Puberty Questions

On a cool autumn morning, a random boy looks in the mirror and notices that his face has a lot more hair than it did a few months ago? On that very morning, a random girl looks at herself in the mirror and notices that her chest looks more bustier than it did before. What are these developments that have plagued these young ones? Are they turning into extra-terrestrial beings? Well, not really. The changes that both the boy and the girl observed or noticed only stand to signify what is known as puberty. The term ‘puberty’ help’s throw light on the processes of physical changes by which a child’s body ‘transmogrifies’ into that of an adult’s capable of reproduction. Read on to find for yourself a cluster of the questions that are most likely to revolve around puberty. The questions are divided into two broad sub-categories: Puberty questions for boysand Puberty questions for girls.

When exactly does a boy know for sure that he has hit puberty?

Determining if a boy has hit puberty cannot really be considered a problem. Usually, the enlargement of the testicles makes for the first sign of puberty. This is followed up by the growth of hair around the penis. An increase of facial hair, hair on the chest, arms, underarms and legs are all telling signs that a boy has hit puberty. A significant increase in body odor and a cracking voice too signifies the onset of puberty.

 

Boys who enter puberty earlier then their peers will grow taller earlier, but also stop growing taller at an early stage. Boys, who enter puberty later than their peers, grow tall until a later stage of puberty. However, early stage or later stage, in most cases, a boy reaches his maximum height only during puberty and does not grow any taller after puberty.

Keeping in mind the average teenage boy, when exactly should the stages of puberty begin? Is it normal for the stages of puberty to set in a few years later than it actually should?

Keeping in mind the average teenage boy, the stages of puberty should set in anywhere between the ages of ten years to fourteen years. However, this does not mean that the setting in of the stages of puberty during an older age should be considered abnormal. It is perfectly normal for puberty to begin a little later after a boy completes fourteen years of his life.

If a boy notices that his friends me are all going through puberty and he is not, is there something that he should be doing to help kick start puberty?

As far as the biological clock is concerned, there is nothing that a boy should do to kick start puberty. It is essential to allow nature to take its course, as opposed to taking medicines or any other thing to help kick start puberty.

 

When exactly does a girl know for sure that she has hit puberty?

Puberty in a girl begins when she starts noticing that her breasts are developing. Here, her chest will appear less flat and her hips will get wider and rounder. The growth of pubic hair too will be noticed. Pubic hair will first grow fine and straight, but as a girl progresses through the stages of puberty, she will notice that the hair will grow a lot thicker and curlier. A girl will also notice the growth of hair on her arms and legs. The beginning of a girl’s periods is a sure shot way of determining if she has hit puberty or not. 

When is it necessary for a girl to have her first appointment with a gynecologist? Is it even necessary to do so?

It is necessary for a girl to visit a gynecologist as soon as she gets her first period. This will help her know for sure if she is free of any menstrual and reproductive complications. As far as good health is concerned, yes, it is absolutely necessary for a girl to visit a gynecologist.

When a girl has her period, she feels unusually irritable. Why is this so?

A girl or even a woman almost always feels irritable during the beginning and the rest of the duration of her period because of changes in her hormonal levels. It is absolutely normal for a girl to experience mood fluctuations during her periods.

Does the development of a girl’s breast peak during puberty or does it extend to a period much after puberty?

A girl’s breasts grow most during the stages of puberty and there is no denying that. However, the chances of the breasts developing after the stages of puberty have passed are relatively low. Just like a boy hardly grows taller after the stages of puberty, so does a girl’s breasts hardly grow post stages of puberty. The size and shape of a girl’s breast almost always depend on the genes she has inherited from her parents.