Teenage years can be stressful enough without the added burden of problem skin. From acne breakouts that seem to appear from nowhere, to warts that makes you feel very conspicuous, to an oily complexion that shines out of control, your teen years can be filled with skin problems. Like many teens, you probably feel you're the only one who's affected. But the truth is that you're not - skin problems are common in teens and with the right precautions and treatment, you can overcome most of these problems. Always remember, no matter what your skin problem is, it shouldn’t affect your lifestyle nor should it bring down your confidence.
{slider Acne}
If you have acne, you’re not alone. Around 80% of teenagers get some form of acne at some stage. If you’re a girl, it can occur right before each menstrual cycle and can be a distressing and chronic condition. Acne comes in the form of whiteheads, blackheads and pus-filled spots. It may often be a cause of embarrassment but don’t let acne define who you are, just do what you can to improve your skin.
Causes of Acne
Acne is usually a result of hormonal changes that occur during puberty. Sometimes acne may produce excess sebum, which forms a plug with dead skin cells, thereby blocking the follicle. This causes otherwise harmless bacteria that live on your skin, to infect theblocked follicle. This in turn causes red pus-filled spots to form on the surrounding skin.
Treating and preventing Acne
There are no “quick fixes” for acne. It’s a condition that needs long-term management. But with the following easy self-care steps, you can decrease the severity of your acne problem.
●Keep your skin free of oil and dirt. Use a mild soap and lukewarm water. Very hot or cold water including steam may worsen acne.
●Do not scrub hard when washing acne-affected skin.
●Do not use abrasive soaps, cleansing agents, astringents, or exfoliating agents. Use a soft washcloth and fingers instead. Antiseptic washes may be beneficial.
●Avoiding excessive washing of the skin
●Avoiding comedogenic (pore-blocking) cosmetics. Use oil-free or non-comedogenic products on your face.
●Don't squeeze or pick blemishes. Popping pimples can drive acne bacteria deeper into the skin. Picking can lead to more inflammation and permanent scarring.
●Avoid home treatment such as toothpaste application.
If these measures fail, see your doctor for further advice.
Oily skin isn’t the most attractive thing to have when you’re a teenager but it is very common. It’s when your skin is often shiny, thick and dull coloured. A chronically oily skin has coarse pores and pimples and other blemishes. It is also prone to blackheads. In this type of skin, the oil producing sebaceous glands are overactive and produce more oil than is needed. The oil oozes and gives the skin a greasy shine. The pores are enlarged and the skin has a coarse look.While oily skin is often associated with acne, this isn’t always the case. You could have just oily skin alone, without the spots or acne.
Causes of Oily Skin
To some extent oily skin is genetic. Some people have more active sebaceous glands than others, but the hormonal changes in you can also have an effect.
Treatment and prevention of oily skin
If you’ve got oily skin, do not overly scrub your skin or use harsh, abrasive cleansers. It’s more likely to inflame your skin and could actually worsen your condition. Oily skin could be improved by using oil-free water-based cosmetics, a gentle cleanser and a light oil-free moisturizer.
Nobody likes being around a stinker and this can be especially difficult if you’re a teen. Body odour is an unpleasant smell our bodies can give off, when bacteria that live on the skin, break down sweat into acids. It’s a common complaint amongst most teenagers but don’t worry, it’s one that can easily be fixed.
Causes of Body Odour
Body odour is caused by the growth of bacteria on your body, particularly on the armpits and groin due to special sweat glands found in these areas. The unpleasant smell really is the result of bacteria breaking down protein into certain acids.
Treatment and prevention of Body Odour
You can manage body odour by bathing regularly and wearing fresh, clean clothes. Deodorants on the armpits work by making the sweat here more acidic, this creates a hostile environment in which bacteria cannot survive. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, block the production of sweat by plugging the ducts between the glands and the skin surface. Deodorants won’t causecancers.
Ever had skin so dry you can actually scratch your name on your skin? Dry skin is skin which flakes, peels or cracks may be the result of insufficient moisture.
Causes of Dry Skin
There are lots of causes of dry skin,
Including:
•specific medical conditions;
•excessive use of make-ups,
•perfumes or harsh soaps;
•dehydration
•excess sun exposure;
•certain chemicals or medications;
•arid environments
•Excessive washing.
Treatment and prevention of dry skin
By addressing the causes of the dry skin, and applying a basic, fragrance-free moisturiser, most people will see this resolve quickly. Drinking plenty of water (2 litres per day) and avoiding excessive sun or heat exposure will also help your skin maintain its moisture content.
{slider Hair Loss}
As a teen, you most probably have no worry about going bald. Most people lose about 50 to 100 head hairs a day. These hairs are replaced by growing back in the same follicle on your head. This amount of hair loss is totally normal and no cause for worry. If you're losing more than that, though, something might be wrong.
Causes of Hair Loss
If you’re losing hair during your teens, you may be sick or just not eating right. Some medicines or medical treatments (like chemotherapy) also cause hair loss. People can even lose their hair if they wear a hairstyle (like braids) that pulls on the hair for a long time. Losing hair can be stressful. Most of the time, hair loss during the teen years is temporary.
Treatment and prevention of Hair Loss
With temporary hair loss, the hair usually grows back after the problem that causes is corrected.
If you have hair loss and don't know what's causing it, talk to your doctor. A doctor can determine why the hair is falling out and suggests a treatment that will correct the underlying problem, if necessary.
{slider Excessive Body Hair}
It is not much of a problem for teenage boys, excessive body hair can be quite a problem for girls. The normal amount of body hair for women varies. Most of the time, young women only have fine hair, above the lips and on the chin, chest, abdomen or back. If you’re a girl with coarse, dark hairs in these areas, the condition is called hirsutism.
Causes of Excessive Body Hair
Hirsuitism is commonly seen in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Women with PCOS and other hormone conditions that cause unwanted hair growth may also have acne, problems with menstrual periods, trouble losing weight, and diabetes.
Treatment of Excessive Body Hair
There are a number of ways to remove or disguise excess hair
●Shaving – quick and easy, and will not make the hair grow back quicker or thicker. However, it may cause skin irritation.
●Bleaching – can make dark hair look better in the short term, but may irritate your skin and is not effective for everyone.
●Waxing, plucking or threading – Can be painful and may cause scarring or folliculitis (inflammation of a hair follicle).
●Electrolysis – when electricity is used to destroy hair cells and remove hair permanently. However, it takes many treatments over a long time; it can also be painful and may cause scarring or changes to your skin colour
●Laser hair removal – involves powerful beams of light (lasers), which destroy the hair. It can last several months and is more effective on women with pale skin and dark hair
{slider Tattos}
Tattoos can look cool amongst your peers and can be another way of expressing your individuality. However, you should remember that tattoos are for life and you have to put a lot of thought into it before you get one, leaving no room for future regrets. And if you're thinking about getting a tattoo, it’s important that you know about the health risks:
●Infection. The spread of diseases such as hepatitis, AIDS can come from the use of unsterile needles and equipment. To avoid infection, all tattooing equipment needs to be clean and sterile.
●Removal problems.
●Allergic reactions.
●Granulomas. These are nodules that may form around material that the body sees as foreign, such as tattoo pigment.
●Keloid formation. Keloids are scars that grow beyond normal boundaries.
Using cosmetics is popular, especially amongst teenage girls. However, it’s very important to make sure whatever cosmetics you use, doesn’t affect your skin. Always keep your skin type in mind when using cosmetics and only use what’s recommended for your skin type.
Cleansing your skin is crucial to shift grease, bacteria and makeup. An alcohol-free wash or lotion is ideal, especially used with a towelling face cloth (clean each morning) to help prevent blackheads. Similarly, the moisturiser you use should be simple, an oil-free one being the safest. Use scrubs that are gentle. The most common mistake teens make is removing every trace of oil. And most importantly, always wear sunscreen when going outside.
Facial Skin Types
Besides dry and oily, there are other skin types as well. Which one is yours?
●Sensitive Skin - Sensitive skin can be oily, normal or dry, and is characterized by its delicacy, which is why it is often viewed more as a skin condition than a skin type. Sensitive skin is known to react adversely to environmental conditions, and also to cosmetics containing alcohol, fragrance oils, and to artificial colours.
●Normal Skin - Normal skin produces sebum at a moderate rate, and is usually in a very balanced state, not too oily, not too dry. Normal skin also looks consistently healthy and good, but still requires no less attention than other skin types.
●Combination Skin - Combination skin is a combination of different skin types and is the most common type, as most people have at least two different types of skin at any given time. Combination skin is frequently characterized an oily "T-Zone" area, which covers the forehead, nose and chin. While the skin around the cheeks, eye area, and mouth, is normal or dryis always to keep it gentle and simple, but to introduce a proper skincare routine that will serve them for life.
Cleansing is crucial to shift grease, bacteria and makeup.An alcohol-free wash or lotion is ideal, especially used with a towelling face cloth (clean each morning) to help prevent blackheads.
Moisturiser should be similarly simple: oil-free is safest.
Scrubs must be gentle. The most common teen mistake is removing every trace of oil.
The One Beauty Product You Should Never, Ever Skip-The first beauty product you should apply every is sunscreen,when you expose to sunlight Why? Good habits start young and if you use sunscreen now, you'll have gorgeous skin when you're 50, 60, 70.