Lesson video

Hi, I'm Ms. Lowe, and I'm your RSHE teacher for today.

Thank you so much for choosing to complete your learning with me.

Now because of some of the themes and topics covered in today's lesson, it's really important that you complete your learning today with the company of an adult.

So here's our outcome for today's lesson, and by the end of today's lesson, you will be able to explain how to look after yourself during puberty.

Every RSHE lesson should begin with a set of ground rules.

This ensures that every conversation had in RSHE is respectful, and we're all able to learn effectively.

So Laura is reminding us that in RSHE, we should listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should listen properly before making assumptions or deciding how to respond.

And when disagreeing, we challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep is reminding us to respect privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we don't use names or descriptions that can identify anyone, including ourselves.

Izzy is reminding us to choose a level of participation that suits us.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question or to join in a discussion, but we never put anyone on the spot.

And finally, Jacob is reminding us that in RSHE, there is no judgement.

We can explore beliefs and misunderstandings about a topic without the fear of being judged.

And here are our key words for today's lesson.

Let's go through the definitions together.

So puberty, the process of changing from a child's body to an adult's.

It usually starts between the ages of nine and 14.

Genitals.

External organs involved in reproduction, such as vulva, uterus, clitoris, vagina, ovaries, penis, and testicles.

And acne.

When your skin gets spots or pimples because of blocked pores, often during puberty.

So here is the outcome for today's lesson, and also the outline of today's lesson, and we are beginning by asking the question, how do I look after my hair? So puberty is a time of change and growth.

And this change and growth is not only happening in the brain, but it's also happening to the body.

And these changes are driven by hormones.

Now in female bodies, that hormone driving these changes is oestrogen, and in male bodies, the hormone driving those changes is testosterone.

So maintaining personal hygiene is really important during puberty.

We must look after our bodies and keep them clean.

And this is particularly important during puberty because this is when the sweat and oil glands in our bodies start to become more active.

So having a personal hygiene routine to take care of our bodies and hair can help to keep us clean, healthy, and smelling good.

Now during puberty, pubic hair begins to grow.

When it first starts to grow, it starts out as a fine, light hair, but over time this hair starts to thicken and spread to different parts of the body.

So pubic hair tends to grow in the armpits, around the genitals, and the inner thighs.

But on male bodies, this hair might even spread to the chest, the back, and the abdomen.

Now the appearance, texture, and amount of pubic hair that people have on their body will be different for everyone.

So some people might choose to remove their pubic hair, whereas others might just leave it to grow.

There is no right or wrong way, it's all just a personal preference.

However, pubic hair should be washed every time someone showers or bathes, and to do this, they should use warm water, and if they feel they need it, use a gentle and unscented soap.

Now there are lots of misconceptions when it comes to pubic hair, and we can see one on the left here.

Someone is saying that they've heard that pubic hair is unhygienic, and the person on the right is saying, actually, pubic hair is there to protect the genitals from germs and bacteria, so it's quite the opposite of unhygienic.

Now let's check our understanding here about what we've just learned.

So true or false? It is unhygienic to have pubic hair.

I want you to pause the video here, have a think about your answers, and then we'll go through the correct one together in just a moment.

Well done if you said false.

Yes, of course.

Pubic hair actually protects the genitals from germs and bacteria.

Now, although some people may choose to remove it, it's not because it's unhygienic.

To look after it, all a person needs to do is use warm water, and if needed, an unscented and gentle soap.

So well done if you said false.

Now, male bodies may also start to develop facial hair.

And again, this will begin as a fine, light hair, that begins at the side of the lips.

And over time, this hair becomes thicker, and it'll spread to the side of the face and the chin.

Now, facial hair usually emerges between the ages of 13 and 16, but it is different for everyone.

Some people may begin to develop it earlier, some people may begin to develop it later, and the amount of facial hair that a male body develops will be different for everyone as well.

So again, the amount and thickness will also be different for everyone.

Now, female bodies may have facial hair too, but this generally tends to be much finer hair.

Now, looking after facial hair is also a personal preference.

There is no right or wrong way.

Some may choose to grow it out, and it can be kept clean by washing it with skincare products suitable for a person's skin type.

However, some people might choose to shave it if it becomes long or uncomfortable.

Now, some people may choose to shave using what we call wet shaving, which is using a razor, water, and foam, whereas other people prefer to do dry shaving, which is just using an electric razor.

Again, this is just personal preference.

There's no right or wrong way.

Now, oil and sweat glands become more active during puberty, and depending on hair type, a person's hair might become oilier and need washing more regularly than before, or compared to their friends' hair.

Curly hair may be drier and need washing less often, but caring for hair during puberty and beyond will be different, again, for everyone.

It just depends on a person's hair type.

So the person on the left here is saying that their hair is straight and gets oily very quickly, so they need to give it a wash every single day.

The person on the right is telling us that their hair is thicker and drier, so they only need to wash it once a week.

When it comes to taking care of our hair, it is personal preference, and it depends on a person's hair type and what their hair needs.

What we're gonna do now is we're gonna pause the video here and check our understanding about what we've learned so far.

So how can someone properly care for their hair during puberty? I want you to read through those three options, decide which one you think is the correct answer, and then we'll go through the correct answers together.

Well done if you said B and C.

Yes, for someone to properly care for their hair during puberty, they should wash their hair when needed, depending on their hair type, and wash facial hair with gentle skincare products.

Well done if you got both of those answers correct.

Now we are gonna put our learning into practise.

So what I want for you to do is I want you to read Sam's statement about her experience of puberty, and then explain to Sam why these changes are happening and give her two pieces of advice for how to look after her hair during puberty.

So Sam says, "The hair on my head is oily all the time.

I only wash it once a week, 'cause this is what I've always done.

I'm also starting to grow thick pubic hair on my genitals, and I don't know how to take care of it." So I'd like you to pause the video here and explain to Sam about these changes and give her two pieces of advice, and then we'll go through some possible answers together in a moment.

Really good work there.

So you were asked to explain to Sam why these changes are happening to her, and give her two pieces of advice for how to look after her hair during puberty.

Now your answers may have said that more active oil glands in a person's skin during puberty mean that they may have to wash their hair more often.

And depending on your hair type, this may need to be more regular than your current once a week.

You might have also said that pubic hair appears during puberty to help keep genitals safe from germs and bacteria.

You should wash pubic hair with warm water and a gentle, unscented soap.

Well done if you said any of those things while you were giving your advice to Sam.

Great work.

Now we are moving on to the second part of our lesson, and we are asking the question, "How do I look after my skin?" So hormones in the body can cause sweat glands, particularly those that are in the armpits, to become more active.

And the sweat also begins to emit different chemicals, which actually makes the sweat smell differently during and after puberty.

So armpits should be cleaned regularly to keep the skin healthy and prevent a buildup of sweat.

People should also make sure that during puberty they are changing their clothes regularly to keep them fresh, because the chemicals that are creating that smell in the sweat can cling to clothes, so it's important that you clean regularly and you also regularly clean your clothes.

So Nurse Daniel here is saying that as the sweat glands become more active during puberty, you might even feel that you sweat more than before, and this is completely usual.

So when we start puberty, it's important that we start wearing deodorant or antiperspirant.

So what deodorant does is it masks the smell of sweat, and they can be found as either a spray, a roll-on, or a stick, which is a solid stick of deodorant.

On the other hand, an antiperspirant prevents or dries up sweat, and it does this by blocking the sweat pores.

And just like deodorant, it can be found as either a spray, a roll-on, or a stick.

Now when it comes to the type and the scent of these antiperspirants or deodorant, it's just a personal preference, but what is important, regardless of which one a person chooses, is that they wear it every single day.

Now we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding about what we've just learned.

So which of the following statements about how someone looks after their armpits is accurate? I'd like you to read through the three options, decide which ones you think are correct, and then we'll go through the right answer together.

Well done if you said B, to wear deodorant or antiperspirant every day.

Now, during puberty, the body produces more of a hormone known as androgen, and this stimulates the oil glands in the skin, and what happens then is it causes more of something called sebum or oil to be produced.

And this increase in oil can lead to spots, acne, enlarged pores, and as Nurse Daniel here is saying, the spots that we might find as a result of this sebum usually appear on the face, the neck, chest, and back.

So spots occur when dirt and dead skin cells block the pores.

So this sebum that's produced and the bacteria gather under the skin and it causes a swelling on the surface of the skin.

Now, Nurse Daniel's telling us here there are multiple different types of spots that a person could experience.

Blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, nodules or cysts, and acne.

So we'll pause the video here and we'll have a think about what we've just learned.

So spots are caused by a buildup of sebum under the skin.

Is this true or false? Well done if you said true.

So let's have a look at the different spots that a person might experience during puberty.

So first we have blackheads, and these are small, black or yellowish bumps that develop on the skin.

If we have a look at the screen here, we can see an illustration of a blackhead.

We can see that yellow part is that buildup of sebum that's happening underneath the skin next to this hair follicle, and it has developed this buildup of dirt and dead skin cells on the surface of the skin.

People might also experience whiteheads, and what these are are clogged pores or hair follicles, and they are caused when dead skin and dirt cover the pore and then trap excess sebum, which creates a small pus-filled bump on the skin's surface.

And we can see an illustration of that here.

So getting blackheads and whiteheads are a usual part of puberty, but to help prevent them, someone should wash their face in the morning and evening with a gentle cleanser.

If they wear makeup during the day, they should make sure that they remove it at the end of each day.

They should also avoid touching their face, because what can happen is the oil that people get on the tips of their fingers is then transferred onto the skin and it makes the skin more irritated and increases the likelihood of developing blackheads or whiteheads.

People should also avoid using harsh cleansers and scrubbing the face too hard, because this too can irritate the skin.

Other spots people might experience are things called nodules or cysts, and these are pus-filled lumps that develop under the skin and create quite a painful red lump on the surface of the skin.

And we can see here an illustration of a nodule or a cyst.

We can see that there is quite a large pus buildup underneath the skin, and on top of the skin surface we can see it's developed this irritated red lump.

Now to help remove the bacteria that causes them, it's important that we wash our face regularly.

People can also use a light, non-oily moisturiser, which can help to avoid the clogging of pores.

Nodular or cystic spots can be very painful, and if someone struggles with them, they can get support from a medical professional.

Now we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding.

What is the missing way to look after nodules and cysts? Firstly, it says to help remove the bacteria that causes them, wash the face regularly.

Two, get support from a medical professional.

So what is the missing way to look after nodules and cysts? Pause the video here, have a think about your answer, and then we'll go through the correct one together.

Well done if you said to use a light, non-oily moisturiser to avoid clogging the pores.

So when a person gets a buildup of spots on the face, neck, chest, or back, this is known as acne.

And a person can experience acne with any type of spot that we've just looked at.

Now acne can range from a moderate case to a severe case, and it's a usual part of puberty, but acne can actually also occur later on in life.

Acne is caused by an excess of sebum, but it can also be hereditary.

So if a person in somebody's family had acne in the past, there is a higher likelihood that that person might develop acne as well during puberty or in later life.

So Nurse Daniel here is telling us that acne is totally normal and treatable.

He says to keep your skin clean by washing it twice a day with a gentle cleanser, and that people should avoid picking spots or touching their face, and if needed, to try a topical treatment.

If acne is severe, a person can go and speak to a doctor or a medical professional for extra help.

We're gonna pause here now, and we're gonna check our understanding.

So which of the following are ways to treat acne? You're gonna read through those three statements and then tell me which ones you think are the correct answer.

Well done if you said B and C.

Yes.

Washing the face twice a day with a gentle cleanser or treating the face with a topical medicine if needed are the correct ways to treat acne.

We know that A is wrong, because scrubbing the affected area with a strong, scented soap, is just going to irritate the skin more.

So well done if you said B and C.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

I would like for you to explain three or four ways in which someone could look after the skin during puberty.

So pause the video, write down your ideas, and then we'll go through some possible things that you could have said in just a moment.

Absolutely fantastic.

So you were asked to explain three to four ways in which someone could look after their skin during puberty, and you might have included the following ideas.

You might have said, one, to stay fresh, wash your underarms daily with soap and water to remove sweat and bacteria.

You might have said using deodorant or antiperspirant helps prevent body odour and keeps you feeling confident throughout the day.

You might have said that you should wash your face twice a day with a gentle cleanser to remove dirt and oil.

And finally, you might have said to avoid scrubbing too hard because this can irritate the skin.

So well done if you mentioned any of those things in your answers.

We are moving on now to the final part of today's lesson, and we are asking the question, how do I look after my genitals? So during puberty, male and female genitals will grow and change, but the growth and the change of the genitals will be different for everyone.

And this is a theme that we see running through puberty.

The changes that a person's body goes through is gonna be different for every single person going through it.

It's important that during puberty we start to care for our genitals.

So we're gonna begin by having a look at female genitals.

So the vulva, which is the external female genitals, will go through changes during puberty.

The skin or the surface colour of the vulva will change.

The labia minora, which often grows unevenly, but every labia minora will look different.

The clitoris develops and grows, and this happens mostly internally.

Now the appearance of the vulva does not affect how it works, and every vulva looks different.

Now, as female bodies start to go through puberty, they might find that a clear or white discharge begins to be released from the cervix.

And this is a sign that menstruation is starting, and females will experience discharge throughout each month.

Now, Nurse Daniel here is telling us a little bit more about discharge.

So he says that vaginal discharge can be different during the month.

So he said that sometimes it may be watery or thick, it could be clear or white.

And female bodies will produce some different amounts of discharge at different times throughout the month.

However, he's warning us here that if discharge is smelly or it's a yellow green colour, and it's accompanied by a feeling of irritation, it's important to speak to a trusted adult, because these can be signs of an infection.

Now some females may worry that the vagina is unclean or smelly due to discharge.

However, discharge exists to keep the vagina clean.

So it is nothing to worry about at all, unless of course, as Nurse Daniel told us before, it's a yellow or green colour, and accompanied by a feeling of irritation.

Now to look after female genitals, it's important to wash the vulva regularly with warm water, and to use a gentle, unscented soap if necessary, to never clean inside the vagina, and after using the toilet, wipe from front to back.

Now we're gonna pause the video here and have a think about what we've just learned.

So true or false, it is important to clean the vulva every day using special soaps designed for it.

Is that true or false? Well done if you said false.

But why is this false? Well, when cleaning the vulva, it's important to only use warm water, and if necessary, a gentle, unscented soap.

When we see soaps that are heavily scented or soaps that say that they are designed to be used for intimate cleaning, it's often not the case, and strong, scented soaps can irritate the vulva.

So when cleaning the vulva, it's important to either only use warm water, or if necessary, a gentle, unscented soap.

Now moving on to male genitals.

So these will also go through changes during puberty.

So what will happen is that the penis may start to grow in length.

The testes will begin to enlarge, and this will happen often unevenly.

The scrotum, which is the skin around the testes, may change in colour.

And it's important to remember that the penis grows at different rates and to different sizes.

Puberty will look different on all male bodies.

And again, size and appearance does not impact the function of the penis.

So a sticky substance known as smegma can build up around the glans, which is the tip of the penis.

And this is usual, but it is important to clean the penis daily.

You clean the penis by gently pulling the foreskin back and washing it with warm water, and it's important to avoid strong, scented soaps, because this can irritate the skin.

Remember, the foreskin and glans are sensitive parts of the body.

So if the foreskin does not pull back easily, never try to do it forcefully.

Now, some penises may have been circumcised, and this is a usual part of certain cultures and certain faiths, and this means that the tip of the foreskin that covers the glans has been removed.

Now when it comes to cleaning a circumcised penis, it is exactly the same as cleaning an uncircumcised penis.

The only difference is that there is no foreskin to pull back.

Now we're gonna pause here and we're gonna check our understanding about the things that we've just learned.

So which of the following statements about caring for genitals are accurate? I want you to pause the video, read through those three statements, and then we'll join back together in a moment and go through the correct answer.

Well done if you said A and C.

The penis should be cleaned daily with warm water and the vulva should be cleaned regularly with warm water.

Now we're gonna put our learning into practise.

So I'd like for you to do these two things.

Firstly, I'd like you to write a list for how to look after female genitals, and then I'd like you to write a list for how to look after male genitals.

So pause the video, write down these two lists, and then we'll go through some possible things that you could have written in a moment.

Excellent work.

So firstly, you were asked to write a list for how to look after female genitals.

Now, you might have written to wash the vulva regularly using warm water, avoid harsh, scented soaps, that could irritate the skin, to never wash inside the vagina.

You may have said that discharge is usual, and unless it's smelly, green or yellow, and causes irritation, it is not a cause for concern.

And finally, that after using the toilet, it's important to wipe from front to back to avoid bacteria from the anus causing infection to the vagina.

In your second list, you were asked to write about how to look after male genitals.

So you might have written here to wash the penis daily to avoid a buildup of smegma.

To clean an uncircumcised penis, you pull back the foreskin gently and never force it.

You may have said that both circumcised and uncircumcised penises need the glans cleaned.

And finally, you may have said to use warm water and to avoid harsh soaps that can irritate the skin.

Now we're gonna finish today's lesson by going through a summary of what we've learned.

So today we were talking about looking after ourselves during puberty.

And we said that during puberty, the body changes quickly.

It changes shape, genitals enlarge, body hair grows, and sweat glands become more active.

Caring for hair during puberty and beyond will be different for everyone, and this is because it depends on that person's hair type.

As sweat glands begin to become more active during puberty, it's important to wear deodorant or antiperspirant and to change clothes regularly to ensure good hygiene.

It's important to wash your face twice a day with a cleanser that helps keep skin clean.

And finally, if you are ever concerned about puberty or hygiene, it's important to speak to a trusted adult or a medical professional.

Now, if any of the things that we've discussed in today's lesson affect you, or you have any concerns, here are some places that you can go to access support.

So firstly, we have the NHS website, which is a website about health and prevention, including how to access services, and Childline, which is a website and phone line which is able to offer confidential advice and support.

And I'd like to end today's lesson by saying a huge well done for all the fantastic learning that you've been doing, and I hope to see you in another RSHE lesson soon.