Is your personal hygiene a source of office embarrasment?

Picture this: Vikram Mehra is a suave young man, bright as a button and a smooth talker. He's good at his job and is always coming up with innovative ideas. But in the office, whenever he passes by a colleague's cubicle or enters someone's cabin,  those around him squirm uncomfortably, scrunching up their noses, holding their breath and leaning back in their seats. They're just waiting for him to leave, but no one tells Vikram the reason behind this behaviour.

You know why they behave like this, though, don't you? Yes, it's as you suspected -- Vikram exudes terrible body odour (there isn't any other kind!).

If you've ever worked with someone who has poor oral hygiene -- whether it's bad breath, smelly feet, or body odour -- you know how distracting and unbearable it can get, up to the point that it becomes difficult to function when that individual is around.

Here's another scenario:

At the airport, Sanjay Dhawan, a traveller, has the option of using one of two available counters to check himself in.

The first counter is manned by a staffer who has greasy hair, stubble and is wearing a wrinkled white shirt, the colour of which is now bordering between off-white and grey. He also has oily skin, paan-stained teeth and dirty fingernails. He is, however, a senior staffer and efficient at his job.

The second counter is manned by a staffer who is wearing ironed clothes, has a neat hairstyle, a nice bright smile, clean hands and smells great. He has been around for only six months and is therefore not very conversant with his job.

Whose counter do you think Sanjay Dhawan will check in from and why?

My guess is he will head straight for the second counter -- who wouldn't prefer a pleasant, clean-looking person?

Body odour

Remember, most folks are too embarrassed to tell you that you have body odour. Even your best friend will probably not mention it. And managers, too, are happy to steer well clear of the issue, often feeling unable to broach the subject until forced to do so by complaining subordinates. Even then, they are often unprepared to deal with what is a very delicate situation.

The human nose suffers from olfactory fatigue and you probably can't smell yourself at times, but others can. Therefore, evaluate yourself.

Now we live in a very hot country and as human beings, we have sweat glands that help regulate our body temperature. It is therefore quite natural for us to perspire. When perspiration is allowed to stay on our bodies for an extended period of time, however, the bacteria that feeds off it cause an offensive body odour.

Perspiration can be a serious problem if you do not take the right measures to keep clean. Fortunately, today there are many over-the-counter products available that can help you to maintain stringent standards of personal hygiene.

Most people do not acquire these good habits because of poor planning and thoughtlessness rather than lack of money. Most measures to remain hygienic and clean either do not cost anything at all or then very little. It is worth spending a little on basic toiletries to remain clean and hygienic.

So here is how you can prevent or get rid of body odour:  

• Bathe daily, preferably twice a day. A morning bath helps to eliminate overnight perspiration and body odour. And an evening bath washes away the odours of the day. A bath can also help make a difference to how you feel. A lazy, warm bath is excellent therapy to soothe tired muscles and relax, while a quick and cool bath buoys you up for a burst of energy.
  
• Gone are the days when soaps were all you needed because the rest of the world has moved on to bodywash. Just a pea-sized bit of shower gel on a loofah or sponge instantly transforms into an explosion of rich, creamy, cleansing lather. When applied to the skin, it penetrates deep enough to clean thoroughly, while enveloping it in a fresh aromatic fragrance.
  
• Use a loofah once a day on your elbows, knees, outer thighs, back, feet and hips. Exfoliated skin is healthy skin.
  
• During the cold, dry months use a hand and body lotion / body oil after a bath to keep the skin smooth and soft. Do this while the body is still wet and then pat dry with a soft towel.

• Now comes the time to use a good, strong, heavy-duty, anti-perspiration deodorant in the underarm area (roll-ons are more effective than sprays). Ladies, I highly recommend that you use men's deodorants too! Always apply to dry skin. The anti-perspirant controls the actual flow of sweat by contracting your pores, while the deodorant prevents body odour by destroying skin bacteria. These also have chemicals that convert moisture into solids (you might want to wait for it your deo to dry before you wear your clothes, as it can lead to staining, especially on dark-coloured fabrics).
  
• Ladies should now use a good perfume or body spray. For men, after-shave or cologne should be used for a sense of lingering freshness. Too much perfume or after-shave is a bad idea -- you don't want to give your co-workers a migraine!
  
• Yopu should have access to a can of deo at any given time -- keep it in your purse, briefcase, drawer, cabinet, locker, glove compartment or any other convenient place. When the effectiveness of the roll-on wears off, which could be anywhere between three to eight hours and you start feeling sticky again, slip into a rest room and freshen up (please use only on your skin -- your shirt is incapable of perspiring!). Oh by the way, sprays work better at such times -- you would look rather strange standing with your hands up in the office rest room, waiting for the roll-on to dry!
  
• Don't re-wear clothes without washing them, especially if you have a tendency to perspire excessively. Wash your clothes in warm water with a good detergent.
  
• If body odour persists in spite of all these measures, please see a doctor. Your co-workers will bless you!

Oral hygiene

Taking good care of one's teeth is one of the smartest health investments one can make, helping to ensure that they will remain strong, healthy and white for a lifetime. Taking good care of your mouth and teeth will give you pleasant breath, a nice smile and fewer cavities.

• Brush your teeth twice a day, clean your tongue and use a mouthwash or floss to avoid offensive bad breath.

• Avoid chewing paan, tobacco or smoking -- they not only stain your teeth and give you bad breath, but they cause cancer.  
  
• In case your teeth are stained, use toothpaste with whiteners and bleach. Or you can just brush with household baking soda -- that's not very pleasant, but it is quite effective!
  
• Hydrate your mouth by drinking water regularly, as a dry mouth causes bad breath. Drink a glass of water after consuming tea/ coffee or anything else that has sugar or milk in it. Besides rinsing your mouth, water is excellent for your health too.
  
• Strongly-spiced or flavoured foods like pickles, onions and garlic must not be consumed before or during work hours. Always keep mints, a mouth spray or lavang (clove) and elaichi (cardamom) handy, so you can pop them into your mouth as and when necessary.
  
• If problems with your teeth, gums or bad breath still persist, see a dentist as soon as possible.

Grooming, health and hygiene

Hygiene is more than just being clean -- it is defined as the many practices that help people keep healthy.

Practicing good personal hygiene is smart for two reasons. First, it helps prevent people from catching and spreading illnesses and disease, which is of key importance when it comes to the office environment. Second, it helps people feel good about themselves and their bodies.

Also remember, you are never completely well-groomed till you have conquered personal hygiene. Everything about you must be squeaky clean.

Here are a few other general tips to keep in mind when it comes to personal hygiene:

• Clean hair is healthy hair (also, dandruff and lice are not very attractive, are they?).
  
• Keep your feet clean, toe-nails short and wear clean socks. These measures will help keep your tootsies safe from fungal and other infections. Ladies, your feet are seen when you wear open-toed sandals and chappals. Clean, pedicured feet say a lot about your grooming standards.
  
• Your hands say more about you than you may think, especially in a role where they are always in view. Besides this, well-manicured fingers give a sense of hygiene and freshness to the onlooker. Ladies -- chipped nail polish is the Number One grooming sin! Fingernails should always be kept clean and neatly trimmed or filed. Nails that are excessively long can, by virtue of their length, hold more dirt than shorter nails. Those with longer nails, then, need to be more diligent about keeping them nails clean.
  
• Ladies, defuzzing and removing unwanted hair also is an essential part of your personal hygiene. Arms, underarms, legs, eye-brows and upper lip should always be hairless. You can use different methods to achieve this -- waxing, shaving, threading or depilatory creams. Of these, waxing is found to be the most effective as the results last the longest. For those suffering from waxing in-growth problems, try using a pumice stone while bathing. Facial hair which is downy can be bleached into oblivion.

Do keep in mind that personal hygiene is important no matter what field of work you are in, not only as a courtesy to co-workers, customers and everybody you encounter during your work day -- it is vital to your own physical and emotional wellbeing.

Suneeta Kanga freelances as a corporate groomer, international etiquette expert, beauty advisor and aesthetics and style consultant for various individuals and organizations including airline training centers, finishing schools, banks and corporate business organisations. She can be contacted at suneetakanga@sodhi.net.