Summary

• Hand hygiene: avoiding the transmission of infectious diseases
• How often should I wash my hands?
• Hand Hygiene: the right gestures
• Hand disinfection
• Protecting your hands

Hand hygiene is one of the essential gestures in terms of personal hygiene. It allows one to protect oneself and to limit the risk of transmission of infectious diseases.

Hand hygiene: avoiding the transmission of infectious diseases

In contact with everything around us, hands are the primary transmitters of infectious diseases such as the flu, colds, gastroenteritis, and even herpes. Hence the importance of good hand hygiene.

We cough, sneeze, blow our noses, and if we do not wash our hands immediately, we deposit pathogenic germs everywhere we go: on a door handle, a vending machine, during a handshake?

Therefore, it is recommended to wash your hands regularly throughout the day to avoid transmitting viruses and bacteria, especially during epidemics, and avoid being infected in turn. Hand hygiene rules must be applied both at home and in the workplace.

How often should I wash my hands?

Hands should be washed several times during the day, and some everyday situations require hand washing in particular:

• after taking public transportation;
• after shopping at a department store;
• after sneezing in your hands or blowing your nose;
• after using the toilet;
• on the way home;
• before handling food;
• before eating.

Hand Hygiene: the right gestures

For good hand hygiene daily, it is recommended :

• to use soap and water;
• Remove jewelry, especially rings, before cleaning your hands;
• Rub for at least 15 seconds on the palm, the top of the hand, the wrists, and between the fingers;
• clean under the nails with a brush;
• Rinse hands from wrists to fingertips for 10 seconds;
• Dry hands with disposable paper towels or a clean towel;
• Close the faucet with paper or towel.

Hand disinfection

Due to alcohol’s presence, excessive use of hydro-alcoholic solutions dries out the hands and can eventually lead to dermatitis. These antibacterial solutions must therefore be reserved for epidemic periods and the medical environment.

For a correct use of the hydro-alcoholic solution, it is necessary to :

• apply the product on clean and dry hands;
• rub your hands for 30 seconds, passing over the palms, the back of the hands, between the fingers, and on the wrists, until the product evaporates.

It is advisable to apply a hand care cream after washing your hands to prevent hands from drying out.

Protecting your hands

Hands are fragile and need protection to stay beautiful and soft. To prevent them from becoming irritated and dry, it is recommended:
– Wear gloves when handling household products, or when doing the dishes;
– Wear gloves in winter to protect them from wind and cold;
– Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them well;
– do not abuse hydro-alcoholic solutions that dry the skin;
– to apply cream several times a day in winter;
– Exfoliate hands once a week.

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