Seven tips to Beautiful Skin "magic"

Here are a few things you can do to care for the skin that you were born with.

1. Avoid stress as much as you are can.
2. Stay out of the sun (or protect your skin with UV blockers).
3. Don't smoke. This does nasty things to your skin.
4. Drink lots of water.
5. Get plenty of sleep.
6. Be sure to clean your skin properly.
7. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.

Smoking and Your Child

Your eighth grader, who made anti-smoking posters in fifth grade, comes home smelling like stale smoke. You know her friends are smoking and you think she might try it, if she hasn't already. In addition to peer pressure, she's exposed to ads urging her to light up. Teen idols like Leonardo Di Caprio are puffing their way through movies. Every time you bring it up, she rolls her eyes and slams the door.

Given the known links between cigarettes and fatal and debilitating diseases like emphysema and cancer of the throat, mouth, lips, esophagus and lungs, the statistics on teenage smoking are frightening. Nine percent of eighth graders smoke cigarettes daily. Thirty-six percent of teens in high school are daily smokers. It's heartbreaking. Addiction to cigarettes is known to be one of the most difficult habits to break.

Teen Pregnancy

Despite the fact that the teen birth rate is climbing after slowly falling for years, there are still an estimated one million teen pregnancies in the United States alone. About 85% of these pregnancies are unplanned, which in any population can increase the risk for problems. The biggest risk for teen mothers is delaying prenatal care or worse, 7.2% received no care at all.

The reason for lack of prenatal care is usually delayed pregnancy testing, denial or even fear of telling others about the pregnancy. Most states have a health department or university clinic where prenatal care is free or low cost and patient confidentiality is very important, meaning no one can tell the teen mother's family.

Because the body of a teen is still growing she will need more nutritional support to meet both her needs and that of her baby. Nutritional counseling can be a large portion of prenatal care, usually done by a doctor or a midwife, sometimes a nutritionist. This counseling will usually include information about prenatal vitamins, folic acid, and the dos and don'ts of eating and drinking. Lack of proper nutrition can lead to problems like anemia (low iron), low weight gain, etc.

Acne and Teens

Acne is an unfortunate rite of passage for many teenagers. Here’s what you need to know about teen skin care and acne prevention and treatment.

Most teenagers have one or a combination of three kinds of pimples—red, inflamed lumps; whiteheads; and blackheads. Some pimples usually go with the turf of adolescence, but acne doesn’t have to go hand in hand with puberty.