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Ashton and Mila say we don’t need to bathe every day; Here’s what the experts say

Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis made a splash -- or rather, they don't make splashes too frequently -- when they said they don't bathe themselves or their children too often.

By Sarah Molano

Daily showering seems to be ingrained in many people's psyche. You might shower right after you wake up as part of your morning routine, or maybe you like to freshen up and bathe before bed.

How often you should bathe really depends on your daily activities, according to Elaine Larson, senior scholar in residence at the New York Academy of Medicine and professor emerita of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

"I think people are sort of stuck on, 'How often should I bathe?' or ' How often should I clean my hands?' but it has more to do with what you've done," Larson said. "I think the question is, ' When are the appropriate times to bathe or to wash your hands?' and it's when they get contaminated."

The emergence of modern hygiene practices has been responsible for reductions in many diseases, Larson said. Now, however, most people in developed countries have clean water, soap and clean places to live. This means the main reason for bathing is no longer to prevent disease, but for aesthetic purposes -- to look and smell clean, she said.

For adults who stay inside most of the time, like those of us working from home, Larson said you don't need daily showers. You're in the same environment and not coming in contact with unfamiliar germs that need to be washed away.

This is especially true for older adults, whose skin dries out with frequent washing, leaving them more susceptible to germs.

"Generally, you should not be washing every day, because you're actually reducing the normal defense mechanisms the skin has against organisms and infections," Larson said. "In fact, if you clean too often and you get your skin dried out, you're more likely to carry germs and so forth."

This extends to handwashing, too, which she said can dry out your hands and make them more prone to carrying germs if done too often. Though handwashing is essential especially now with the Covid- 19 pandemic, washing is mostly necessary when you experience some kind of contamination, like if you cough on your hands or change a baby's diaper.

Also considering the pandemic, we are seeing a lot more people using antibacterial hand sanitizers, and this may not be great for your skin if you aren't careful, said Dr Arielle Nagler, assistant professor of dermatology at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine. "Those products can be really harsh on the skin and can really disrupt the normal skin barrier," she said. "You need to couple it with moisturising to help keep your skin healthy."

Especially people who have dry skin or conditions like eczema, should avoid long and excessive showers, Nagler said. Take shorter and colder showers, limit soap exposure to areas prone to bad odour, and moisturise after showering. If you're a big exerciser, she also suggested coordinating bathing around your exercise schedule to avoid taking too many showers.

Bathing recommendations do vary by age, especially for children. Infants should be cleaned with soap once or twice a week, said Dr Andrew Doyle, a pediatrician at Wellstar Health System in Marietta, Georgia. This excludes the diaper area, of course, which should be cleaned whenever necessary. If they choose, parents can wash their infants daily with just water, since the skin of newborns is sensitive and should retain its natural oils, he added.

As kids age, bathing frequency should also coincide with "how dirty they get," Doyle said. Once they reach school age around 5 or 6, he referenced the American Academy of Dermatology's recommendations, which say kids need to bathe at least once or twice a week. They should also bathe in the event of activities where they sweat or get dirty, or if they go swimming in a pool, ocean or other body of water.

Once they reach puberty, however, they should take a shower or bath every day, Doyle said. Teens undergo bodily changes during puberty, like producing more oil on the skin and odour in the armpit areas.

Parents should "start those habits for hygiene very early in life with their children and model those for their children and guide them so they can ultimately take control of their health as they grow older," he said.

INTERNATIONAL / EVENTS

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2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailylankadeepa.pressreader.com/article/282419877294287

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