Teenage Skin

The teenage years are generally the most problematic as far as skin condition goes.

The problem is generally caused by sebum.
Sebum is the term used by dermatologists for the oil that is produced in the skin and secreted through the pores and this is where most of the problems stem from.

During puberty when the sex hormones are highly active the body produces a lot more sebum from the sebaceous glands that surround the hair follicles.

The epidermis, which is the outer most layer of skin, is constantly shedding dead skin cells.

It is these dead cells that combine with the excess sebum to cause all the problems that many teenagers have to endure.

When the pores get clogged with this combination of sebum and dead skin cells you get pimples, whiteheads and blackheads.

Exfoliation can help to remove the dead skin cells but trying to remove the excess oil that is getting produced can increase the rate of production as the body seeks to replace the oil that has been removed with more.

There are several things that can be done to assist in having better skin and in some circumstances this can reduce or eliminate the problems of acne and other skin outbreaks.

chocolateBy maintaining a healthy diet and eliminating junk foods, not only will the body be in better health, so will the skin.

Getting outdoors and benefiting from the sun while not getting over exposed and causing sun damage will assist in the health of the skin but you need to be very careful to realize there is a balance between benefits and side effects from ultraviolet light.

A lack of Vitamin A in the diet can also lead to breakouts on the skin and this is why many people need vitamin A related preparations to restore their skin condition.

Obviously cleanliness and good skin care and hygiene will go a long way to helping maintain a healthy complexion.
This is not to say that a lack of cleanliness is the cause of acne and other conditions as this is not so, however teenagers should always do all they can to minimize the things that won’t help with any conditions that they are suffering from.

Your Fat Point

Many people have long held the mistaken belief that everybody has a particular fat point where their body realizes that this is the level of fat that is normal to that particular person.

This is not true and we all develop our own fat point based on our lifestyles.
While there are various different body types that are determined by our genes the percentage of fat that we carry around in our body is not due to the genes that we have inherited. It is due to the food that we have been eating from the beginning of our life to the stage where we are at presently.

If you have been over eating for a long period of time and you have remained at a specific fat percentage for quite some time then that becomes your new fat point. And that can change up or down according to the lifestyle that you choose to lead.

If you have remained at a particular fat point for a year or two then your body will develop all the necessary requirements in the form of capillaries, connective tissues, hormonal levels and so on to support that point.

You have determined what that point is and your body will now try to maintain the new level.

Your body will constantly monitor that new fat point by all the messages that are sent to the brain. If you are to go on a crash diet your body will react to the fact that it sees an attack on that fat point and will do all it can to maintain what it believes is the correct balance. The maintenance can be in the form of a reduction in muscle tissue to save fat.

Unfortunately for many people they don’t like to accept the fact that it is not their genes or anything else that has resulted in their fat point being too high.