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- For other uses of 'groom' and 'grooming', see groom.
Personal grooming, sometimes called preening, or simply grooming, is the art of cleaning, grooming, and maintaining parts of the body.
In humans
Grooming in humans typically includes bathroom activities such as primping: washing and cleansing the hair, combing it to extract tangles and snarls, and styling. It can also includes cosmetic care of the body, such as shaving and other forms of depilation.
In animals
Individual animals regularly clean themselves and put their fur, feathers or other skin coverings in good order. This activity is known as personal grooming or preening, a form of hygiene. For example, combing through the hair or feathers, ensuring they lie smoothly against the skin, and extracting foreign objects such as insects, and leaves, dirt and twigs, are all forms of grooming.
Among animals, birds must preen each of their feathers daily to remove parasites, keep them in good aerodynamic condition, and oil them. They use the oil secreted by the uropygial gland in order to preen themselves. When an oil spill affects penguins they are dressed in knitted sweaters to stop themselves preening.
Grooming as a social activity
Many social animals adapt preening and grooming behaviors, for other social purposes such as bonding, social structure enforcement, or dispute resolution. Humans also use verbal means, such as gossip and flattery for the same purpose.
See also
"Personal grooming"