Etiquette and Public Grooming

You wouldn't wear this in public, so why would you  pick your teeth, comb your hair, or perform any of the necessary operations of the toilet in public or company?

Personal Grooming in Public

Never pare or scrape your nails, pick your teeth, comb your hair, or perform any of the necessary operations of the toilet in company. All these things should be carefully attended to in the privacy of your own room. 

To pick the nose, dig the ears, or scratch the head or any part of the person in company is still worse. Watch yourself carefully, and if you have any such habits, break them up at once. 

These may seem little things, but they have their weight, and go far in determining the character of the impression we make upon those around us. –From 1887's "How to Behave"

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J .Graber, is the Editor and Site Moderator for Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia