Are you showering the right way? A dermatologist reveals some shocking hygiene mistakes you're probably making!
Whether you like to shower in the morning, evening, or both, it's important to look after your body with good hygiene routines—but one dermatologist has warned that many of us might actually be getting it wrong!
In her social media post, Lindsey Zubritsky, who uses the username ‘dermguru’, warned her 1.1 million followers of the common body parts that people are 'definitely not washing enough'.
Over 3.3 million people have seen her clip in the last week and even prompted her to film a second video with more advice.
So members, listen up—it's time to take a closer look at your hygiene routine to make sure you're not skipping any of these body parts:
Behind your ears
Dr Zubritsky said, 'If you go like this behind your ears’ and demonstrated rubbing her fingers behind her ears, ‘and you notice an odour to it, or you feel something, you should be washing it more. This is also a super common area to get flaking skin build up like dandruff.'
Your belly button
Dr Zubritsky revealed, 'You're also not washing your belly button enough. This is a super common area to collect sweat, debris, dirt, build up.’
‘In fact, if you're not cleaning it enough, it will build up so much debris and dirt in there that you can develop a navel stone,’ she added.
A navel stone, also known as an omphalolith, is a hardened stone that forms from the built-up dirt that gathers in your belly button if not washed enough. They're not usually painful, but navel stones look unsightly.
Source: TikTok/@dermguru
Under your fingernails
Dr Zubritsky shared, 'You're definitely not cleaning your fingernails enough. When showering, you really need to get under those nails with a scrub brush to get rid of the dirt, debris and buildup. These three areas are common places to harbour MRSA.'
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many antibiotics, meaning it's hard to get rid of an infection.
Your feet
In Dr Zubritsky's second video, she warned us to clean our feet carefully during our showers.
‘This is especially true if you're a sweaty person, or you're wearing flip flops, or you're barefoot. If you don't clean between the toes, you could be susceptible to bacterial infections like Pseudomonas and staph, or fungal infections like tinea,’ she explained.
The back of your neck
Dr Zubritsky described the neck as a 'warm, moist area that hair tends to sit on and on top of that, it's often a neglected area.’
‘It's prone to developing these dirty like patches on the back of the neck called terra firma-forme,' she claimed.
Terra firma-forme dermatosis is a benign skin condition that makes patches on the skin appear dirty.
Your elbows
Dr Zubritsky's final area of concern was our elbows, which could be prone to a darker, drier complexion from a built-up of dead skin cells.
‘So, not only do you want to cleanse this, but you want to exfoliate too,’ she said.
Her videos garnered the interest of many social media users, with many sharing that they don’t neglect to clean the body parts mentioned.
‘Glad to know I have not missed spots,’ one person commented.
‘I always wash my ears and my belly, who doesn’t?’ another asked.
Source: TikTok/@dermguru
Someone asked, ‘Wait, who isn’t cleaning these areas?’, to which the doctor replied, ‘You’d be surprised.’
Meanwhile, others admitted that they find it difficult to clean their belly button.
‘Touching my belly button sends like electric shocks through my abdomen,’ one social media user shared.
‘I don’t like the sensation of my belly button being touched,’ admitted another.
So, members, if you've been guilty of skipping out on any of these areas during your showers, follow Dr Zubritsky's advice and prioritise these hygiene areas.
Do you have any tips or stories about showering and proper hygiene? Share them in the comments below!
In her social media post, Lindsey Zubritsky, who uses the username ‘dermguru’, warned her 1.1 million followers of the common body parts that people are 'definitely not washing enough'.
Over 3.3 million people have seen her clip in the last week and even prompted her to film a second video with more advice.
So members, listen up—it's time to take a closer look at your hygiene routine to make sure you're not skipping any of these body parts:
Behind your ears
Dr Zubritsky said, 'If you go like this behind your ears’ and demonstrated rubbing her fingers behind her ears, ‘and you notice an odour to it, or you feel something, you should be washing it more. This is also a super common area to get flaking skin build up like dandruff.'
Your belly button
Dr Zubritsky revealed, 'You're also not washing your belly button enough. This is a super common area to collect sweat, debris, dirt, build up.’
‘In fact, if you're not cleaning it enough, it will build up so much debris and dirt in there that you can develop a navel stone,’ she added.
A navel stone, also known as an omphalolith, is a hardened stone that forms from the built-up dirt that gathers in your belly button if not washed enough. They're not usually painful, but navel stones look unsightly.
Source: TikTok/@dermguru
Under your fingernails
Dr Zubritsky shared, 'You're definitely not cleaning your fingernails enough. When showering, you really need to get under those nails with a scrub brush to get rid of the dirt, debris and buildup. These three areas are common places to harbour MRSA.'
MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a type of staph bacteria that's become resistant to many antibiotics, meaning it's hard to get rid of an infection.
Your feet
In Dr Zubritsky's second video, she warned us to clean our feet carefully during our showers.
‘This is especially true if you're a sweaty person, or you're wearing flip flops, or you're barefoot. If you don't clean between the toes, you could be susceptible to bacterial infections like Pseudomonas and staph, or fungal infections like tinea,’ she explained.
The back of your neck
Dr Zubritsky described the neck as a 'warm, moist area that hair tends to sit on and on top of that, it's often a neglected area.’
‘It's prone to developing these dirty like patches on the back of the neck called terra firma-forme,' she claimed.
Terra firma-forme dermatosis is a benign skin condition that makes patches on the skin appear dirty.
Your elbows
Dr Zubritsky's final area of concern was our elbows, which could be prone to a darker, drier complexion from a built-up of dead skin cells.
‘So, not only do you want to cleanse this, but you want to exfoliate too,’ she said.
Her videos garnered the interest of many social media users, with many sharing that they don’t neglect to clean the body parts mentioned.
‘Glad to know I have not missed spots,’ one person commented.
‘I always wash my ears and my belly, who doesn’t?’ another asked.
Source: TikTok/@dermguru
Someone asked, ‘Wait, who isn’t cleaning these areas?’, to which the doctor replied, ‘You’d be surprised.’
Meanwhile, others admitted that they find it difficult to clean their belly button.
‘Touching my belly button sends like electric shocks through my abdomen,’ one social media user shared.
‘I don’t like the sensation of my belly button being touched,’ admitted another.
Key Takeaways
- A dermatologist has warned that many people are showering incorrectly by ignoring certain body parts that need washing the most.
- The six most neglected areas include behind the ears, the belly button, under the fingernails, the feet, the back of the neck and the elbows.
- Neglecting these areas can lead to issues like flaking skin, bacterial infections and a build-up of dead skin cells.
- The dermatologist's advice prompted mixed reactions online, with some people admitting they find certain areas, like the belly button, uncomfortable to clean.
So, members, if you've been guilty of skipping out on any of these areas during your showers, follow Dr Zubritsky's advice and prioritise these hygiene areas.
Do you have any tips or stories about showering and proper hygiene? Share them in the comments below!