Stop Resting Your Face In Your Hands. Here's Why
Whether you're bored, tired, or distracted, you probably find yourself resting your face in your hands absentmindedly pretty often. But doing this might be causing some health issues.
Your hands touch a lot of things during the day and come in contact with millions of germs between washes (via HuffPost). Every time you rest your face in your hands, you are spreading those germs to your skin, eyes, and mouth. "Bacteria, viruses, and allergens transfer from fingertips onto the skin," said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Ava Shamban. Your eyes and mouth are some of the most vulnerable places for bacteria and viruses to enter your body. It is important to wash your hands after doing things that leave your hands covered in germs, like going to the grocery store or filling up your car with gas.
Touching your face frequently can also lead to acne and other skin issues. "Touching can make the face more prone to breakouts or other conditions, again because it spreads bacteria and other bugs," Dr. Shamban said. Avoid touching your face as much as possible, especially if you have acne-prone skin.
It takes effort to stop touching your face
If you struggle with keeping your hands and fingers away from your face, you're not alone. "It's one of the most common habits there is literally for any human," psychologist Kevin Chapman told Live Science. People have to touch their faces to perform a variety of daily tasks like putting on makeup and flossing. Those habits easily carry over to times we shouldn't be touching our faces, like while we're at the gym.
The first step in cutting down your face-touching habit is to be aware of when you're doing it. According to a 2015 study, people touch their faces upwards of 23 times per hour. Start by observing other people when you can and take note of how often they touch their faces. You're probably touching yours just as much (via Cleveland Clinic). You can also wear perfume or scented lotion on your hands to serve as a reminder when they get close to your face. You may want to carry tissues around with you that you can use when you need to wipe your eye or nose instead of relying on your hands. Finally, wash your hands frequently. Touching your face at some point in the day is probably inevitable, but clean hands will make it less likely for you to spread germs.