BEING a teenager is a lot of fun and  most people would want to remain at this age for the rest of their lives.
Its funny to note, however, that teenagers themselves dont like this stage of their life.
These are years we all tell our grandchildren about, when we felt so full of life and the future held so much promise.
I noticed that as I have gotten older, that I hold on more dearly to the memories of my youth.
Remembering with an exaggerated fondness those years that made my teens.
Ironically, teenagers seem to get along well with their grandparents.
So many times when parents are exasperated with their children, they simply drop them off at grandfather or grandmother’s  place and you cannot just figure out when you come back how everyone seems so happy.
However as a teenager the period is difficult, basically because it’s a transition period from childhood into adulthood.
The body is preparing itself for the adult life and it produces lots of chemicals to make it ready for this transition. The mind also experiences this transition.
These internal changes often provide a recipe for external conflict, so teenagers are prone to mood swings, temper tantrums and amazing emotions over the simplest things.
A parent need only remark, that a teenager woke up late that morning to get embroiled in the most inexplicable argument about   hatred, love and favouritism.
To make matters worse this is the period in which pimples, zits, acne and blackheads are common on the face particularly and the rest of the body.
This is also the time when teenagers are becoming more romantically inclined. Unfortunately the skin chooses this time to look like an inner city road with unnavigable potholes.
The face bears the brunt of this assault.
The face has pimples at different stages of development, in addition the nose, jaw and forehead are still shaping.
The overall picture is that of a pre school drawing of the ugly duckling. The good news is that when the body is done everyone is amazed at the result.
Of one of the greatest health challenges for teenagers are pimples.
Unfortunately the teenagers are also very impatient and a statement like this problem, will pass with time and is not often well received.
Some adults also still suffer from the problem of pimples. So I thought we could discuss the matter, by answering three questions;
1. What causes pimples?
2. What can I do about my pimples?
3. How can I prevent pimples?
What causes pimples?
There was a common impression, when I was growing up, that pimples were a sign, of not having regular baths. I am not sure how widely this myth is still held.
However the question we must answer first is what are pimples? If you have had them, or have seen them, you will not need them to be described.
They stand out so prominently and you are not likely to forget them in a hurry. Pimples can best be described as small pus filled swellings (boils) around the hair follicles, which are found on the face, neck, back, chest and shoulders.
They tend to be raised, dark and when squeezed discharge cheesy white material with pus.
Apart from being unsightly they itch and pain.
The skin of the body has natural oils that keep the skin, from becoming dry and rough.
The glands that produce these natural oils are called sebaceous glands. They open out onto the skin through skin pores.
Little holes in the skin. The natural oil they produce is called sebum. The sebaceous glands are found alongside the skin hair follicles.
Their secretions lubricate the hair making it nice and shiny as well.
During the teenage period the sebaceous glands, under the influence of the sexual hormones   (these chemicals help in preparing the body for Adulthood), begin to produce more sebum.
The pores are sites through which dead skin cells around the hair follicle are removed.
These openings get may get blocked in the process.
When this happens sebum accumulates and pimples form.
The swelling gets invaded by the bacteria found in this area called Propionibacterium acnes bacteria and these create pus.
The accumulation of sebum and dead cells  causes discoloration of the skin, making them black or white, what are called blackheads or whiteheads.
Who gets pimples?
Mostly 90 per cent of the teenagers between 13 to 18 years of age will get pimples.
However as many as 80 per cent of people between the ages of 11 and 30 years also get pimples.
They tend to have a genetic predisposition, and are more common in some families, then others. So if your parents had pimples, you are most likely to have them as well.
What can I do about my pimples?
This is the question that all teenagers ask. They also go to great lengths to get the best possible answers, including of course home remedies, Chinese herbs and the internet sources and so on. Lets’ start with some of the things you should not do.  Remember the objective is to try and keep the skin pores open and prevent accumulation of sebum behind the closed pore.
When you tamper too much with pimples you will worsen the outcome, because the area scars and leave permanent facial staining.
Remember the body can do a better job at clearing its own mess than you can.
There is a strong temptation to squeeze and scratch the skin, this only spreads infection and worsens appearance.
Carry instead a face cloth or hanky with a gentle disinfectant and use is to wipe any discharge from the face.
Hand rubs are common in drug stores and you can carry one in your purse or pocket.
If you can, avoid any facial cream. Thick greasy creams only increase the likelihood of closing the skin pores and make the pimples worse. If you have to use a facial cream use a very thin one and mix it with a light antibiotic cream.
If you can use hair remover creams or powder, use them instead of a shaver. Shavers tend to irritated the skin and worsen pimples.
Make sure you use a sharp new blade to shave, this will prevent you getting a nasty extended acne like condition called pseudofolliculitis barbae (also called barbers itch), which due to hair follicles buried into the skin during shaving.
Do not use anabolic steroids, which are designed to boost your muscle bulk and give you that superman body. They will increase the sebum produced by the sebaceous glands and make pimples worse.
Commonly used topical cream which help with pimples will contain antibiotic creams like tetracycline, benzoyl peroxides, salicylic acids and Retinoids.
These chemicals either rid the skin of bacteria, remove dead skin or improve the rate of formation of new skin.
Retinoids  contain vitamin A which helps to repair the skin.
Creams which contain vitamin B 3 nicotinamide have been shown to improve acne and pimples.
Oral antibiotic tablets may be useful for short periods.
Many home remedies include application of honey, garlic, tooth paste, ice, lemon and steam.
The value of these home remedies is not proven.
How can I prevent pimples?
The first thing to accept is that, if you are a teenager, you will inevitably be faced with pimples at some time.
The pimples will disappear or reduce with time. Your main intention should be to prevent them leaving permanent injury to your skin and also avoid making them worse.
Some personal habits which may improve your encounter with this condition include the following;
1. Eat well (fish, white meat and vegetables)
2. Enjoy your bath
3. Exercise always, learn to swim
4. Ease your life (give yourself ‘me’ time)
5. Enjoy the country
Some of your eating habits may increase the risk of pimples.
Food that contains a lot of bad fats will increase the level of body oils.
The bad fats include the fats found in fast foods. Eat lots of none oily food   such as vegetables, fruits and nuts.
Eat natural foods, if you have to cook food, take boiled or roasted food.
If you have to eat fried food use natural vegetable olive oil or sunflower oil.
Eat as little starchy foods as you can, eventually these foods get converted to fat.
When you eat meats, choose white meats not red meat. White meat can be gotten from fish and chicken. Avoid the skin of chicken which contains lots of fats.
Make sure that you have a good bath everyday, which will remove dead skin cells and accumulated grease on your skin.
If this is not possible, wipe your face daily with a medicated face cloth, which will reduce the load of bacteria on your skin.
Exercise will improve the quality of your skin; it will also keep the skin pores regularly working and open.
Swimming is a particularly good exercise, both because it exercises all the range of muscles and puts no stress on the joints, and  in particular,  the water cleans the skin at the same time.
Stress is known to stimulate the glands of the skin to overwork, this may lead to an increase in pimples. Make a deliberate effort to relax at least once a week. Give yourself some “me time”. Take some time to be grateful for what you have and be optimistic about the future. Be kind to yourself.
Take a holiday; spend some time in the country side. This will both improve your internal outlook and your external exposure to good air.
Enjoy the things that are bigger than you, nature, the Victoria Falls, game and so on. The more content you are within the less threatened the body feels and the less likely it is to overwork its glands and reduce its secretion.
Teenagers not do always have power over what they eat or  where they spend their holidays, but in spite of this, we all have control over our attitude and outlook. Try to be happy and content, take care of your skin and it will take care of you.