Doctors are warning about a little, easy-to-miss area of the body that has become a secret hotspot for bacteria.
Dermatologists and family doctors say that most people avoid washing behind their ears in the shower.
Dr. Roger Kapoor, a dermatologist and senior VP at Beloit Memorial Hospital, notes that this area is one of the dirtiest yet least noticed.
He said that behind the ears should be added to the list of body parts that need to be cleaned as often as you wash other parts.
Skin folds, such as the ones behind the ears, naturally collect dirt, dead skin cells, and oil (sebum). In the summer, this accumulation gets worse because people don’t wash off their sunscreen or lotion correctly.
Not cleaning that region can cause a number of problems, such as bacterial infections, skin irritation, and a bad smell.
Dr. Kapoor said that patients should always wash the skin behind their ears on purpose and in a way that gets into the creases where the ear joins the skin, as that area can always retain dirt.
If you don’t take care of this area, you could get bacterial infections, skin irritation, or even a greasy smell.
Seborrheic dermatitis, or ear eczema, can develop in more serious cases. This makes patches that are flaky and irritating in places where there is a lot of oil, like behind the ears.
Dr. Jen Caudle, a family doctor in the U.S., has a simple test for you if you’re not sure if you’ve cleaned there recently: If you do this and then smell it and it’s gross, you haven’t washed it in a while.
Dr. Caudle also talked about other areas of daily life that people often forget to clean, like their belly button, fingernails, legs, and toes.
She said that fingernails should be kept short and that the undersides should be washed with soap and water often. Longer nails can hold more dirt and germs than shorter nails.
Does shampoo work behind the ears? Dr. Kapoor says no. Hair products might assist get rid of oil and bacteria, but they don’t really clean the region because they rinse off too soon.
The most important thing is to scrub the area directly with mild soap and then dry it completely. He also says that you should clean the arms of your spectacles often since they can spread germs to that sensitive area.