Personal hygiene advice for girls

 “It stings!”, “It burns!”... Because it has no natural defences before puberty, your daughter’s intimate area is particularly sensitive to a host of daily stresses. It is therefore important not to underestimate any intimate discomfort she may have.

This intimate area easily becomes dehydrated, is often irritated and even occasionally prone to infection, so it demands certain precautions and care, particularly when it comes to girls.

Between 50% and 70%1 of intimate problems in girls (dryness, onset of minor irritation, etc.) are connected to unsuitable hygiene. This is why it is recommended that the right daily personal hygiene routine, using products suited to the particular physiology of children, be adopted.

The right routine to adopt for personal hygiene:

A young girl should be washed (or wash herself, like a grown up!) at least once a day. This is especially important after getting out of the swimming pool or sea, and in the event of intestinal and digestive problems.

To ensure the well-being of girls, it is a good idea to follow personal hygiene advice, which consists of a few simple rules:

When using the toilet:

• Do not hold in urine, for example at school.
• Always wash hands before and after.
• Wipe from front to back to prevent microbes in the stools from proliferating in the intimate area

When bathing:

Opt for showers rather than baths, which promote dampness and therefore increase the risk of infection. Always avoid flannels, which are breeding grounds for microbes!

Dry your daughter’s intimate area carefully, patting gently with a clean towel. Do not rub.

Use a suitable gentle cleansing product to wash the intimate area (e.g. soap-free, with a moisturising active ingredient).

For clothing:

Change her pants every day, or whenever the underwear is soiled.

Opt for cotton underwear.

As with yourself, avoid dressing her in trousers that may be tight between her legs.

1/Louis Borrione C. Genital pathology of girls. University College Hospital of Paediatric Surgery, Paediatric surgery manual, 1998