# Grooming in public - what's acceptable **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729 "2026-02-16T23:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/1 "2026-02-16T23:51:34Z")
I was setting in a meeting at work the other day and our General Manager starts cleaning between his teeth with a piece of paper - a Post-it note to be precise. It seemed a bit gauche to me. My dad used to do this but he was a laborer on a job site. Last year, my wife and I visited Italy. We were in the Galleria dell’Accademia, having just seen David and sat down on one of the benches to rest. The lady across from us was clipping her nails and letting them fall to the ground. A woman at work is constantly cleaning, clipping and painting her nails. And what about people who clean their ears with their keys? Then there’s the women who put on make-up while driving - I see this more than you might imagine. Some things I consider to be right out - nose-picking, flossing. Maybe I’m prudish, but I wouldn’t be caught dead doing these things in public. Or maybe I was brought up differently. I’m not judging (well, the nails at the museum maybe) just wondering what other consider OK. ---
**Author:** ![mtnmatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/2 "2026-02-17T00:13:57Z")
I worked in a pretty good-sized company which kept on two older women, apparently pals of one of the founders, as receptionists. They both gave an aura of heavy-smoking, bowling alley barflies, with thick Long Island accents. We were always surprised they lasted. It wasn’t long after one of them was seen shaving the hairs off her big toe knuckles, feet up on the reception desk, that they were relieved and we got a professional receptionist. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/3 "2026-02-17T00:17:48Z")
Yowie! That image will stick with me… ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/4 "2026-02-17T00:18:46Z")
I’m thinking adjusting hair out of your face is acceptable, not much else. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/5 "2026-02-17T00:19:26Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > And what about people who clean their ears with their keys? One of our dispatchers cleans her ears with a “Clic Stic” pen (pen part retracted) and then puts it back in the pen jar, goopy wax and all on the tip. Gauche isn’t the word for it. Gross is. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/6 "2026-02-17T00:19:29Z")
[Miss Manners has opined that even buffing of the fingernails is a personal grooming act that should be performed in privacy.](https://www.uexpress.com/life/miss-manners/2009/01/04) I’d have to conclude that she isn’t a fan of public fingernail trimming either. And yes, any personal cleaning or tidying beyond a quick wipe or swipe (brushing a foreign object off one’s clothes, wiping the eyes or forehead after weeping or sweating, applying hand sanitizer, powdering the nose, smoothing the hair, removing a dab of food from the lip when eating, maybe a quick discreet nose-blowing, and so on) has traditionally been considered unsuitable for public view. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/7 "2026-02-17T00:46:40Z")
Many years ago I worked for a PA Liquor Control Board administrator who would clip his nails at the desk. Every so often I had to clean out the pen well in the main desk drawer because it would get filled up with his clippings - I will never unsee this as long as I live. 🤣 Sometimes it got DEEP! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/8 "2026-02-17T01:01:05Z")
If you’ve got a broken fingernail or a hangnail I say clip it, otherwise save it for later. One of my co-workers flosses at her desk and then leaves the floss picks sitting on her desk. Yuck… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/9 "2026-02-17T01:04:07Z")
I still remember the woman sitting across from us on a commercial flight, using nail polish remover. Had to get the cabin crew to intervene to get her to stop. The stink of acetone is an enclosed space is not pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/10 "2026-02-17T01:06:29Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > If you’ve got a broken fingernail or a hangnail I say clip it, otherwise save it for later. Yep. As for flossing- sometimes after lunch that is a must, but try to hit the bathroom- if you can wait > [@Kimstu](#): > > maybe a quick discreet nose-blowing, and so on) has traditionally been considered unsuitable for public view. Nah, if you have allergies you cant spend the whole work week in the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/11 "2026-02-17T01:06:44Z")
Anecdote: I was on the subway to O’Hare airport in Chicago and a homeless person on the train was cleaning their toenails/feet a few feet away from me. NOT ok!!! (so, so gross…being homeless they were very nasty feet too) In public, comb your hair, put on lipstick/apply makeup, wash your hands are fine. Much more then do it in private. If you do not want to watch someone else doing whatever then chances are you should not do it in sight of others either. A kind of modified Golden Rule. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/12 "2026-02-17T01:09:28Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > In public, comb your hair, put on lipstick/apply makeup, wash your hands are fine. Huh? How do you wash your hands in public? Use those wet wipes or something? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/13 "2026-02-17T01:10:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Huh? How do you wash your hands in public? Use those wet wipes or something? Yeah. Or pour water from a water bottle over them (or use a hose or spigot). Heck…outdoor concerts have hand wash stations where you pump water (although not sure if you come away cleaner after using some of those). Or hand sanitizer. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/14 "2026-02-17T01:19:00Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Then there’s the women who put on make-up while driving - I see this more than you might imagine. Well, hopefully it’s during stoplights. But since your name reads male, let me enlighten you. Women are required to do several times the amount of grooming that men do, just in order to appear healthy. If we go to work without any makeup people will literally perceive us as being sick. Between hair, plucking, shaving, more complicated dressing, and makeup, this takes _conservatively_ an hour per day. While men shower, run a hand through their hair, throw on some thought-free comfortable clothing, and run out the door. Yes, some women ignore this and survive, and yes, some women get the routine down to a shorter time span. The average for American women is one hour per day. Add that up and it’s two weeks every year that women are losing. This is a huge advantage men have, and never acknowledge or even know about. Add to that the incredible amount of housework and shopping etc. we do to keep households running, which most men also successfully opt out of. So yeah, women are running out of time to get things done. We use every second that’s available to us, including applying makeup in the rear view mirror at stoplights. Meanwhile you pride yourself in your “superior standards” while enjoying a few minutes of your daily free time hours during your commute. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/15 "2026-02-17T01:22:13Z")
I would definitely draw the line at ANY grooming while driving. As for Post-It guy, maybe it was a minor crisis and he had something stuck that was causing pain. That would be IMO forgivable. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/16 "2026-02-17T01:23:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Nah, if you have allergies you cant spend the whole work week in the bathroom. Is anybody saying you should? ISTM that an occasional fast wipe of the nose or “maybe a quick discreet nose-blowing” in front of co-workers should be adequate for any allergy sufferer who’s actually in a condition to get any work done. (There’s also the question of how “public” one’s personal workspace area is considered to be. Inside one’s own office with the door closed is not “in public”, and individual cubicles are also a bit more “personal space” than actual common areas.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/17 "2026-02-17T01:25:36Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > There’s also the question of how “public” one’s personal workspace area is considered to be. Inside one’s own office with the door closed is not “in public”, and individual cubicles are also a bit more “personal space” than actual common areas.) Okay, if you mean reasonable allergy nose blowing is okay in your own cubicle, fine. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/18 "2026-02-17T01:27:44Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Between hair, plucking, shaving, more complicated dressing, and makeup, this takes _conservatively_ an hour per day. While men shower, run a hand through their hair, throw on some thought-free comfortable clothing, and run out the door. Yes, some women ignore this and survive, and yes, some women get the routine down to a shorter time span. The average for American women is one hour per day. Curious where you’re getting your numbers from. According to [this industry cite](https://www.advdermatology.com/blog/americas-beauty-budgets/), men spend about 22 minutes a day, and women spend about 39 minutes a day. I’m not convinced by this study, as I don’t see their survey methodology, and i do see sentences like: > the average person spends $277 per year on haircuts, with women spending slightly more at $286 than men at $268. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/19 "2026-02-17T01:32:09Z")
It takes me a few minutes to get ready. Even make up takes me 5 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/20 "2026-02-17T01:33:04Z")
When I look back, I’m really impressed when I remember my mother putting on her eye makeup one-handed while driving. I need two hands and a completely still and well-lit bathroom. Sometimes I brush my hair at my desk, just a couple of quick strokes, and I’m embarrassed if I get caught. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729.md?page=2)