Taking care of yourself

Taking care of yourself You have the right to good health care. If you are being looked after you will receive a yearly health check to make sure you are fit and well. Being healthy means feeling good about yourself, physically, mentally and emotionally and having the energy to get the most out of life. Things like exercise, healthy eating and getting enough sleep all have a good effect on your health. Smoking, drinking, misusing drugs, stress and poor diet have a bad effect on your health. If you are worried about anything to do with your health ask to see your doctor. 1

In all cultures, everyday personal care and appearance is very important and should not be forgotten. This includes paying attention to personal hygiene, hair, skin, teeth, diet, clothing and health. Feeling good about your appearance means that you feel good about yourself, too. It is important to feel good and look good as this often affects the way you are seen by others. Personal hygiene All bodies have natural and pleasant smells, but stale sweat causes body odour. It is important that you wash or take a bath every day, more often if you've been exercising. This will keep unpleasant body odour away. Using deodorants or body sprays after washing will help to keep your body smelling fresh. Also, make sure your clothes are changed and washed regularly, especially your socks and underwear. Do you maintain a good level of personal hygiene? Hair People have many different types of hair. It may be straight, it may be curly. Whatever type of hair you have the basic rules of shampooing and conditioning should be followed. You don t have to wash your hair every day. If you wash it every day you can strip your hair of its natural oils. If you have afro hair you can care for your hair by: 2 using conditioners and shampoos recommended for afro hair; avoiding most shampoos and conditioners in adverts (unless they are for afro hair), as they contain a high level of alkaline and alcohol which can dry and strip afro hair of its natural oils; applying hair creams or pomades straight

after washing and drying your hair. Take care not to over dry your hair as this may break it; applying hair creams or oil before using hair dryers; and using a wide tooth comb on your hair (combing your hair morning and night helps to keep it free of knots). After you swim, always shampoo, condition and moisturise hair. This is important because the chemicals in pools will dry out your hair. Plaiting your hair or adding hair extensions is often considered the best way of keeping it tidy and can be done in a way that follows the latest fashion trends. Cutting and styling your hair should be done by a qualified hairdresser. Have a look in some black hair magazines they can help keep you up to date on styles and give you information and advice. There are many hair and beauty magazines in shops. Avoid experimenting with chemical hair products, for example, bleaching it a different colour or perming it yourself. If you are Asian The basic rules of washing and conditioning the hair apply. Some people also massage oils such as coconut oil, olive oil and other herbal oils in to the hair to maintain good healthy hair. How do you care for your hair? 3

Instructions for plaiting hair Two plaits Part the hair down the centre, forehead to nape of neck. Separate into three strands and plait tightly right to the ends. You don t have to, but using bands to keep your plaits in place will keep them tidy and neat. Three plaits Divide the hair into three sections (aiming to have one plait at the front of the head and the other two at the back). Do the top plait first, plaiting either the left or right side of the head. Divide rest of hair into two sections with centre parting, separate into three strands and plait tightly. Four plaits Divide hair as shown in diagram. Plait top two first, then include the ends of these plaits in the bottom ones. Use a band to keep them in place. Corn row or cane row Is an ancient African hair grooming technique. It is more complicated but ideal for very short and fine hair. Part the hair into rows, creating the pattern as you go along. Pick up small pieces of hair and with an underhand motion braid only the part near the scalp. Add the next closest pieces and interweave until the row is completed. Tight braiding keeps the ends together. The whole look is neat and hassle free so you can wear it like that for up to 10 days. 4

Skin People's skin differs in colour, texture and type. The colour of your skin is determined by the colour of your parents' skin. It is also determined by the level of melanin (natural skin pigment) in your skin. The higher the melanin the darker your skin. Some people have dry skin, some have oily skin and some have a combination of both. Black people's skin is often naturally dry and needs to be cared for and protected by regularly moisturising with creams and lotions. This is even more important during the winter months when your skin is often more at risk from excess dryness. You can care for your skin by: using the right products for your type of skin; moisturising regularly with body lotions and creams to relieve dryness and to keep your skin supple; using oil-based products, body lotions and creams especially developed for black skins, for example, cocoa butter; avoiding alcohol-based products as these can further dry your skin; using bath oils in the bath is also helpful for keeping your skin soft; and moisturising after showering and bathing. Exposure to the sun It is often thought that because of their skin colour black people cannot get sunburnt. But black people can and do frequently suffer from sunburn after being in the sun for a long time. Whatever your skin colour you should wear sun protection creams to protect against sunburn. 5

Respect your skin and use a high factor sun cream (factor 15 upwards). Cosmetics For some people, wearing cosmetics can make them feel confident as well as look good. (It is important to remember that some schools have a ban on pupils wearing cosmetics.) You can now buy cosmetics for many different skin tones. When you buy cosmetics choose ones that are close to your skin colour. These will complement rather than change the colour of your face. Applying make up is not always easy for some people. Ask a cosmetic consultant (usually found at cosmetic counters in places like Boots chemists) about the best colour for you and help if you are not sure how to apply make up. You can also ask for free samples! To maintain good healthy skin always make sure you cleanse and moisturise your skin before applying make-up and always remove make-up before going to bed at night. What about your skin? Teeth Having regular dental check-ups is a part of maintaining healthy teeth. It is recommended that you visit a dentist every six months, even if you are not having trouble with your teeth, because then a dentist can spot early signs of trouble. 6 You can register with any dentist in your area. If they take NHS patients, treatment is usually free if you are under 18, in full-time education or pregnant. If you do not have a dentist or you are not happy with the one you have, ask your carer or social worker for help. How often do you visit the dentist?

Illnesses There are specific medical conditions which can affect young people from black and minority ethnic groups. Two of these are listed here. Sickle cell anaemia Sickle cell anaemia is not an infection. It is an inherited blood condition and happens when a child gets sickle haemoglobin from both parents. These parents are usually healthy, silent carriers of the sickle cell trait or suffer from sickle cell anaemia. Haemoglobin is a protein which is contained in the red cells of the blood. It picks up oxygen from the lungs and carries it to the tissues of the body where it is needed. Sickle haemoglobin are round red blood cells that have changed to a crescent shape when they give up their oxygen. When the change takes place the cell becomes sticky, so the cells clump together and block blood vessels, causing pain. This is called a crisis. Various types of treatment can either prevent or relieve symptoms of sickle cell anaemia. Beta thalassaemia The blood condition beta thalassaemia comes in two forms. Beta thalassaemia trait can be carried by people who can remain very healthy. Beta thalassaemia major is when the blood cannot make enough haemoglobin, and because of this the bone marrow cannot produce enough red blood cells. The red blood cells that are produced are always nearly empty of haemoglobin. Children with beta thalassaemia major become anaemic between the age of three months and 18 months. There are various treatments for thalassaemia major. You can be checked to see if you have inherited sickle cell trait or beta thalassaemia trait from a parent. It is a very simple test. Ask your doctor. 7

Relationships Relationships aren t just about having a boyfriend or girlfriend. Throughout your life you will also have different kinds of relationships with your carer, school mates, members of the opposite sex, and later in life, your work colleagues. All relationships have ups and downs. If one of your relationships is going through a rough patch, it might be a good idea to communicate your feelings to the other person. It may not be easy to do, and you might feel scared doing it, but it s very possible the other person is happy that you want to talk about the relationship. You might be surprised at what good can come from communicating openly with other people. Sexual health Good sexual health is a key part of your overall health and well-being, including your emotional health. It is not just about preventing pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. Positive sexual health is partly about being able to understand and enjoy your sexuality. Sexuality is not just about who you choose to have a relationship with. It s also about the clothes you wear, your personality, who you are as a person and your identity. 8 Sexual health is about forming supportive partnerships and having the confidence and the skills to say no to sex if you are not ready. Sometimes there may be pressure from friends or your partner, encouraging you not to be left out of what everyone else is doing. Remember, it s your body and as a young person you have rights and responsibilities for your sexual health.

Rights and responsibilities The age of consent for all young people is 16. This means that it is unlawful for anyone to have sex with someone under the age of 16. This law is to protect young people from abuse and exploitation. The law does recognise that having sex is part of young people s lives. No action will be taken against two young people of a similar age and understanding who have agreed to have a sexual relationship. All young people including those under 16 have the right to confidential advice and information about safer sex and relationships. This includes same sex relationships, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted infections and HIV. This means that as long as you can fully understand the information and advice you have asked for, it will be given to you without your parent or carer knowing. If you are thinking about having sex, get advice and information first, so that you know how to keep yourself safe. Sexually transmitted infections These infections are spread by having sex without a condom. Having sex includes oral sex and touching the vagina or penis of someone who is infected. Often there are no signs of infection (Chlamydia has no symptoms), so you may not know you have an infection. Most infections can be treated quickly and easily in the early stages but if you leave it too long it could affect your health. You could also pass it on to someone else. If you have had sex without a condom then you should get advice straight away. HIV and AIDS HIV stands for Human Immuno-deficiency Virus. 9

Having this virus makes it harder for your body to fight infections and can lead to a combination of serious medical problems, which may be referred to as AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). You cannot get AIDS without being infected with HIV. HIV may, but not always, lead to AIDS. It can be treated, but not cured. You cannot get the virus by sharing cups, sharing food, hugging or kissing. HIV is passed on through sex without a condom, infected needles used for injecting drugs, from mother to baby during pregnancy, child birth or through breast feeding or infected blood received by blood transfusion. Pregnancy Unplanned or unwanted pregnancy can be particularly stressful for young people. If you have had sex without contraception in the last few days you could still avoid becoming pregnant by using emergency contraception. If you think you might be pregnant there is support available whether or not you want to continue with the pregnancy. Support is also available for young men who are fathers or whose partners become pregnant. Looked after children and young people There is a sexual health publication for children and young people who are looked after by Leeds City Council called Choices. Please ask your carer for a copy, or contact the Leeds Children s Rights Service on 0113 394 4748. 10

Drugs A drug is any substance that changes the way you think or feel. Drugs can be illegal, like cannabis, or legal, like alcohol or cigarettes. Things given out by the doctor or nurse are also seen as drugs (taking drugs not prescribed for you can be dangerous). Sometimes it can feel like everyone is using some type of drug but that is not the case. Surveys show that if a class was filled with 100 people aged 11-15: 88 will not have tried cannabis 42 will never have had an alcoholic drink. Peer pressure Other people for example, friends at school might pressure you into smoking or drinking when you don t really want to. Knowing how you feel about yourself is a major step in handling pressure like this. It might also be that your friends are starting to smoke or drink and you feel left out if you don't do it too. It's absolutely OK no matter what anybody else says to respect yourself and your personal beliefs enough to say no when you re offered a drink or a cigarette. Drink and drugs can make it easy to make choices we later regret. And if someone's pressuring you to use drugs or to have a drink, ask yourself if they're really a friend at all. Nicotine Lots of young people start to smoke cigarettes because they are curious. Others might start smoking because they like the idea of doing something adults don t want them to do. Some people may think that smoking cigarettes looks cool, but smoking: makes your clothes and breath stink; discolours your teeth; 11

costs money that you could spend on music or clothes; stops you keeping up with your friends at sports; gives you lots more coughs and colds than you would otherwise suffer from; and can damage the health of people who breathe in the smoke that you exhale. It is illegal for shopkeepers to sell you cigarettes if you're under 18. Also, the laws about where you can smoke in the UK changed on July 1, 2007. It might be a good idea to make yourself aware of where you can and cannot light up before you do. Alcohol Drinking and purchasing alcohol if you are aged under 18 is illegal in the United Kingdom. But many young people drink anyway. Lots of young people drink because they re curious about how it will make them feel, or because they think they will have fun when they drink. But drinking can also make people turn violent, damage property or hurt other people. Alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system (the engine of the body). This means it slows down your body s responses to things. Drinking too much can make you slur your words, lose your balance, forget things or vomit. Some young people drink so much they become unconscious and have to be taken to hospital. 12

Cannabis Cannabis is illegal and you can be arrested if you: are smoking in public; have previously offended or been given a warning; are aged 17 or under; are close to schools or other youth premises; or let other people consume or supply drugs at your house. Someone who has smoked cannabis might giggle a lot, have red or bloodshot eyes, or even go to sleep very easily. While cannabis might seem fun the first few times you try it, using it over a longer period of time might mean: loss of motivation to go to school or college; significant damage to your lungs cannabis has four times as many carcinogens than cigarettes; and/or a greater risk of developing mental illnesses later in life. Getting information and help There are lots of people like your carer, school mentor, school nurse or social worker who will give you information and advice about drugs and alcohol. It s important that you know the facts and understand how to keep yourself safe. So even if you are just thinking about trying something it might be a good idea to talk to someone first. See the directory for places you can telephone or websites you can visit for more information. 13