General Hair, Scalp and Skin
Hmmmm, I Look Taller
We all have to go through it at some point, and alas, it isn't exactly the most comfortable time of our lives. But it isn't the end of the world, and besides, it's at this time you start to learn what your body's doing through the various things it does from spots to greasy hair, dodgy skin and lumps and bumps. Your body will most likely produce all of these during the course of your teenage years, and what it is actually doing, is trying to tell you that it needs something. The only problem is, it can be a bit of a guessing game.
During puberty, there is an awful lot going on in your body, with thanks in no small part to the sudden influx of hormones, from waking up one day and you're 6" taller than you were the night before, to the sudden appearance of what you think is a second head. But there are many other changes that go on during puberty. One of which is the sudden addition of greasy hair and greasy skin. These are caused due to all the new hormones that your body releases, often causing the Sebaceous Gland to go into overdrive. While this may not sound very attractive, it is unfortunately a fact of life! You can however solve a fair few of your problems without the need of a dermatologist, trichologist, GP or doctor.
During puberty, there is an awful lot going on in your body, with thanks in no small part to the sudden influx of hormones, from waking up one day and you're 6" taller than you were the night before, to the sudden appearance of what you think is a second head. But there are many other changes that go on during puberty. One of which is the sudden addition of greasy hair and greasy skin. These are caused due to all the new hormones that your body releases, often causing the Sebaceous Gland to go into overdrive. While this may not sound very attractive, it is unfortunately a fact of life! You can however solve a fair few of your problems without the need of a dermatologist, trichologist, GP or doctor.
The Basics for girls
Obviously during adolescence, things change physically, and there are some distinct differences to the ways in which girls and guys mature. These are down to the hormones the body produces. In girls this hormone is called Oestrogen, which controls the development of breasts, metabolism and muscle mass. If you think about it, it's really quite a lot that it’s doing, and unfortunately, you're not going to look like Jessica Rabbit overnight! However, during the few years that you are changing, it is advisable that you change your general hair and skin care routine because these changes brought on by puberty do unfortunately bring on the dreaded greasy hair, spots and the likes, so don't be alarmed one morning when you're looking in the mirror and you've suddenly got hair you could fry an egg on and are sprouting a small colony of spots! You'll be perfectly OK, and there are ways to combat and prevent things.
You will also discover underarm and leg hair, and like all hair, it comes in a variety of textures (Coarse, Medium and Fine), colours and abundances (how much of it there is), and as such, it is greatly advisable if you are to start shaving, to correctly prepare the skin and hair using good quality products to ensure that you don't end up nicking yourself or end up with shaving rash. Using a good, sharp razor is also paramount to shaving to prevent irritation and lumps and bumps. A couple of tips I can give you when beginning to shave is to be gentle, and take your time, it's not a race or some kind of "shave-athon", and go with the grain (the direction the hair grows) of the hair first, and then go against the grain, this will give you a more comfortable shave. Also after each stroke, rinse the blade, as when the blade is clogged with hair it won't get as close and it will feel like you're shaving with a door plane! After you've finished shaving, rinse of your legs, underarms or wherever you've just groomed with some fresh, warm water and apply some soothing post shaving lotion to prevent any rashes coming through and to replace the moisture lost whilst shaving. There’s no point in having lovely smooth legs when the skin's dryer than the Sahara Desert in the middle of May!
You will also discover underarm and leg hair, and like all hair, it comes in a variety of textures (Coarse, Medium and Fine), colours and abundances (how much of it there is), and as such, it is greatly advisable if you are to start shaving, to correctly prepare the skin and hair using good quality products to ensure that you don't end up nicking yourself or end up with shaving rash. Using a good, sharp razor is also paramount to shaving to prevent irritation and lumps and bumps. A couple of tips I can give you when beginning to shave is to be gentle, and take your time, it's not a race or some kind of "shave-athon", and go with the grain (the direction the hair grows) of the hair first, and then go against the grain, this will give you a more comfortable shave. Also after each stroke, rinse the blade, as when the blade is clogged with hair it won't get as close and it will feel like you're shaving with a door plane! After you've finished shaving, rinse of your legs, underarms or wherever you've just groomed with some fresh, warm water and apply some soothing post shaving lotion to prevent any rashes coming through and to replace the moisture lost whilst shaving. There’s no point in having lovely smooth legs when the skin's dryer than the Sahara Desert in the middle of May!
The Basics for guys
This My Dear Boy, Is How NOT To Shave!
If you've read above about the girls, you'll already know that guys and girls mature differently due to the very different hormones we produce. In guys, the hormone is Testosterone, and what this one does is control pretty much everything being a guy is about. From the growth of facial hair and body hair to the lowering of the voice to the onset of muscular thickening and widening of the skeletal shape. Now, you may have read above and thought "thank God I'm not a girl", but unfortunately, you'll get all of the characteristics like spots and greasy hair that the girls do! But as mentioned several times already, you can combat and prevent these things from happening.
When it comes to the greasy hair and spots thing, it can be really hard to find a product that doesn't smell of bubble-gum infused with rose petals and lavender and as most products out there are geared more towards women, and if it’s a woman buying these things in for you, you're going to pretty much end up with everything having that bubble-gum/lavender mix. However, knowing that guys prefer the more masculine scents, there are more and more products being brought on to the market catering exclusively for men, and what this means is no more rose petals and lavender! Take a nosey at A Little Something For The Guys for more info and the lowdown.
The problem that a lot of guys do find is the beard thing. Starting off as essentially fluff, it can be highly annoying as you end up feeling like you've got a load of the bubbles from the bath water attached to your face. However, should you wish to, you can shave, but be warned, the facial hair you get after the fluff stage is going to be a lot coarser and a lot thicker, so bear this in mind when choosing a shaving product. Try looking at the other guys in your family, this will be a fairly good indicator as to what your beard will be like once it comes through.
If the time has come for you to whip off the fluff, a couple of tips I can give is firstly prepare the skin and hair, so wash your face with a gentle face wash and blot dry, you don't want the skin to be bone dry, but you don't want it dripping wet, you're essentially looking for your face to have a slight sheen to it. Clipper/trim the hair right down, this practice should be carried on throughout adulthood when you allow your facial hair to get too long. If the facial hair is too long, it can cause your razor to clog and snag, meaning that you're not shaving the hair, you're plucking it out bit by bit, which is not only really uncomfortable but can also cause shaving rash. Also, go in the direction the hair grows to begin with, this will get the bulk out of the way, leaving you with the 5 o'clock shadow look, after you've got rid of the bulk, go against the grain of the hair, you'll know you're doing it right, as you will feel a slight pull to the skin, to get into the harder areas like under the jawline and on the neck, you can pull the skin slightly, giving you a little more flexibility. Always rinse after every 2-5 strokes with the razor to ensure you're getting a close shave. When you have finished shaving, always rinse your face, leaving any product on can cause pores to become blocked and spots to form, then use a post shaving lotion. This will calm and soothe the skin, preventing any nasty shaving rashes from coming through as well as replenish any moisture lost during the shaving process.
When it comes to the greasy hair and spots thing, it can be really hard to find a product that doesn't smell of bubble-gum infused with rose petals and lavender and as most products out there are geared more towards women, and if it’s a woman buying these things in for you, you're going to pretty much end up with everything having that bubble-gum/lavender mix. However, knowing that guys prefer the more masculine scents, there are more and more products being brought on to the market catering exclusively for men, and what this means is no more rose petals and lavender! Take a nosey at A Little Something For The Guys for more info and the lowdown.
The problem that a lot of guys do find is the beard thing. Starting off as essentially fluff, it can be highly annoying as you end up feeling like you've got a load of the bubbles from the bath water attached to your face. However, should you wish to, you can shave, but be warned, the facial hair you get after the fluff stage is going to be a lot coarser and a lot thicker, so bear this in mind when choosing a shaving product. Try looking at the other guys in your family, this will be a fairly good indicator as to what your beard will be like once it comes through.
If the time has come for you to whip off the fluff, a couple of tips I can give is firstly prepare the skin and hair, so wash your face with a gentle face wash and blot dry, you don't want the skin to be bone dry, but you don't want it dripping wet, you're essentially looking for your face to have a slight sheen to it. Clipper/trim the hair right down, this practice should be carried on throughout adulthood when you allow your facial hair to get too long. If the facial hair is too long, it can cause your razor to clog and snag, meaning that you're not shaving the hair, you're plucking it out bit by bit, which is not only really uncomfortable but can also cause shaving rash. Also, go in the direction the hair grows to begin with, this will get the bulk out of the way, leaving you with the 5 o'clock shadow look, after you've got rid of the bulk, go against the grain of the hair, you'll know you're doing it right, as you will feel a slight pull to the skin, to get into the harder areas like under the jawline and on the neck, you can pull the skin slightly, giving you a little more flexibility. Always rinse after every 2-5 strokes with the razor to ensure you're getting a close shave. When you have finished shaving, always rinse your face, leaving any product on can cause pores to become blocked and spots to form, then use a post shaving lotion. This will calm and soothe the skin, preventing any nasty shaving rashes from coming through as well as replenish any moisture lost during the shaving process.
Skin for the guys and the girls
Relaxing Can Help With Acne
So we've tackled the joyous shaving thing, exciting much? But there are other things like the oily skin and hair things. Now, with skin, what you have to always remember, is it is actually a living organism (or millions of them if we're to be over correct!), and as such, every person's skin is ever so slightly different, so you may know someone who’s got really dry skin, someone with perfect skin and someone with oily skin, and as such each one of them will need to use a completely different type of product.
No matter what your skin type however, you should make sure that you cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin daily using products designed for your type of skin. Cleansing, toning and moisturising basically keeps your skin as healthy and young as possible by removing dead skin cells, grease, dirt and other not so nice things from the skin, leaving you set up for the day with a layer of nice, new skin cells. Although this won't stop acne, because it's caused by the body itself due to your hormones, it will help with preventing spots caused through other things like blocked pores.
If you're trying to keep acne at bay, it is advisable that you stay out of the sun, as this will seriously aggravate it, so get out the factor 50 and get applying, however, go for the non-greasy formulas. If you are going out in the sun, try and wear a cap or something to keep your face shaded. Try and keep calm as well, stress can bring out your acne, so don't fret over everything, your homework can wait 30 minutes while you chill out. Now for the biggest no no of them all. Do not under any circumstances, for any reason pick, pop, poke, peel, basically anything beginning with P your acne. This can seriously make it worse and can lead to scarring after it has cleared.
If you're wearing things like makeup, concealers etc., it may be an idea to have a look around for some that won't sit heavily on the face and clog the pores. These are called non-comedogenic, also while you're at it, look at some hypo-allergenic stuff to. No point doing things by half now is there!? Ideally no makeup at all is best, but for those of you that insist on wearing it, there is also no need to apply it so thick it looks like you've troweled it on. Less is more, and the more organic look will not only help with your spots, lumps and bumps, it will also stop you looking like an orange with legs!
If you are getting down over your skin, there are a lot of over the counter treatments that can work - you never know, it may just be the one for you! If the natural stuff above doesn't do it for you, go to your chemist and speak to them, they'll have seen many cases of acne over the years and will have experience in which ones work best for different types and severities.
Has everything above not worked? Do you have a more severe case of acne? Speak to a professional. Dermatologists can help, and also can your doctor/GP. A dermatologist is basically a doctor of skin, and they are specifically trained to know all about skin. So anything you run past them, they've probably seen before. Your GP is more of a general doctor, but they may also be able to help. You don't have to be a trained dermatologist to know what acne is and what works well to clear it.
No matter what your skin type however, you should make sure that you cleanse, tone and moisturise your skin daily using products designed for your type of skin. Cleansing, toning and moisturising basically keeps your skin as healthy and young as possible by removing dead skin cells, grease, dirt and other not so nice things from the skin, leaving you set up for the day with a layer of nice, new skin cells. Although this won't stop acne, because it's caused by the body itself due to your hormones, it will help with preventing spots caused through other things like blocked pores.
If you're trying to keep acne at bay, it is advisable that you stay out of the sun, as this will seriously aggravate it, so get out the factor 50 and get applying, however, go for the non-greasy formulas. If you are going out in the sun, try and wear a cap or something to keep your face shaded. Try and keep calm as well, stress can bring out your acne, so don't fret over everything, your homework can wait 30 minutes while you chill out. Now for the biggest no no of them all. Do not under any circumstances, for any reason pick, pop, poke, peel, basically anything beginning with P your acne. This can seriously make it worse and can lead to scarring after it has cleared.
If you're wearing things like makeup, concealers etc., it may be an idea to have a look around for some that won't sit heavily on the face and clog the pores. These are called non-comedogenic, also while you're at it, look at some hypo-allergenic stuff to. No point doing things by half now is there!? Ideally no makeup at all is best, but for those of you that insist on wearing it, there is also no need to apply it so thick it looks like you've troweled it on. Less is more, and the more organic look will not only help with your spots, lumps and bumps, it will also stop you looking like an orange with legs!
If you are getting down over your skin, there are a lot of over the counter treatments that can work - you never know, it may just be the one for you! If the natural stuff above doesn't do it for you, go to your chemist and speak to them, they'll have seen many cases of acne over the years and will have experience in which ones work best for different types and severities.
Has everything above not worked? Do you have a more severe case of acne? Speak to a professional. Dermatologists can help, and also can your doctor/GP. A dermatologist is basically a doctor of skin, and they are specifically trained to know all about skin. So anything you run past them, they've probably seen before. Your GP is more of a general doctor, but they may also be able to help. You don't have to be a trained dermatologist to know what acne is and what works well to clear it.
Hair Advice for guys and girls
Let's face it, none of us like the look of that dank, slick look that seems to happen to us all, and you, like every other person in the world wants nice, shiny, healthy looking hair. But because you're going through puberty, no matter what you do, it’s always greasy.
So, change your product. 9 out of ten times, the reason people have uncontrollably greasy hair, is because they're not looking at what they're putting on, and it's actually the wrong shampoo for them. If your hair is greasy, you need a shampoo for greasy hair, so it doesn't matter how nice it smells, if it goes with the bathroom or even if the bottle's a nice shape, if it’s not going to work for you, put it back! You need to be looking carefully at the products you are using. If they are the wrong type, you're setting yourself up for carnage.
Check out the How Shampoos Work section for more info.
So, change your product. 9 out of ten times, the reason people have uncontrollably greasy hair, is because they're not looking at what they're putting on, and it's actually the wrong shampoo for them. If your hair is greasy, you need a shampoo for greasy hair, so it doesn't matter how nice it smells, if it goes with the bathroom or even if the bottle's a nice shape, if it’s not going to work for you, put it back! You need to be looking carefully at the products you are using. If they are the wrong type, you're setting yourself up for carnage.
Check out the How Shampoos Work section for more info.