How Does Teen Hygiene Affect Their Lives?

Adolescence is hard, and some of the new challenges young teens face are dealing with their changing bodies and changing hygiene requirements. Teaching teens proper hygiene is important for their social lives and physical health. The hygiene habits they learn as teens will likely stay with them throughout their adult lives.

  1. Anxiety

    • The bodily changes teens experience are often a cause of anxiety and stress. Change is sometimes difficult. Hair appears where it never has before; suddenly they must worry about their feet and armpits smelling and their skin feels oily, leading to dreaded acne. Experts at WebMD agree that teen stress may be alleviated by parents taking the time to discuss hygiene issues with them. Parents may explain that these changes are normal and to be expected, and can suggest changes in daily routines, including showering daily and using deodorant.

    Time

    • Parents should also recognize that new hygiene needs require more time and attention than their children have had to spend on personal grooming in the past. As adolescents become used to the need to bathe and wash hair daily, they may spend what seems like a long time in the bathroom. The may also spend a lot of time in front of the mirror, examining acne blemishes, styling hair and (with girls) experimenting with makeup.

    Social Life

    • Some teenagers bully others at school or online. In a handbook published by the Center for Child Welfare, experts recognize poor hygiene as something that teen bullies target in their victims. While no child should have to change his behavior just to satisfy bullies, parents should recognize that poor teen hygiene has a strong effect on their social lives. Adolescents pay attention to each other's hygiene. Teens with poor hygiene habits have a more difficult time being accepted by peer groups.

    Health

    • As with adults, a teen's hygiene has a large effect upon her health. Poor dental hygiene results not only in bad breath but in permanent problems with teeth and gums. A teen who washes her hands and face is less likely to get sick. Untreated acne may become painful and infected. Hygiene has an effect upon teens' physical health. The University of Florida publishes a handout, "Adolescent Hygiene Basics," written directly to teens. The handout both gives good hygiene tips and explains the rationale behind staying clean to stay healthy.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • How to Build a Better Relationship With Your Teenage Daughter
      You will likely have more success with handling your daughter’s teen years if you consider these years as an opportunity to watch her grow as an individual rather than as a frustrating aspect of parenting. Learn to respect her personal space an
    • How to Survive High School As a Junior
      A student who is a junior in high school is faced with a variety of situations. All may be considered part of growing up since learning to handle a variety of situations is essential in life. However, around the age of 17, students are often times fa
    • How to Inspire Teens to Go to Church
      When you’re eager for your child to embrace spirituality and develop a relationship with his creator, you might want your adolescent to join you at church. While this is a worthy goal, it might take just the right approach to inspire a teenager