Puberty (2 page)

Exercise can help you keep a healthy weight during growth spurts.

SHAVING OR WAXING?

It is common for girls to want to remove hair from their legs and underarms. Shaving is quickest and cheapest, but it can coarsen the hairs, making them feel prickly. Waxing is another option. It can be painful, but the hair takes longer to grow back. There are also gels and creams, which work by dissolving the hairs to leave the skin feeling smooth.

Shaving is a quick and easy method of hair removal for the legs and underarms.

What’s normal?

As girls go through all the body changes of puberty, they may worry about whether they are “normal,” either in the way their bodies look or in how quickly or slowly they are developing.

IT HAPPENED TO ME

When I was 13, everyone in my class was wearing a bra except me. I was totally flat, and none of the clothes I wanted to wear looked good on me. I even started thinking about cosmetic surgery when I was older. But now I am OK with the size of my breasts because I love sports and I’ve heard some girls say big breasts just get in the way!

Lucy, 15

Breast size

Breasts can begin growing any time between the ages of 8 and 13. Often one grows a bit faster than the other, and although they generally even out, many women continue to have one breast slightly larger than the other. Some girls may worry about being flat-chested or “late developers,” but breasts can take up to five years to reach their full size. The nipple and areola (the area around the nipple) also vary in size and in color from light pink through purplish to gray. Nipples can also be brown.

Girls often find it easiest to talk about their worries with friends.

Body parts

During puberty, the vulva develops as the labia grow larger. Girls may worry when they see the inner lips (labia minora) growing longer and fleshier. They may even worry that the growth is abnormal and they are changing sex. But every girl is different. The inner lips can be small and almost hidden or full and fleshy, growing well down below the outer lips. They can be smooth or crinkled, pink, purplish, or brown.

When girls first notice a discharge in their underwear, they may worry that this means they are not “clean,” but in fact it is the vagina’s way of keeping itself clean and lubricated. To help stay clean, rinse the area with warm water (without soap) and avoid synthetic materials. For example, use cotton underwear instead.

“The timing [of breast development] is determined by your own biological clock that tells your body to start producing high levels of female hormones … The final size of a girl’s breasts is determined by heredity … Breast size varies greatly among women, and all sizes and shapes are normal and healthy.”

www.teengrowth.com

Some girls enjoy choosing a first bra. Others feel shy or embarrassed, so may get their parents to choose them.

What are periods?

Periods normally begin about two years after the start of puberty. The average age is 12, but they can start at any age between 8 and 16.

A baby girl is born with around 500,000 eggs stored in follicles (sacs) in her ovaries. The eggs mature when her body begins to produce sex hormones.

If you are a girl, once puberty starts, your body releases an egg every month from your ovaries. This is called ovulation. The egg travels down the fallopian tubes to the uterus (womb). The lining of the uterus thickens so it is ready for a baby to grow if the egg is fertilized by male
sperm
. If it is not fertilized, the egg and the soft lining of the uterus are shed as blood and other material through the vagina when you have your “period.”

MONTHLY CYCLE

A girl’s monthly cycle begins on the first day of her period and runs through to the day before her next period. The average cycle is around 28 days, but anything between 22 and 35 days is considered normal. Periods can be irregular in the first few months, and again later in a woman’s life during the
menopause
(around the early fifties) when the monthly cycle ceases.

This illustration shows the 28-day menstrual cycle.

On average, periods last about five days, but they can vary from one to eight days, especially during the first few months. Only a small amount of blood, an average of around 1.35 ounces (40 ml), is lost during a period, and normally flow is heaviest in the first couple of days. You may experience stomach pains, or cramps, at the start of your period. This is because the uterus is contracting or squeezing to release the egg and soft lining.

PMS

Premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, is the name for some of the symptoms that can occur in the days leading up to a period. They include feeling bloated (as the changing levels of estrogen cause the body to retain more water), tender and swollen breasts, nausea, headaches, and feeling tearful, irritable, and tired. Some girls find they have a craving for sweet foods.

IT HAPPENED TO ME

I started my periods only this year, and I am 14. I was getting really worried that they were never going to start because most of my friends’ had. I didn’t feel like I was “grown-up.” I felt better when my mom told me her periods didn’t start until she was my age. My periods are still a bit irregular now, but the doctor told me they should settle down soon.

Natalia, 14

Tampons are made of soft cotton pressed together to form a cylinderlike shape, so that they can be easily inserted.

Can I use tampons?

Dear Agony Aunt,
My periods have just started, and I really want to use tampons, but when I tried, I just had to give up. I think my vagina may just be too small. Is that possible?
Amy, 12

Dear Amy
,

It can be hard the first few times, but it is not because your vagina is too small or tight. After all, it is capable of stretching enough for a baby to get through! When you become tense, the vagina tightens so it is important to relax when you are inserting a tampon. Choose one of the smaller “mini” tampons to start with. Try raising one leg on a chair and relax by taking some deep breaths. If this still doesn’t work, you can use other sanitary products. You may also want to visit your doctor if you are still worried
.

3 Body changes: boys

Boys can begin puberty any time between the ages of around 9 and 15. Hormones start working on the
testes
so they begin to produce sperm, and on the adrenal glands so they produce androgens (male sex hormones), chiefly
testosterone.

First signs

If you are a boy, you will have a sudden growth spurt, and your body will change shape, getting stronger and more muscular. Your skeleton can grow up to a third of an inch (1 cm) a month during puberty. Your shoulders get wider, and muscles in your neck, chest, and legs grow bigger and stronger as testosterone makes the muscle fibers multiply and thicken.

Having personal space becomes increasingly important during the teen years.

WHEN DOES SHAVING START?

Most boys don’t need to start shaving until their late teens, but they can decide to start anywhere between the ages of around 13 and 19. The hair is often fine and patchy to begin with, but it will gradually get thicker and coarser.