[Image: Clouds… “Hygiene and the Survivor: An Incomplete Guide”]
This is a hard topic to talk about, an even harder one to ask for advice on. No one wants to be that person who says ‘I haven’t been able to take a shower in a week’.
At the end of the day, Hygiene- in one form or another, is often a problem for a lot of survivors.
So let’s get down to business.
If you know you are a person with a problem with these things, make reminders to do them. In your phone, on a sticky note, write it in your agenda, make a sticker chart if you need to. Do whatever it takes.
Self soothe before and after. Self care before and after.
Make it as stress free as possible-as soothing as possible. Do it in the dark with candles or pleasant smells if that helps you. Music or white noise might help. Don’t feel weird for having to go all out if it helps makes things easier. Put a robe/your new clothes/towel in the dryer for a few minutes either right before you get in the shower or while you’re in there. That way it’s warm and self-soothing for afterwards.
Routine. Routine. Routine. Routine is your friend. Repeat the same actions in the same order at around the same time. Routine is your friend.
Divide and Conquer. Can’t handle doing everything at once? Break it into smaller parts. Allow yourself breaks. Don’t beat yourself up. Plenty of survivors struggle with this stuff for one reason or another. You aren’t broken or defective.
Potential Problem: Getting naked/Seeing own body
Bathing suits are an option. Just make sure you’re still washing under them.
Bathing in the dark. Night lights are your friend.
Giant shirt for before and after. With a large enough shirt- it is 100% possible to change in and out of clothes, while still wearing the shirt. Have it be a thing just for shower time- that way you aren’t worrying about getting the shirt you’re about to wear wet.
Potential Problem: nope, can’t do it you can’t make me.
If showering is legitimately not an option- you can still get clean.
Baby wipes are your friend.
Wash cloths are you friend.
Alcohol is your friend. (the rubbing kind.) This is actually something I learned from a buddy who hikes. One of the things he was taught was to take cotton balls and clean areas with them dipped in alcohol.
Bird baths for your body. Focus on problem areas like genitals/ feet/armpits. You can clean your feet in a bin. You can take once a day to wash your armpits anywhere basically, and your genital area after you’ve been to the toilet.
If it’s a water/sensory issue- do ‘navy’ showers. (only have the water running when you’re actively rinsing)
Potential Problem: But my hair?
If showering is a problem for you, minimizing the amount of time you spend in the shower can help. Doing your hair outside of the shower can help.
Keep a cup next to your sink, or if doing it kneeling by the tub isn’t anxiety inducing- you can do this there. But go ahead and wet your hair while you’re still clothed.
Shampoo+conditioner blends exist and are good for those who can manage to do it once- but can’t make themselves do it twice.
Leave in conditioners are also pretty cool things that you don’t have to rinse out.
Dry Shampoos are pretty cool. Baking soda is also an option. Make sure you brush it out though.
If you’re doing the ‘out of shower washing’ you can also rinse hair out with a wash cloth instead of running your head in water. That may be helpful for some of you.
Also you really don’t need to be washing your hair every day anyway.
This is a surround tooth brush. They’re meant for caretakers of people who can’t brush their own teeth. But basically they’re tooth brushes that basically have three heads. meaning they really cut down on brush time.
Waterpiks are pretty expensive but apparently pretty good at doing the job.
If the toothpaste is the problem- dentists say that dry brushing is still encouraged. Also Sea Salt is apparently an option, you just like.. dissolve it in water and then dip your brush in that. Coconut oil too? maybe?
That being said- if the tooth brush is the problem, and you can handle your own hand in your mouth. Finger tooth brushes are a thing.
If nothing else, mouth wash.
Or even better, mouth wash + flossing.
You can also clean your teeth with water + paper towel/rag. Do one tooth at a time like you would with a tooth brush.
Oil Pulling. Swishing (gently) with about a tablespoon of pure oil (olive, coconut, and sesame oil seem to be pretty popular.) for 20 minutes. Though when you start out you can start with 5-10 minutes as you get used to it. (don’t spit it out in your sink though. trashcans work.)
Chewing Sticks can be used as an alternative to teeth brushing.
Swishing with baking soda dissolved in warm water can help.
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