Too hygienic?

[choiboy_1120]

So I am CRAZY about hand hygiene...I wash my hands every time before i eat, before I touch my mouth, after I come home from going out, after using the bathroom, and so on and so forth. I even never ever touch my mouth when I haven't washed my hands, even when I am home by myself. My concern is...could all this hand washing also be a bad thing? Of course I mainly do it to stop myself from risking any illnesses...but I do wash them so so so much that it gets me worried that it may be weakening my immune system or possible making my hands more vulnerable to bacteria or viruses...should I be concerned?

Thanks all!

[Malalcala]

Hand washing is great! It is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of illnesses... but yes, there is definitely such a thing as too much. Your skin is one of your bodies best sources of defense against the environment and if you wash your hands so much that they are cracked that's a risk of infection on its own.
I'd probably think about where the anxiety is in control VS good hygiene & see if you can manage to cut back. At home for instance, washing your hands constantly is likely doing you more harm than good.
Of course it's not always easy to simply stop something that is anxiety driven or has become habit so I would maybe invest in a good glycerine based lotion for your hands too to keep them healthy.

[Pigatron]

I do the same thing. Never touch my mouth without washing my hands first, even when I'm at home. And certainly before eating or preparing food. I suppose there is a point where hand washing can become obsessive/compulsive, but to me, there is logic in washing your hands before you touch your mouth. For example, if I touch my cell phone (ugh, filthy) at home, or even the remote controls (my husband might've touched them with his hands after touching his cell phone, etc.), then my hands might be "contaminated." If I'm just sitting around and not touching my mouth, then I don't wash my hands. So, I feel like I'm not totally insane! Maybe just a touch lol.