash his hands and feet, brush his teeth and change into comfortable clothes.
  

Some Useful Tips on Hygiene:
  

Always keep a clean hanky or tissues handy. You can keep them in your handbag or pockets. These days you can also buy small packs of wet tissues which you can conveniently carry. These can be used when coughing or sneezing. Try not to blow your nose or spit in public. Use the restroom for the purpose. In case you are using a hanky, please wash it with boiling water and detergent using an antiseptic for the last rinse.
  

Last but not the least, take special care when you have to use a public toilet. Please try to use this facility, taking care, as much as possible, not to touch anything while doing so. And extra care must be taken to clean your hands after this activity. Washing hands only with water does not help so please use the hand cleaner or keep some liquid soap or wet tissues for the same. The best way to avoid picking up infections from the public toilets would be to avoid using them. If you know that you would be going out for some good length of time, then drink very little water before going out. Come back and drink extensively to make up for the shortage.
  

With the above tips and knowledge, you can look forward to a healthy and clean ‘You’.

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