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Asperger's Adults and Personal Hygiene

Have you ever been accused of not taking care of your personal hygiene? If so, then this article is for you!

When meeting anyone for the first time, the first impression you make is the most important. The way you look in terms of style and hygiene are the biggest factors with an initial impression. Although it may seem shallow to concentrate on personal appearance only, it is one of the most important parts of making a good impression.

The following tips will help you to put your best body forward every day:

1. Drink a lot of water throughout the day. 75% of Americans are actually dehydrated on a regular basis. Get into the habit of drinking more water. It's important to be hydrated in order to get clearer glowing skin, healthier hair, and also to feel healthier.

2. Get rid of “extra” hair. For ladies, check your upper lips, side burns and armpits. For both men and women, keep your eyebrows, nose-hair, and ear-hair in check. Take a look around for stray hair on or around moles, and check the back of your neck and upper back for stray hairs. Proper hair grooming should be practiced on the entire body. Trimming (or shaving) any long hairs that are below the neck is a good idea.

3. Brush your teeth, floss, and get dental checkups. A clean mouth and clean teeth give you a nice smile and fresh breath, both of which are major positives for personal appearance.

4. Don’t use antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soap might kill off some of the bacteria on your skin, and that’s bad for two reasons: (1) it lowers your own resistance to a variety of bacteria, making you more susceptible to bacteria-borne illness; (2) if a soap kills off 99.9% of bacteria, the 0.1% that’s left is going to be resistant to that soap and will thrive.

5. Dress a bit better than others. Observe what the standard dress code is in your workplace, then strive to dress just a slight notch better than that. Not enough so that you stick out, but enough so that you look very crisp and fresh compared to the rest of the crowd. Wear things that compliment your body shape. If you aren't sure how to, find a shopping buddy. Ask a friend for advice and tips, or get them to go shopping with you. Pick someone who looks great in their clothes (preferably someone of similar body type as you).

6. Take care of your feet, as they take a lot of wear and tear. One way to do this is with the use a pumice stone in the shower to scrub off all dead skin. Once you have done this, apply a thick lotion or body butter and rub it all over your feet.

7. Even if your skin is not excessively dry, applying a lightly fragranced body lotion daily will keep it supple, and it will also smell nice. If your skin is dry, lotion is more of a necessity to prevent it from becoming itchy and uncomfortable. Applying body lotion will also smooth out any dry patches, and it will give your skin a sheen and youthful glow.

8. Exercise at least 3-5 times a week. A simple work-out would be to walk, jog or run for at least 10 minutes or longer. Try doing sit-ups, crunches, side crunches and push-ups too. This will work-out the main attractive features on your body.

9. For the ladies, if you have blotchy skin, zits or under-eye circles, wear a little concealer or foundation. If you want to add some color to your look, wear a lip gloss or colored eyeliner. Be careful not to over-do it though.


10. Get dental or orthodontic work as needed. Having your teeth fixed is a wonderful investment. Many health care plans will cover dental corrections, so if you have any issues with your teeth, mention them to your dentist or seek out an orthodontist. Most dental corrections are simple and very cost effective investments for improving your personal appearance, so seek them out.

11. Have good posture. Great posture makes you look confident and taller. Try not to lean to one side. Keep your back straight when sitting. It may be hard at first, but you'll get used to it.

12. Keep your hair clean, combed and trimmed. Clean hair, even if it’s a bit disheveled or not cut perfectly, does wonders for a person’s appearance.

13. Make certain that your hands and fingernails are well groomed. Hands are actually one of the most visible parts of yourself because you use them often. This doesn't mean that you have to actually paint them or pay for expensive manicures. Just keep your hands and cuticles moisturized. File the fingernails into a nice shape and remove any hangnails.

14. Minimize body artwork. If you choose to have body art, be aware that for many people, such art is in fact a social stigma. In some careers, body art is inconsequential or even encouraged, but this is far from true for most jobs. Just be very careful of the long-term consequences if you are considering some form of permanent body art.

15. Clean those ears. One area of the body that can be easily overlooked, even when you bathe and wash daily, is your ears. As part of your regular grooming process, clean behind your ears with a washcloth and face cleanser, and also clean around the edges if necessary. Even if you look amazing, dirty ears will make it look as though you don't value personal hygiene.

16. Shave, or keep your beard trimmed.

17. Stretch every day, because being flexible will help your body, which will make you feel confident.

18. Take a bath or shower and clean thoroughly every day.

19. Tiredness is not attractive. Get about 7 to 8 hours sleep every night.

20. Use deodorant. A scentless odor-blocking deodorant, preferably one that does an effective job of absorbing moisture, can do wonders for both minimizing any potential body odor and for keeping any moisture from appearing on your clothing. Also, wear attractive perfume or body spray. 1 - 3 sprays is sufficient. If you have a strong expensive perfume, you may only need to spray once. Your perfume will last longer if you spray the back of your neck or your wrists. Don't spray your hair, because the oils may cause it to smell different.

In summary, keep yourself clean and presentable, dress well, and interact positively with others. It takes time, effort, and a bit of money to pull that off, but if you do, you’ll create an overall positive impression of yourself with everyone you interact with, and that positive impression is something very, very valuable to have.

==> Living With Aspergers: Help for Couples

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