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Tacitus
Tufted Titmouse
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06 Nov 2011, 8:24 pm

I shower several times a day if I get the chance. I am not a huge fan of germs, but primarily I do it because it calms my nerves.


I used to be a Commercial fisherman and whenever the crew would leave the boat I would stick around and stare at the ocean for many many hours without distraction.

Now I live in a desert more or less, go figure! I don't hate much, but I do hate being away from the water. I am like the fish-man of cinema that would leave the water from time to time and walk the land. I too prefer water.

I can swim for miles non-stop and hold my breath nearly 5 minutes ( there is a secret to it.) *SIGH* I do so love the water.

Edit: I do wonder if I can still swim for miles though, I have been inland for nearly 6.5 years.

And in the spirit of the hygiene topic, I do usually wear a beard and don't often trim it. I also don't comb my hair too often, unless I'm going out but I am at home a lot these days. I find most people don't enjoy my company because I am "different."

Oh, lastly, does anyone know where I can find information on Autistic conferences and their locations and such? I would be so thrilled to meet other 'interesting' people like myself.

Edit #2: I had to fix some grammar. I admit that since most of my friends don't speak English, I have become even less effective in communication and make many grammatical errors than I used to make; so, I should watch what I type more closely.

Edit#3: spelling fix



OliveOilMom
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14 Nov 2011, 2:25 pm

I HATE to shower or take a bath. It seems like a waste of time. But I also hate how I feel when I don't do it. I'm a big big big fan of routine and lists, so I actually put it on my list. I have a hygeine routine and actually includes hairstyle and makeup. I dread doing the makeup and hair, and hate doing it while I'm doing it, but I'm very pleased afterwards. I was never one of those girls who enjoyed doing makeovers or fixing others hair. Why do it when it doesn't have to be done? Oddly enough, one of my oldest daughters best friends got married last month and she asked me to do her hair. I always do lots of really cool and different hairstyles to my hair, because for a while I watched YouTube and tried those for hours every day. I enjoyed it for that amount of time. So now, I have the skills to do it. I did the girls hair and she looked beautiful.

I'll post my daily hygeine routine for you gals so you can imagine how much I actually hate it while it's going on. The thing is, I'm always so glad I did it because I feel so much better about myself after. I do not think I am pretty anyway, in fact I think I'm butt ugly, but doing all this makes me think I'm not quite as butt ugly afterwards.

Before I post the routine, I want to give two tips to posters about issues they have mentioned.

1. Severely tangled hair. My two daughters used to have very long hair and at times it would get so tangled that I thought we would have to cut it. I found a solution. I put them in the shower, wet their hair, and then put a lot of conditioner in it. I combed thrugh it with the conditioner in it, starting from the bottom, carefully. It takes a few minutes, but it didn't hurt. Use much more conditioner than you normally would when you shampoo. After you get the tangles out, wash it with shampoo twice, then condition again with just a small amount. Comb it through, then rinse. If your hair is prone to tangles, always condition, and keep a comb in the shower to comb the conditioner through before you rinse it out. Only use that comb for the shower.

2. For the poster with the excess sweating. Have you tried corn starch? Putting some regular corn starch on a dish and then putting it on with a powder puff, all over your body can absorb that. You can buy a plain fluffy powder puff at the drug store or dollar store. In fact, you can buy a container for powder with a puff in it there and carry it with you to reuse during the day. Corn starch has no smell and it also works on rashes.


OK, this is what I force myself to do every day. I write it down so that I will have to do it.

Brush teeth
Wash face with Noxema
Wash face with scrub
Clean ears with q-tips
Put Rogaine for women on thinning spots on my hair
Put on eye cream
Put on moisturizer
Put lotion on legs, arms and hands
Put on deoderant
Dress
Put on foundation
Put on powder
Put on blush
Put on eyebrow pencil
Put on eyeshadow - color depending on what I am wearing
Put on eyeliner
Use eyelash curler
Put on mascara
Put on lipstick
Put on jewelry
Put on shoes
Fix hair

Whew. I'm set for the day now. I hate doing that stuff. Then at night:

Put hair up out of the way
Take off eye makeup with cotton ball and baby oil
Wash face with Noxema
Wash face with scrub
Brush teeth
Clean ears
Take bath and shave legs and armpits
Dry off
Put on deoderant
Put lotion on hands, arms, legs
Put on nightgown
Put Rogain on thinning spots on hair
Brush hair
Put on eye cream
Put on moisturizer


I wash my hair once a week because as I'm getting older it's not as oily, and I use a lot of hairspray so that helps too.
I also pluck my eyebrows once a week.

I used to do my nails but I just dont bother now.

Frances



psayles56
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15 Nov 2011, 1:34 pm

chrissyrun wrote:
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. :roll:

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! :x )


I have issues brushing my hair. I have to use detangler. I just hate brushing my hair but hate how it feels if I don't. I usually just wear my hair up because I feel like my hair is very itchy.



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15 Nov 2011, 2:44 pm

Hygiene is very important to me. I shower every morning when I wake up. I don't always shave every day though I try to. I have a mustache for Movember right now... I digress. Dental hygiene too, I go nuts if I can't floss, brush and rinse with Listerine at least twice a day. The scummy feeling of plaque on my teeth is one of my most hated sensations.


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Ollytheaspie
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15 Nov 2011, 3:00 pm

Hygiene isn't all that important to me although I am generally a clean person and I never stink (or so I think) :D



artrat
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19 Nov 2011, 4:42 am

Right now I'm doing good with hygiene. my body and my teeth are clean.
When I was a kid I hated taking a shower and I hated the material of towels. It made me never want to bath.



binaryodes
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01 Dec 2013, 12:51 pm

Im99% certain I have ADHD. Its almost laughable how similar the personality profiles are that I could cry. Because of this I tend to put off things like buying socks or new trainers which leads to serious reekage during the day.

I also wont brush my teeth for weeks (yes weeks) because I just cant be bothered//dont see the point. I know I should. I know my mouth will be declared to be a national health risk at some point but I just.dont.care.

I also only shower because when I dont I feel dirty and cant focus at all.

Paradoxically I have severe OCD though ahaha its mainly around things I cant control or foreign dirt. I could get urine all over my laptop and wouldnt really care all that much. Someone else's urine/sweat... time to procure my handy bottle of vinegar and baking soda



em_tsuj
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01 Dec 2013, 1:36 pm

I have sensory issues with water touching my face. I hate taking showers. Also it takes me longer to shower because of my lack of coordination. I only shower for other people so that I don't smell too bad. I don't go out and interact with others, I don't shower.

I guess the same things goes for brushing my teeth, shaving, combing my hair, and dressing appropriately. I only do it for other people because I hate doing it and don't care.

People have coached me on how to look nice and how important it is to be hygienic, so over the years I have learned how to follow the rules and I even get complemented quite often. It is all a show though, so that I don't get negative attention.



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01 Dec 2013, 2:03 pm

Pre-diagnosis, I bathed three times a week, shaved ever other day, and used deodorant and aftershave regularly. Since then, it's slumped to a bath and a shave every ten days or so (if I can be bothered) and very infrequent use of toiletries. This may be due to going through a bad relationship at the time of diagnosis, which has left me with little self-pride. I do will make sure I get a good haircut once a month, just in case, however.



joshuaturbeville
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01 Dec 2013, 10:34 pm

No, you're not the only one who has an issue with the smell of deodorants. My brother also hygiene issue. He doesn't want his deodorant, bar soap, cologne etc. to have a smell.


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Kiki1256
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14 Dec 2013, 6:47 pm

I wash my hair. I shower. I change my clothes. I brush my teeth. The only problem I've had lately is looking like I don't brush my hair. I brush my hair every morning, but by the end of the school day it's frizzy and tangled. That probably has to do with my split ends. I have a terrible time realizing when I need a haircut.



AlanMooresBeard
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14 Dec 2013, 7:18 pm

I shower every day without fail. I wash my hair every other day and shave my face 2-3 times a week. I brush my teeth twice a day and floss 3-4 times a week. I always use deodorant too. I don't have any issues with the smell of bathroom products. In fact, I usually quite like the scent of the products that I use.



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22 Dec 2013, 2:14 am

Yep. Me too....I've had this problem since I was a child. As most kids do, I used to fight having to take a bath. But once I got in the tub, I didn't want to get out. But unlike most kids, I didn't grow out of that.

Up until about 10 years ago, showering was something that I rarely accomplished. I have gone weeks without showering or even changing my underwear -- it gags me now to think of how nasty I was. It would get so bad, that I could see streaks on my arms where the dirt was washed down when I washed my hands. My feet have been so dirty that I could see the outline on my ankle where my shoe ended. It never crossed my mind that if I could smell myself, others could too. What usually triggered me to shower was when someone said "What's that smell?" I knew it was probably me, and I would take care of the problem. But it never got to be a habit. I think I lost a boyfriend partly because of this. I have no proof, but I just can't help thinking that was the case.

Since I've learned about ASD, I've tried to analyze why I've always had so much problem with this. I know I don't like the water on my dry skin. Once I get completely wet, I love being in the water and don't want to get out (just like when I was a kid...heheh). I wonder also whether being cold when I get out of the warm water could be an issue as well. I don't like that chilled feeling, and dread it when I get ready for a shower. And there are plenty of times I MEAN to get up and take a shower, but it just never happens. I get involved in a movie or I fall asleep, and it doesn't happen. I have to make a plan to do it, as in "I will plan to get up early enough in the morning to take a shower."

Now I'm doing a little better -- showering about once a week of so -- still sounds bad, but it's a HUGE upgrade for me. I wash my hair probably every other shower. Even if I was a daily showerer, I wouldn't wash my hair every day. It's big and wavy, and needs a teeny bit of oil and dirt in it to keep it from getting too frizzy. I used to not worry about combing my hair either -- I just pulled it back in a scrunchie. I thought that was taking care of the problem until I was told it pretty much looked like a rat's nest. So now, I
comb it every day...I still depend on the scrunchies though, because it drives me nuts for my hair to touch my face.

As for shaving, I do it as little as possible. I NEVER shave the undercarriage -- I figure that hair is there for a reason, and I don't touch it. As for underarms, I don't have a lot of hair there, so it's not really a problem. My legs are SUPER hairy, but I rarely shave those either. I'm not seeing anyone at the moment, so I don't worry about it. I guess if I was dating someone who gave a crap about whether or not I was shaved my legs, I would do it. But otherwise...eh.

My teeth are a different matter. I could probably do better, but I do brush at least once every day (in the morning) and floss occasionally. I'm freaked out by nasty funky teeth, and I don't want mine to be that way. My smile is probably my best feature, and I don't want to mess that up.


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23 Dec 2013, 5:15 pm

"Hygiene" refers to the preservation of health. It is not necessary to bathe every day, or even every few days, in order to remain healthy. The use of soap is not hygienic, unless you've got serious germs on you from something particular (like...surgery. everyday germs are not unhygienic) and use anti-bacterial soap. Shaving is certainly not a matter hygiene. Hygiene does not require deodorant.

What you all are discussing are mere grooming mores. It bothers me to see people wasting their time/energy with useless grooming expectations, especially when they are physically harmful (soap strips the skin of needed oil, causes vaginal infections, deodorant contains pharmaceuticals that cause goddess knows what...it has been implicated as a possible cause of breast cancer, if I remember correctly).

I don't wear deodorant or use soap (scrub with washcloth and hot water) and I smell fine (and by fine I mean like a normal, clean human being; people who prefer the smell of artificial fragrances may disagree) but it does require washing the underarms regularly. Because I don't use soap, my skin doesn't get so dried out, and I don't need lotion (and wouldn't use it anyway; it has shady ingredients, just like deodorant). Pure coconut oil or other natural oils are good for moisturizing the skin and hair. Many people have found that, when they stop washing their hair so often, washing it often becomes unnecessary. When you stop constantly washing away the scalp's oil, the scalp doesn't produce as much. I wash my hair once a month and it's fine. I scrub with a scalp massager under the shower spray every time I shower (in between hair washings), and it keeps dust and other everyday things out of the hair; no shampoo required. Short haircuts also help. I've never understood why women bother to keep their hair long if they don't want to deal with it and constantly wear it in a ponytail. Just cut it already.



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28 Dec 2013, 5:44 pm

I most often view hygiene and grooming tasks as incredibly boring wastes of time. So I try to take care of those things as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Bathing - Though I really like the massage part of a shower, the noise makes me avoid them. So I recently changed from showers to baths. For baths I turn on the water then leave the bathroom while it fills; I can then soak in peace. A hot bath relaxes me and changes my mood for the better. I bath a couple of times a week.

Scents - I have no problem with unscented deodorants. I am almost addicted to my Sandlewood talc.

Dental - I brush teeth and scrape my tongue after every meal, and floss daily, so no problems with that routine. I have enough struggles in life without getting toothaches and having to spend time at the dentist.

Hair - I recently cut my hair very, very short so that I can basically ignore it without looking like a wild man. Ball caps help a lot too, especially because with my hair so short I otherwise can look like Uncle Fester from Adam's Family.

Shaving - I am beyond the age when stubble can look rakish and manly - instead I look like an old bum. I would like to shave daily, but usually only manage twice a week. It just seems like a big waste of time.

I hope this routine is sufficient. It helps that I am only out in society once each week.


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Forkliftoperator
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29 Dec 2013, 1:03 am

I shower every day because if I don't, I feel dirty and itchy. I have a physically demanding job and work in a dusty warehouse so I also keep my hair really short so it is easy to wash and doesn't get itchy. I also wear deodorant every day since I do not like to smell like BO.