Adolescent Skin - Part 2
Acne. Many teen-agers are never troubled by acne. Their skin does not produce enough oil to cause the pimples. Unfortunately, the people who do have the problem have no sure cure for it. There are several general practices that can reduce the problem, however.
Care of Acne
- Wash the face gently with soap and water. Do this as many as five times a day.
- Avoid creams and cosmetics that contain oil.
- Because some foods may affect the condition, avoid greasy foods, chocolate, pastries, and roasted nuts.
- If you want to use any medication, consult your doctor for his advice and recommendations.
- Avoid periods of emotional tension or poor health. These conditions can cause a flare-up.
- In the event of severe acne, see a skin specialist, or dermatologist, as acne can leave disfiguring scars.
- Do not pick or squeeze blackheads and pimples, as this can cause infections and is likely to cause more painful and larger pimples.
Reactions to cosmetics. Girls your age begin thinking of using cosmetics.
of one sort or another Sometimes girls find that cosmetics when applied tastefully, help to cover blemishes. Sometimes it becomes "the thing to do" to wear cosmetics.
You should know that some people’s skin is irritated by cosmetics. These people develop dermatitis, or skin inflammation, from the cosmetics. Their skin almost always becomes red, swollen, or blistered where cosmetics are applied. They can avoid this reaction by avoiding cosmetics. If the condition persists, they can consult a doctor.
Promoting attractive skin. Because appearance is so important to most teen-agers, the skin problems mentioned above may sometimes seem like great tragedies. You can save yourself much worry by treating these conditions properly.
Skin conditions, such as acne, pimples, blackheads, and oily skin are normal for some teen-agers and not for others. If you have one of these conditions, you can improve both the condition and your state of mind by not worrying about the particular blemish. Worrying only makes the skin condition worse, and it certainly does not help to make you appear pleasant and attractive. By taking care of your skin, taking special problems to a doctor, and not worrying about skin blemishes you can make the most of this temporary condition.
Think for Yourself
Why is the overuse of cosmetics bad for the skin of anyone who tends to have pimples or oily skin? Do you see a relationship between the use of cosmetics and the cause of acne?
Solving Growth Problems
Eating habits. Do you often skip breakfast because there is not time or because you are not hungry? Unfortunately, many teen-agers do. Also, many teen-agers eat one or two snacks a day during their years of rapid growth. These eating habits are common and may contribute to growth or weight problems in adolescents.
Underweight. When boys and girls suddenly grow tall, they sometimes think they have become underweight. Actually, their bodies have not had time to fill out because of their sudden spurt upward. Many teen-agers’ fear of being underweight is due to this unevenness in growth.
In rare cases, teen-agers are underweight. Nutrition is one cause; glandular disturbances, worry, lack of rest, or infection are other causes. When being underweight is caused by one of these problems, a doctor should be consulted. It is not a good idea to try to adjust your diet to gain weight without a doctor’s advice. This kind of self-treatment can cause nutritional problems and should be avoided.
Overweight. Problems of being overweight are much more common than problems of being underweight. One cause may be the many snacks teen-agers eat. Another cause of being overweight may be that a person may eat too much of a certain type of food. In any event there are several things you can do if excess weight is one of your growth problems.
The first step you should take in coping with a weight problem is to consult your doctor. He may find that your weight gain is a normal part of your own growth pattern. Many people become chubby during certain periods of adolescence, only to lose the unwanted weight at a later time. If the doctor finds that you do have a weight problem, he can recommend a sensible diet to overcome it.
Dieting is a common practice. Unfortunately, many teenagers, particularly girls, follow diets that are poor in essential body nutrients. When the body does not have these vital foods, or has too much of the wrong kinds of food, it is hindered in its development. Such an unwise diet can cause poor bone formation, tooth decay, and increased susceptibility to illness.
Dieting is not the only solution to problems of being overweight. You can use exercise to hold your weight within reasonable limits. Exercise alone is not a good way to take off weight. You would, for instance, have to walk thirty-five miles to take off one pound. However, a good program of exercise will take off some weight, and will use up energy that would otherwise be converted to fat.
Weight charts. You may see weight charts that state that a person your age and height should weigh a certain number of pounds. These charts may appear to be accurate, but they are actually misleading. Because everyone grows at his own rate and has many purely individual characteristics, there is a good chance that he will not be similar to the "average" in height or weight. From this information, you can see that you cannot conclude you are overweight or underweight simply because you differ from a figure given on a chart. If such a
chart makes you seem seriously overweight or underweight, see your doctor. He will be able to judge your weight in relation to your growth rate, bone structure, general health, and height.
Sleep needs. You have learned that your body is growing "in all directions at once" during your teen years. You are also aware of the great demands of your increasing schedule of activities: sports, homework, hobbies, and projects. Sometimes you may be tempted to make time for all these activities by cutting down on sleeping time.
This method only works for a short time, however. After a few days your lack of sleep will cut down on the energy you have for your activities. Your lack of sleep would also hurt your body’s efforts to grow during this period of great body change. From this information you should see that the recommended eight to ten hours sleep is, in fact, a necessity for growing adolescents.
Think for Yourself
Why is being overweight more common than being underweight in America today
