HEALTH

Your Bod

Hitting puberty? These are the hygiene tips you should follow

Transitioning from a young girl to a teen can be a difficult and confusing shift. As you get older, your body changes and new things start to happen. One day you may wake up with a zit on your forehead, or get a visit from Aunt Flo in the middle of a pop quiz. These changes can feel uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be! As these hormonal activities occur, it is important to apply a new hygiene routine to help ease into these changes. Try these self-care tips to make your transition more pleasant:

Use a face wash or cleanser and moisturizer
You may have been using the same soap that you use on your body on your face as well. Stop! As you get older, your face can get either oily or dry, depending on your skin type. Acne can appear from both skin types, and body wash won't solve that problem. Try a non-foaming cleanser to get the dirt off your skin from the day, and a face wash for those stubborn breakouts. When shopping for these items, read the label! There are a lot of skin products that cater to your needs: oily, dry or combination skin.

A moisturizer is also essential in keeping your skin healthy. Using the right type of moisturizer, based on your skin type, can prevent breakouts and keep the skin balanced. Though fragranced lotions smell good, they can dry out the skin. Look for lotions and moisturizers that work for your skin and body type. Try a hydrating moisturizer during the dry months and one with SPF during the warmer months. The skin on your face and body are different because your face gets exposed to your environment all year round. So be sure to get the right products for your body.

Understand sanitary etiquette
One of the biggest changes you experience during puberty is your monthly menstral cycle. There are various options available for you to try when your period comes, such as pads and tampons. It is important to know the possible harmful effects of not changing your tampon or pad regularly. If you keep a tampon in for too long or wear a pad for extended hours at a time, you risk the chance of body odor, skin rashes, urinary tract infection, and other vaginal infections. You may even run the risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome, which is life-threatening. Talk to a maternal figure about what sanitary napkin choice and brand works best for you. Be sure to dispose used pads and tampons properly and stay clean!

Shave safely
With puberty comes a lot of hair in unwanted places. With the help of Mom (or a maternal figure!), test out which razors and shaving creams work best for you. There are also hair removal creams if razors are too scary. How frequently you shave, or if you want to shave, is completely up to you. You may experience razor bumps after shaving if not done correctly, so be sure to seek guidance on how to shave as well!

Prevent body odor with deodorant and body spray
Who doesn't want to smell good? As the day goes on, we start to sweat and release an unpleasant odor. Sweat is a good thing, it cools our bodies down when we start to overheat, but some people have overactive sweat glands, so even without much activity sweat still occurs. There are a lot of anti-perspirants to help block out the sweat and deodorants to cover up the smell under your arms, so find what works best for the degree of sweat you produce on a daily basis. If deodorant is not enough for you, also start using body spray to give yourself a nice smell that lasts throughout the day, but don't overdo it!

Change your clothes, bedsheets, towels and toothbrushes!
Washing your clothes often is essential to staying clean and avoiding illness. Change out of your undergarments every day, and wash your bed sheets and pillows weekly. As gross as it sounds, our skin sheds, and sheds pretty often. The items we use daily, from our towels and wash cloths, to our toothbrushes and pillows, are all covered with germs from the day including our skin and bodily fluids. It is important to wash these items often, and not wear the same undergarments daily to ensure that the items are clean from the germs we don't see. Switch out your toothbrush every three months or less. If you have not been doing this before, start now and you will see the changes.

The transition into puberty doesn't have to be scary. Just add these small routines into your life and pay more attention to your body. It's important—you only carry one body so take care of it!

We want to hear from you! Send us your weirdest body questions here (seriously, we'll answer anything!) and it just might get featured.

POSTED IN ,

by Toyin Akinwande | 2/20/2018
share