Hygiene

Post Reply New Topic

I kinda have always wanted to speak about this, but now I'm saying screw it...all cards on the table. I am leaving soon and I need to get this off my chest/see if anyone else has had the same issues as me.

As part of my issues, I have been cursed with some of the worst hygiene skills EVER.

Yes, I am a girl, and I've had these problems.

I mean, I had a time period of 1 and 1/2 years (I think from 10 on...after I had a sleep-over at my grandma's and forgot my toothbrush...and it all went downhill from there)where I didn't brush my teeth at all, and most of this summer, I probably brushed them like what, every other day...and that was good for me. I also never floss. (yet, I didn't have any cavities the last time I visited the dentist).

I have issues with showering as well. During 7th grade, that is actually what inspired my mom to take me to sensory therapy. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it's hard to do. For some reason, I like the smell of my own sweat and showers take work. In fact, this whole summer, I only showered when I started getting acne on my back (and not on my face surprisingly, because I never wash it) and when I needed to go somewhere like church. I remembered that in high school I showered once a day, but that wasn't enough for my family because I would come back from running at school and be smelly.

I have issues with deodorant. I tried wearing it when I was in 9th grade, but I keep losing the bar and it seemed like such a hassle and nothing was the right smell and I am very sensitive to smells ironically. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one who has had issues with that.

It's not that I won't do these things, and if someone tells me I smell, I would brush my teeth and take a shower. Problem is, that is not socially acceptable. As well, I only like doing these things when I am busy...but if I get too busy I won't...so it is a very fine line that I walk. If I am not busy (like this summer) I neglect hygiene and just rot in a perpetual state of dirt. But, if I am too busy/tired...I will fall asleep without brushing teeth and forget to shower.

I also have issues with brushing my hair, it takes effort...but I don't want short hair ironically.

I mean, I think I am the farthest back hygiene-wise...the only thing that I get right is clipping toenails and that's just because if I don't, they start cutting into the other toes and being annoyed. It takes physical pain to convince me to have hygiene= habits.

Now that I've posted this, I will probably regret it...but I can't be the only girl or aspie that has all these issues.

I can't be the only one who has this problem, so I am crying out to see if anyone else has experienced this.

(things to note:
*It is not just a matter of habit, I had problems with it in and out of school.
*It is not a matter of routine, I run every single day but I don't feel like showering/brushing teeth, etc)

If you have any info, it would be greatly, greatly appreciated...I am going to college soon, and I really don't want to have this issues...I want friends, I want to date. I know I am a reasonably friendly person despite my AS...these issues just keep on getting in the way! )

Ahahaha yes. All the same shiz haha. I just pay attention to hygiene when I have work or school or I'm going out. And even that takes conscious effort,still.

I'm pretty sure tho, that cultures like in America are waaay too prudish, I mean, what? Sweat doesn't smell bad. We just aren't used to it because the culture is so anti-reality.

Hygiene throughout my childhood was near the bottom of my list. Maybe a reason why many of the other kids didn't like me. But it increasingly became a higher priority for me.

I don't shower on days where I don't go out in public, which occur less frequently as I am out more often.

There are many things I don't like to do, flossing and washing my hair and showering every day being among them. I got into the flossing habit after being nagged about it by my husband (not flossing gives me bad breath, which is bad for him). The showering thing I got better at after first joining a carpool on a forty-minute trip each way with three other people, and kept up when I left my job and started exercising heavily every day. I see what you're saying about pain being a good motivator for doing things like clipping toenails...I have the same take on it!

One good option is to have a supply of hypo-allergenic and unscented diaper wipes around. Those are good for a quick freshening of the vital areas, including the face. There is a new product out being advertised on TV that is a dry shampoo, which I may look into as well...I don't mind washing my hair, but blow-drying it and styling it is a big pain and I try to keep to only doing that twice a week or so. A dry shampoo that would take away the post-exercise, dank, sweat-head smell out of my hair would be GREAT!

Ironically, I figured out that one of the reasons I don't like showering or blow-drying may hair is the noise of the water and the noise of the blow-dryer. I now use earplugs for both and it is a lot more tolerable than it was before...I even plug one ear when I'm pulling the shower curtain back my husband takes a shower (to avoid mildew on the curtain), because the hooks on the shower rod screech!

I have problems with hygiene, though I have been trying to improve it this week because, when I don't wash, I get infections that itch and burn. I am trying to stop letting myself get like that. I hate showering and view it as a waste of time. I brush my teeth when I take a shower, so if I go 3-4 days without a shower, I go the same time without brushing my teeth. when I worked or was in college, I took a shower everyday as a part of a rigid routine. when I got on disability I no longer seen the use. I usually only shower when I am going somewhere, which is not often. I hardly ever go anywhere where I actually leave the car.

But anyway, I am trying to quit this. I know I need to be cleaner because when I am not clean my body gets infected, and I don't want that anymore.

I think people bathe too much ... I'd rather smell sweat than all those sprays and lotions - they're so artificial and chemical smelling.

Don't worry, I have the exact same issues.

I second this. Its quite common, more than you think.

All throughout my childhood I was forced into the shower because I wouldn't shower on my own. And then I would just sit there listening to the water. Or put my hair in a towel and just wet the parts that were sticking out.

Oddly enough now I shower obsessively, but because I am a raging lunatic and water calms me down. But other than that... Nope. Hygiene and looks are the last thing on my mind.

But honestly this is nothing to regret. It is quite common dear.

Ohhh ohh, and yes to the baby wipes! They are amazing.

It feels nice and refreshing to shower, I couldn't stand not bathing and showering everyday I don't like being hot and sweaty.

I do clean my teeth daily, but tend to find it a chore.
If I am not going out, I tend to not shower daily, and really the only thing that does impel me to shower is that I hate the feel and look of my hair when it is greasy.
I am pretty bad, moreso when I am depressed.
I have had the same airbed I sleep on nightly for 8 months now, and you don't even want to imagine how bad that smells.
Fortunately, I am getting a new one this week.

If I don't shower at least once a day and use deodorant, then my skin itches and I just feel "dirty".

Shaving is a chore, but at least when I shave, I look less like a balding, overweight, hunchbacked, gimpy homeless person than usual.

Brushing/flossing is also a chore, but how can I bag on a smoker's bad breath when mine smells like a garbage disposal? So I brush/floss at least once a day, usually 3-4 times a day, and don't hesitate to let the smokers I work with know how much they stink.

I'll probably regret revealing so much about my own habits, but never mind...

I have learnt my lesson the hard way that we are living in a society that values hygiene. A boy has lost his friends because of his body odor. Another boy has lost his friends because he digs his nose once every few minutes. As for me, I sometimes forget to brush my teeth when I'm too sleepy. I floss only when necessary. I only shower once every day, even when the weather is hot. No matter how many times I brush my hair, it remains as a tangled mess, so I don't dare to grow my hair too long.

I am a girl and I can identify with your feelings about strong smells of products and not liking cleaning your teeth. I am the same.
I find the taste of toothpaste and the "invasion" of the brush and the smell of certain products awful. I also have to be in "the right mood" to wash, otherwise I find it invasive. Washing hair is a pain coz my arms hurt if I hold them above my head too long and I don't like the bubbles near my ears coz they sound weird.
I like to use the brand "Simple" when it comes to bathroom products. They are unperfumed and uncoloured. I don't know if the "soapy smell" would bother you or not as you say you are very sensitive. I also use a deodorant called Mitcham, it comes in green packaging in a spray or a roll-on or a cream bar thing and works for up to 48hrs and doesn't smell at all to me (although you may have a different experience).
There are also homoeopathic toothpastes available that are not flavoured with mint or anything, they are just bland and they don't foam up.

Hope this helps and good luck!

Last edited by Mishmash on 12 Sep 2011, 12:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well I try to remember to brush my teeth at least once a day, usually I manage that because I smoke ciggerettes and they taste nasty if my teeth have not been brushed. Ideally I shower every other day to 3 times a week the past couple weeks I might have had two showers the second being a little while ago today.......I just have not had the energy. I also ideally only wear shorts if my legs are shaved or still close to hairless but yeah can't say I've cared much about that either last time I wore my shorts someone easily could have mistaken me for a dude based on the amount of hair on my legs.

So on a scale of 1-5, 5 being my normal level of hygene and 1 being a much lesser level I am at a 1, hopefully this is not permanent because even though I don't care about looking totally feminine or pretty I don't like to have noticeably dirty hair and I don't like feeling like I can't even do something as simple as take a shower without 10 times the amount of effort it would take most people.

My rule is if I can smell myself than others can so I shower every three days or so, but when its hot and summer every day or every other day. I used to be on the lazy side with hygiene due to ADD and other issues, but I realized I'm too old to skimp on the hygiene and to neglect it and now that I'm going into the medical field hygiene is very important and how I present myself. I recommend making a schedule or setting a reminder on your phone.

Sounds just like me. I only care about showering if I'm going out somewhere (like to get fast food or groceries). I can go a week or more without showering and be fine. I only brush my teeth when I remember too. Sometimes I'm too tired and just don't care. I'd rather do other things... I never bother to brush my hair and I only get it cut every 6 months+ because I just don't care. I won't shave my facial hair very often either though I try to take care of that more because it actually gets in the way of eating.