[color =green]Body odour and how to get rid of it[/color]
Sweat is usually the culprit that causes body odour. Sweat comes from sweat glands that you already had in your body before you attained puberty. However, with all the changes happening in your body at puberty, the sweat glands just come alive and begin to work excitedly! They not only begin to produce plenty sweat, they also begin to leak certain chemicals into your sweat which produces those strong smelling odours you don’t like. And quite strong smells too. Your armpits, feet and genital areas, behind your ears and belly-button is where you will sweat most.
The best way to manage your body odour is to practice cleanliness always. Take your bath twice a day with a mild soap and water. That will help to wash off or greatly reduce the amount of bacteria on your skin so that they won’t be able to cause more odour. Wearing clean clothes, socks and underwear will also help you keep clean.
If you are worried about the way your armpits smell, you might want to consider using deodorants or antiperspirants. Deodorants cover up the odour in your sweat while antiperspirants actually dry up the sweat. They come in different sizes and shapes- roll on, sticks, sprays etc.
[color =green]Hair care[/color]
During puberty, you will begin to have hair growth in certain parts of your body. You can’t escape hair growth as your hormones will make sure of that. You have to take care of these hairs though or else they might contribute to the unpleasant smell you will experience.
Areas where hair will show up includes your face, armpit, on the arms and on the legs. You should decide what to do with your body hair. In case you want to shave, make sure that your skin is not extra sensitive to scarring. There are different options like shaving with the traditional razor, electric razor, shaving creams and gels etc. Girls may decide to shave or leave their armpit hair and hair on the arms and legs while guys may want to do likewise but retain the hair on their faces and grow it in beards, whiskers and moustaches (The beard gang ;))
Whatever you choose to do with your body hair is your choice but there is no substitute for keeping them clean and dry always to prevent infections and unpleasant odours.
As for the hair on your head, wash with mild shampoos and scrub very gently. You can apply hair conditioner and rinse off. You may choose to shampoo twice a week in addition to washing during daily bath.
[color =green]Dental health[/color]
The most important part of mouth and teeth care takes place at home. Brushing and flossing properly along with visits to your dentist helps to keep tooth decay, mouth odour and bad breath away. Where your teeth and mouth are concerned, the old saying, prevention is better than cure is very true.
YOUR TEETH
Your teeth’s major job is to chew your food. What you eat, how you eat it, when you eat it, are all factors that affect your teeth. The major culprit in tooth decay is sugar. Sugary foods and soft drinks or wine constantly expose your enamel (which serves to protect your teeth) to acids. Sweets of all sizes and shapes are the most harmful because they melt slowly in your mouth, thereby exposing your teeth to a long slow bath in harmful acids from the sugar in them.
[color =green]How to brush your teeth[/color]
Brushing helps your teeth and gums to come alive and healthy while fighting off gum disease.
Brushing and flossing are the two most important activities in maintaining the health of your teeth and mouth as a whole.
Toothpastes contain friendly chemicals, detergents and foaming properties. The active ingredient is fluoride which helps to prevent cavities. Check your toothpaste at the point of buying to be sure that it contains fluoride.
The amount of time people spend brushing their teeth varies but it is advised that you should spend at least 2 minutes. Whatever amount of time you choose to spend should be enough to use the following tips:
Hold your brush at angle 45 degrees and brush repeatedly in an up and down stroke, not sideways. Ensure that your brushing motion covers the chewing surface of your teeth. While brushing, do not apply excessive pressure because you might end up with injured gums, loose teeth, pulled back or receding gums and teeth sensitivity.
Brush the inner parts and outer surfaces of your teeth the same way.
Take extra time and care when brushing up the chewing surfaces of your teeth. Be sure to tip your brush and make sweeping motions with your brush to remove any extra pieces of food or plaque on and around the surfaces.
Be sure to brush the roof of your mouth and lastly your tongue to remove decay-causing bacteria. The bacteria on the tongue and roof of your mouth can cause bad-odour if they are not properly brushed off.
Brushing helps your teeth and gums to come alive and healthy while fighting off gum disease.
Brushing and flossing are the two most important activities in maintaining the health of your teeth and mouth as a whole.
Toothpastes contain friendly chemicals, detergents and foaming properties. The active ingredient is fluoride which helps to prevent cavities. Check your toothpaste at the point of buying to be sure that it contains fluoride.
[color =green]How to floss properly[/color]
As great as brushing sounds, it can’t do all the work of keeping your mouth clean and healthy. There are many nooks and corners in your mouth that your brush will not reach. For example; you brush may not be able to remove food particles between your teeth and plaque or tartar under your gumline especially if you wear braces.
[b]Here are some helpful tips:[/b]
If you have never flossed before, your gums might bleed a bit the first few times. Do not worry, this is normal and will subside once you begin to floss on a regular basis.
Place the floss in between two teeth and move the floss gently back and forth. Do not force the floss deep into your gums. Repeat until you are done with all the spaces between your teeth.
[color =green]Visiting the dentist[/color]
Lastly, remember that prevention is better and cheaper than cure. Observe your oral and dental hygiene at all times so you can stay healthy! Or so you would still have teeth later on in life when you would like to be a cool parent or grandparent!
