Acne in Adolescents

Acne is one of the most common problems in adolescent teens affecting nearly seventeen million people in the United States. Acne is nothing but a disorder involving sebaceous glands and hair follicles. Acne results from the clogging of sebaceous glands leading to the formation of pimples and cysts. The condition usually begins with the onset of puberty. Going by the facts, as teens attain puberty the androgens also called male sex hormones are produced in high number leading to sebaceous glands becoming over active which results in sebum being produced in high proportions. 

Sebum, which is nothing but oil is produced by sebaceous glands which travel to the skin surface through hair follicles. But, skin cells block the follicles which results in oil also being blocked. When these hair follicles are blocked it results in the development of skin bacteria known as Propionibacterium Acnes within the follicles which in turn results in swelling of the skin called Acne. If the hair follicles are partially blocked it results in blackheads. If the follicles are completely blocked they result in whiteheads. But if these plugged follicles are not treated they ultimately burst causing the oil, bacteria and skin cells to spill all over the skin resulting in irritation and formation of pimples. Acne can be shallow as well as deep in various individuals depending on the nature of skin and amount of oil produced.

 

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There can be various causes why Acne forms. Apart from rising hormone levels due to puberty it can also be attributed to certain other factors like intake of drugs which contain lithium, barbiturates and corticosteroids. Acne can also be caused due to excess grease and oil in the scalp, due to cooking oil and use of some cosmetics can actually alleviate the acne problem. Acne problem many times is inherited also. Acne problem is worsened if the pimples are squeezed or scrubbed too hard. 

Acne can form at any place of the body but they most commonly form in the areas where there sebaceous glands are present in high proportions like face, chest, shoulders, neck and upper back. The symptoms may differ from person to person but commonly seen symptoms are: formation of blackheads, whiteheads, lesions filled with pus and which are very painful and lastly nodules. One may get confused sometimes as symptoms of acne may be like some other skin condition and it is always advised to consult a doctor in this scenario. 

There are lots of treatments available today to treat acne. The primary goal of the treatment is to reduce scars and better appearance. There are various treatments and the doctor decides which specific treatment you need based on: the extent of acne problem, age, medical history, overall health, tolerance to specific medications and procedures, expectations and last but not the least what patients prefer. 

Treatment of acne is classified into topical and systemic drug therapies which are given based on extent of severity. In some instances the combination of both the methods might be the way to go for acne treatment. Topical medication is nothing but creams, gels, lotions, solutions etc. prescribed to patients for acne treatment. Some of the examples of topical medication are: Benzoyl Peroxide which kills the Propionibacterium Acnes bacteria, antibiotics helps in stopping or slowing down the growth of the bacteria and also reduces inflammation, Tretinoin helps in stopping the formation of new acne lesions and Adapalene reduces formation of comedo. 

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Systemic drug therapies involve prescription of systemic antibiotics primarily for the treatment of acne problem which is moderate to severe in nature. The examples of antibiotics prescribed are Doxycycline, erythromycin and tetracycline. In some cases an oral drug called Isotretinoin is prescribed for teenagers with severe acne problem which shrinks down the sebaceous glands that produce oil. The results are pretty good and almost ninety percent of the adolescents have success with this oral drug. But the drug has some serious side-affects and thus it is very important that one consults a doctor before use. 

Strawberry smoothie recipes

Hi, and welcome to I Need Help blog. In this post we are going to see how to make nutritious and energetic STRAWBERRY smoothies.

It’s easy and simple to do. For most of the recipes, all you need is just a blender.

Watch the Video at the end of the article !

1. STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE

You will need:

1 banana

4 strawberries

1/2 cups skim milk

1/2 cups apple juice

Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smoothie consistency is reached! 

2. STRAWBERRY BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

Requirements:

1/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 frozen banana (peel before freezing)

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cups frozen vanilla or strawberry yogurt

Whirl all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

3. STRAWBERRY FRAPPE SMOOTHIE

Here are the ingredients:

2/3 cups oat milk (or use soy milk)

1 cup pineapple juice

2/3 cups apple juice concentrate

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

6 large frozen strawberries

10 ice cubes

Blend well, adding 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil and 2 teaspoons wheat germ, if desired.

4. STRAWBERRY KIWI SMOOTHIE

Take 3 peeled kiwis

1 cup frozen banana slices

3/4 cups pineapple juice

1/2 cups frozen strawberries

Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smoothie consistency is reached!

5. STRAWBERRY LEMONADE SMOOTHIE

Pour into blender:

1/2 cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1/4 cups cold water

Add and blend together:

1/4 cups sugar

3 cups strawberries, sliced and partially frozen

2 1/4 cups ice chips
That’s it !

6. STRAWBERRY LEMON YOGURT SMOOTHIE

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1/2 cups orange juice

1 1/2 cups strawberries

1/2 cups ice crystals

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoons lemon rind / zest

Place ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

7. STRAWBERRY RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE 

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1 banana

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup frozen raspberries

Pour liquid ingredients into the blender first. Yogurt is a liquid ingredient. All fruit goes into blender at one time. Put cover on and blend until smooth.

8. STRAWBERRY SUNRISE SMOOTHIE

8 ounces carton vanilla yogurt

1/2 cups frozen strawberries

1/4 cups apple juice

1 frozen banana, chopped

Place all ingredients in a blender, cover and blend until desired consistency. Serves 2.
Note: this is a good way to use up bananas that are about to get overripe. Don’t let them go too far though. While still tasty, cut up and place on wax paper on a flat dish or pan that will fit in your freezer. As soon as they are frozen, dump into a zipper freezer bag. Use for this and other banana smoothies or slushies.

9. FREE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

8 ounces carton plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 cups skim milk

3 packets equal or 1 teaspoon equal measure

3 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup ice cubes

In a blender container combine yogurt, milk, and equal. With the blender running, add berries a few at a time through opening in lid. Blend until smooth, and then add ice cubes one at a time through opening in lid, blending until slushy. Pour into glasses.

We hope these recipes are useful for you.

Enjoy, and happy smoothing !