All About Puberty
Time to Change
OK, so it's a funny
word — but what is puberty, anyway?
Puberty (say:
PYOO-ber-tee) is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and
change as you move from kid to adult. We're talking about stuff like girls
developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men. During puberty,
your body will grow faster than at any other time in your life, except for when
you were a baby.
It helps to know
about the changes that puberty causes before they happen. That way, you know
what to expect. It's also important to remember that everybody goes through
these changes. No matter where you live, whether you're a boy or a girl,
whether you like vanilla or double-fudge-chunk ice cream, you will experience
them. No two people are exactly alike, but one thing everyone has in common is
that we all go through puberty.
Usually, puberty starts
between ages 8 and 13 in girls and ages 9 and 15 in boys. This wide range in
ages may help explain why some of your friends still look like young kids
whereas others look more like adults.
When your body is ready to begin
puberty, your pituitary (say: pih-TOO-uh-ter-ee) gland (a pea-shaped gland
located at the bottom of your brain) releases special hormones. Depending on
whether you're a boy or a girl, these hormones go to work on different parts of
the body.
Changes for Boys and Girls
For boys, the
hormones travel through the blood and tell the testes (say: TES-teez), the two
egg-shaped glands in the scrotum (the sac that hangs under the penis), to begin
making testosterone (say: tess-TAHS-tuh-rone) and sperm. Testosterone is the
hormone that causes most of the changes in a boy's body during puberty, and men
need sperm to be able to reproduce (be the father of a baby).
In girls, these hormones target the two
ovaries (say: OH-vuh-reez), which contain eggs that have been in the girl's
body since she was born. The hormones cause the ovaries to start making another
hormone, called estrogen. Together, these hormones prepare a girl's body to
start her periods and be able to
become pregnant someday.
Boys and girls both
begin to grow hair under their arms and their pubic areas (on and around the
genitals). It starts out looking light and thin. Then, as kids go through
puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, curlier, and darker. Eventually,
boys also start to grow hair on their faces.
It's Just a Growth Spurt
A spurt is a short
burst of activity or something that happens in a hurry. And a growth spurt is
just that: Your body is growing and it's happening really fast!
When you go through
puberty, it might seem like your sleeves are always getting shorter and your
pants are creeping up your legs. That's because you're having a growth spurt
that lasts for about 2 to 3 years. When that growth spurt is at its peak, some
kids grow 4 or more inches (10 or more centimeters) in a year! At the end of
your growth spurt, you'll have reached your adult height — or just about.
But your height isn't
the only thing that changes during puberty.
With all this quick growth, it can seem like
one part of your body — your feet, for instance — are growing faster than
everything else. This can make you feel clumsy or awkward. This is normal, too!
The rest of your body will eventually fill out and shape up, and you'll feel
less klutzy.
Taking Shape
Your body also fills
out and changes shape during puberty. A boy's shoulders will grow wider and his
body will become more muscular. He may notice a bit of breast growth on his
chest. Don't worry, this is normal — and it goes away for most boys by the end
of puberty.
In addition, boys'
voices crack and eventually become deeper, their penises grow longer and wider,
and their testes get bigger. All of these changes mean that their bodies are
developing as they should during puberty.
Girls' bodies usually become curvier.
Their hips get wider and their breasts develop,
starting with just a little swelling under the nipples. Sometimes one breast
grows more quickly than the other, but most of the time they even out. Girls
may start wearing bras around this time, especially if they are involved in
sports or exercise classes.
With all this growing
and developing going on, some girls may be uncomfortable with how their bodies
are changing, but it's unhealthy for girls to diet to try to stop any
normal weight gain. If you have any questions about puberty or are
worried about your weight, talk to your parent or doctor.
One question a girl will have is: When
will I get my first period? This usually happens about 2 years after her
breasts start to develop. The menstrual (say: MEN-strul) period, or monthly cycle,
is when blood is released through the vagina. That may sound alarming, but it's
normal and it signals that a girl is growing up and her body is preparing so
that she can have a baby someday.
Here's what's going on: Each of a
girl's two ovaries holds thousands of eggs. During the menstrual cycle, an egg
is released from one of the ovaries and begins a trip down the fallopian (say:
fuh-lo-pee-un) tube to the uterus, also called the womb. A
girl has two fallopian tubes, one connecting each ovary to the uterus.
Before the egg even
leaves the ovary, though, hormones stimulate the uterus to build up its inner
lining with extra blood and tissue. If the egg gets to the uterus and is
fertilized by a sperm cell, it may plant itself in that lining and grow into a
baby. The extra blood and tissue nourishes and protects the baby as it
develops.
But most of the time
the egg is only passing through. When the egg doesn't get fertilized, or if the
fertilized egg doesn't become planted in the lining, the uterus no longer needs
the extra blood and tissue, so the blood leaves the body through the vagina.
This blood is known as a girl's period. A period usually lasts from 2 to 7
days. About 2 weeks after the last period, a new egg is released as the cycle repeats
itself.
Face Up to Changes
Another thing that may come with
puberty is acne (say: AK-nee) —
or pimples — caused by all those hormones at work in the body.
Skin gets oilier and
pimples sometimes start showing up when puberty begins, and you may get them
throughout the teenage years. You might see pimples on your face, your upper
back, or your upper chest.
To help control
pimples, wash your face twice a day with warm water and a mild soap or
cleanser. Don't squeeze, pick, or pop your pimples. Your doctor can also offer
suggestions for clearing up acne. The good news is that acne usually gets a lot
better as you get older.
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