Keep it clean!
Dr. Jason Singh, a Virginia-based primary care physician, is revealing the three body parts you’re probably looking at in the shower: your navel, your feet, and your ears.
“Let’s face it, when was the last time you gave your tummy some TLC?” Singh asked his 96,300 followers on TikTok in a clip last month.
“This area harbors dirt, sweat and bacteria, especially true for those with deep-seated belly buttons, or what we call innies,” Singh continued. “The anatomy is such that the navel creates a warm, moist environment that can be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, which can then lead to discharge and foul odors and infections.”
Teen Vogue reports that once or twice a week, those with an innie belly button should use a Q-tip and mild soap to clean the area, while those with an outside button should lather up with a washcloth or sponge.
Next, Singh says you should focus on your feet. He noted that the soles of the feet have more sweat glands than other parts of the body.
“It’s like a hormonal teenager with fingers,” he joked. “Sweat, combined with a warm environment created by wearing shoes and socks, provides an ideal habitat for bacteria and fungi.”
He added: “Keratin, which is a protein in the skin, nails and hair, can also become a food source for these microorganisms, further exacerbating the problem.”
Poor foot hygiene can lead to athlete’s foot or staph infections, which is when bacteria enter your skin through a cut or wound.
And finally, don’t forget to wash behind the ears.
“The sebaceous glands behind your ears produce sebum, which is a mixture of sweat and dirt,” Singh explained. “The skin and crevices in the area contain these substances and can create an environment that is conducive to bacterial overgrowth, and because it’s close to your hair, which also has a lot of oils in it, that can create a lot of evil weapon that has been created up there.”
Singh’s advice reflects the “grandmother hypothesis”.
Keith Crandall, founding director of the Institute for Computational Biology and professor of biostatistics and bioinformatics at George Washington University, says his grandmother told him and other children in his family to “clean behind the ears, between the toes, and in the belly button”.
Crandall theorized that these three areas are washed less often and may have different bacteria than the rest of the body.
His team of students recently tested this assumption by collecting skin samples from the three hotspots.
They found that they can harbor an unhealthy collection of germs compared to areas that are cleaned more frequently.
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Image Source : nypost.com