Puberty is that period in a young person’s life when your body begins to experience all these changes. During this time your body is sending you signs that something is happening. You may not truly understand what it is but you know that it makes you one step closer to becoming an adult physically.
What happens during puberty?
there is one part of your body that works double time during puberty, it’s your brain. The brain is the mastermind and ultimate puberty machine. It’s not fully understood how the brain suddenly wakes up and decides it’s time for you to undergo all these changes. It may be because the brain is fully formed at this point and is ready to do the job of bringing you one step closer to adulthood.
Puberty is actually a stage or process. It is that part of your life that makes you sexually mature. It starts with the brain releasing some chemicals called releasing hormones. These hormones then send signals to a small portion of the brain called the pituitary gland. This gland is attached to the brain by a little stalk, much like a fruit to a branch of a tree. The pituitary, after receiving the signals from the brain, releases stimulating hormones. These stimulating hormones, true to their name, “tickle” the ovaries of young girls and the testes of young boys to start producing sex hormones.
These sex hormones are released in spurts by the ovaries or testes. They are responsible for most of the changes that you experience in your body.
Puberty: What is there to expect?
Those baby pictures are getting really ancient. You may even feel embarrassed showing them to your friends. So much has changed. The baby fat is gone and you look so different of course!
Puberty happens gradually. It starts when one is around 10 or 11 years of age. This happens without you knowing it. The brain and other structures in the body such as the sex organs and adrenal glands start releasing sex hormones during sleep. In fact, the surge of sex hormones from your brain happens mostly during sleep. In the earliest part of puberty, you will not be able to see evident changes in the body yet.
Puberty takes place with no strict boundaries that signal its progress from one phase to the next. Changes that take place in your body may overlap one another. However, each phase has its own highlights which tell you that sexual maturity is about to be achieved.
Early Puberty
- Breasts begin to grow.
- In women, fat is distributed in hips, arms and thighs.
- Height spurts begin during this time.
- During sleep, your body releases more stimulating hormones.
Middle Puberty
- Stimulating hormones and sex hormones continue to increase in the body even when awake.
- Peak height may be reached at this time.
- Breasts continue to enlarge.
- Vaginal discharge may be noted.
- Pubic hair starts to appear. Hair begins to grow in your armpits.
- Skin changes are noted and acne starts becoming a problem.
Late Puberty
- Women start having their period around this time.
Changes in the Body during Puberty
Breast Changes - In women, breasts start to bud around ten years of age. This means that the pinkish circular area surrounding the nipples grow darker and larger. The part of the chest that used to be flat begins to show little mounds during breast budding. A woman’s monthly period is expected to start about two years after the breasts start to bud. Breast changes during puberty are due to the release of estrogen in the body.
Hair Changes - During puberty, one starts growing hair in the vulva and in the armpits. Some women may grow very noticeable hair above their upper lip, arms and legs. The hair in your armpits may start appearing shortly after your pubic hair. Pubic hair appears around the age of 11 or 12. During this time, women may start seeing stains from vaginal discharge in their underwear too.
Skin Changes - Skin changes take place as early as 11 or 12 years of age. These may include changes in the texture of the skin. A certain roughness or oiliness may be noted when one touches the face. The skin on the forehead and the bridge of the nose may also appear to glow. This glowing skin that you either love or hate during your early teens is due to the active oil glands that have turned full gear producing oil or sebum. This excess oil on your face can lead to bad pores which may cause acne.
Body Odor - During puberty, your body releases a small amount of male hormones. As these hormones surge at a certain age, hair begins to grow and with this, special sweat glands in the armpits, palms and soles of the feet start being active too. These glands produce a special kind of oil and unlike sweat, gives out a different smell. The extra hair in your body may start trapping sweat. Bacteria on the skin will feel very much at home with this and start to breed. The bacteria, sweat and oil that come together result in body odor.
