As if homework, tests, after school activities and constant lectures from adults weren't enough, you also have a vast array of physical changes to deal with in your teen years. Sometimes it seems like changes occur overnight, and you feel a little insecure in your own body. Take solace in knowing that everybody goes through these changes and that, soon enough, everybody makes it through. In the mean time, knowing what to expect will make the transition a lot easier.
Cause
When the body reaches a particular age, the brain begins to release a hormone that initiates the onset of puberty. According to Teens Health from Nemours, the hormone, known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone reaches the pituitary gland, which then releases two puberty hormones called luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone . These hormones affect males by signaling the production of testosterone and sperm. They affect females by telling the ovaries to produce estrogen. The adrenal glands also start producing testosterone and estrogen.
Age of Onset
Although puberty usually begins between ages 8 and 13 in girls and between 10 and 15 in guys, some people may begin to go through puberty earlier or later, notes Teens Health from Nemours. Genes may play a factor in your development. Girls, for example, may discover that they start to go through puberty at around the same time their mothers did.
Male Changes
The first changes a boy may see between ages 11 and 14 are an increased size in his testicles and penis, some pubic hair, underarm and facial hair, pimples, developed muscles, increased height and weight, a deeper voice and tender breasts, states education.com. Between ages 15 and 17, he may discover that his voice continues to deepen, his facial hair grows in thicker, he continues to grow in height and he develops more muscle tone.
Female Changes
Between ages 11 and 14, a girl may have her first menstrual period. She may also notice that she has some pubic hair, enlarged breasts, increased body fat, wider hips, some extra weight, height and pimples. Education. com adds that by the time she is between ages 15 and 17, she will have typically finished going through the majority of physical changes, but she may continue to have an increased concern over her image and weight.
Early and Delayed Puberty
Some children enter puberty at an early age, and some don't start puberty until they are well into their teens. Most of the time, these are normal variations. However, some medical complications can cause early or delayed puberty. If a girl develops breasts and pubic hair prior to age 7 or 8 or a boy has an increase in testicle size and penis length before age 9, the American Academy of Family Physicians recommends consulting a pediatrician. Parents may also want to consult a pediatrician if a girl has not developed some breast tissue by age 14 or doesn't have periods within five years of her first breast tissue development or if a boy doesn't have any testicle development by age 14.
References
- American Academy of Family Physicians: Puberty: What to Expect When Your Child Goes Through Puberty
- Teens Health from Nemours: Everything You Wanted to Know About Puberty
- Education.Com: Physical Growth & Development During the Teen Years
- American Academy of Pediatrics: What's Is Puberty and What Is Going to Happen to my Body?
