Puberty is the period during which adolescents reach sexual
maturity and the body is prepared to be capable of reproduction.
People say that puberty is all about raging hormones. It’s
true as hormones that were hibernating suddenly awaken and signal the body to
enter puberty. A person might think this doesn't mean a lot, but hormones cause
the changes that are associated with puberty. There are various signs of
puberty which are as follows:
- Timing of Puberty
- Breasts
- Pubic Hair
- Growing
- Acne
Timing of Puberty: Puberty
starts at different times and lasts for different periods of time for everyone.
In girls puberty may start between the age of 10 to 14 years of age, however,
in boys it happens little late i.e. between 12 to 16 years of age.
The sequence of puberty is from breast development to
complete physical maturation that may take a year and a half or last as long as
6 years and this is very difficult for girls as some of their peers may have
entered and completed puberty before they have even started. However, there is
no way to slow or speed up the process. People have heard that girls mature
more quickly than guys, and that is somewhat true, since girls usually enter
puberty about 2 years earlier than boys.
Breasts: Development of breast begins between 8 years
of age and 13 years of age and continues through puberty and that development
starts with the flat area around the nipple (areola) becoming enlarged and some
breast tissue forming under the nipple however, each breast is distinct and the
areola no longer appears swollen, when breast development is complete. There
is no way to try to make your breasts larger or smaller other than going
through plastic surgery, which is not always a very safe or healthy alternative
as breast size varies from woman to woman.
Pubic Hair: Along the vaginal lips, the outer opening
of your private parts, pubic hair starts growing. The hair grows like an
inverted triangle and becomes darker and coarser and sometimes, the hair
spreads to the insides of thighs, as well.
Growing: Puberty results in an average growth of
about 3.5 inches a year, when a person go through a growth spurt during puberty
then person’s head, hands, and feet are the first things to grow and then growth
in arms and legs, and finally torso and shoulders catch up with the rest of a
person’s body. Everyone goes through that awkward phase and you are not
alone if it's any consolation however height growth is accompanied by an
increase in weight and this weight gain is perfectly normal and a part of puberty.
Without gaining this weight, you cannot grow taller, develop breasts, or getyour first period.
Acne: Finally when underarm hair begins to grow, and
your sweat and oil producing glands also start developing and this eventually
results in acne when these glands are clogged during puberty. In order to
avoid breakouts, you should wash your face twice daily. If you still regularly
break out, you may want to speak to a dermatologist.
