Stages Of Puberty In Girls

Puberty is the most difficult stage that human beings undergo, whether it is regarding the physiological changes they see every day or the emotional and psychological rollercoaster rides they go through several times in a day. A girl child finds it all the more difficult to deal with these changes which leave her perplexed and push her into the path of self awareness, often dismissed as self-obsession by parents who forget their own troublesome years as adolescents. It may however, pay to know the various stages of puberty that adolescent girls go through, if one really wants to know and help young girls deal with them, as a parent, guardian, teacher or counselor. The various stages in puberty that girls go through, which are also known as Tanner stages, are as follows:

 

Stage I: Age 8 to 14
In the first stage of puberty, young girls experience a lot of physiological changes that range from the first spurt of pubic hair they see growing, to the fact that their nipples become elevated. Girls at this stage outgrow the boys in height and also begin to put on weight. If the girl is involved in sporting activities, the increase in weight may be less noticeable. Known as Adrenarche, this is the stage when the body of the young girl prepares itself for the forthcoming sexual maturation. One must understand that this stage might begin in girls as young as eight years or may not happen till the girl is fourteen; it is not possible to predict precisely what age the girl will achieve any of the stages in maturity. 

Stage II: Age 9 to 15
At this stage, girls will find their hips growing larger than their waists, because of which their bodies will begin to have a curvy form that resembles that of adult women. The areola will also begin to grow larger as also the clitoris. Though this may not be the stage where a majority will begin to have their periods, they may notice a clear secretion from their vaginas, even as they continue to gain weight and grow taller. 

Stage III: Age 10 to 13
At this stage, a girl’s breasts begin to grow larger than the edges of the areola. This could be the stage when a good number of girls will experience menstruation for the first time. Or, they might have irregular periods that last for a day or two and then do not appear for several months after. 

Stage IV: Age 13 to 16
This stage can be very tricky as the girl may experience the first burst of acne or pimples. The hair on the underarms and public region will grow at an alarming rate at this stage, with the pubic hair forming a triangular shape as it grows. Girls at this stage experience regular or periodic menstruation as the body begins to get used to the monthly cycle of ovulation and menstruation. 

Stage V: Age 12 to 19
This is the last stage of puberty, that signals the complete regularization of periods, where the girls’ height and breasts stop growing and she has, at least physiologically, stepped into the world of womanhood.