These Are The Signs That You Are Going Through Puberty

These Are The Signs That You Are Going    

Through Puberty

puberty & physical changes

So you're starting to get hair in weird places, and that cute girl at school is starting to make you feel very uncomfortable in one of those same weird places.

 No need to freak out- you're just going through puberty. But what exactly happens to your body as you

enter this troublesome stage of development, and how can you be sure you're finally entering

puberty?

That’s what we’ll find out today, in this article. How do you know you’re going through puberty? Puberty is the natural development of an animal from adolescent youth to sexual adult. Most animals take just a few years to go from birth to sexual maturity,

 with the African Killifish being the fastest maturing vertebrate at an incredible two weeks- we're betting those of you waking up every morning to fresh zits would kill for it all to be over in just Two weeks. 

⭐Signs Of Puberty In animals

signs of puberty in animals 

In nature maturity is a balancing act for each species, a longer adolescence allows for greater brain development and advanced learning techniques, but it also puts a species at serious risk of extinction as being a child in the wild can be extremely dangerous.

 That is why animals with the longest maturity rates tend to be pack animals, and among the most intelligent in the natural kingdom.

poverty in dolphin 

Dolphins and sperm whales for example typically take 7-13 years to reach adulthood, and are some of the most intelligent animals in the world.

Long ago humans made that same trade off, accepting the risk of predation and possible extinction for the payoff of increased intelligence. 

Turns out this was a winning bet for mother nature, even if it means some of you right now probably wish mother nature had taken a different path.

Don't worry- it'll pass and one day zits and awkward feelings around the opposite gender will be a thing of the past. Well, maybe just the zits. So what exactly happens to your body as you go through puberty?

 Males and females vary, with females typically reaching sexual maturity sooner. This is again an evolutionary quirk, as a younger female is typically healthier and has a greater chance at successfully bearing children.

⭐Signs Of Puberty In Girls

puberty in girls

 For girls, breasts will start to develop around 10 to 11 years of age and is often the first outward sign of puberty. 

signs of breast growth puberty

It's not uncommon for breasts to develop at different rates however, and though they may never become perfectly symmetrical they will eventually reach close symmetry- so if you're currently in the midst of your own changes, no need to worry.

signs of puberty 1300

signs of breast growth puberty

puberty signs in boys

incipient puberty signs

what are the first signs of puberty in females

Girls will also typically have their biggest growth spurt at this time, growing anywhere from 5 to 20 centimeters. The head, face and hands typically grow a bit faster than the limbs and you might feel out of proportion for a while, 

but again this is temporary and the rest of your body will catch up. A girl's body will also begin to change shape, with the hips widening as the body prepares for the act of carrying and bearing children.

 Pubic hair will also start to grow, getting darker and thicker over time. At ages 12-14, or about two years after breast development begins, girls will experience hair growing underneath the arm pits.

 Social taboos aside, this is perfectly natural and something men nor women paid any attention to until the development of the razor blade.

some signs of poverty in girls 

Periods will also begin, but will be preceded by a clear or whitish discharge from the vagina for several months before they actually start. 

While this is again perfectly natural, any itching, pain, discomfort or strong odor should be checked with a doctor. When they eventually arrive, periods will occur every month- this is the body shedding the lining of the uterus.

 In anticipation of fertilization, the female body produces an egg every month along with sensitive and blood-rich tissue to help it grow. If an egg goes unfertilized, the body disposes of this unneeded tissue, leading to the monthly period. Periods may be irregular at first, but eventually the body will settle into a rhythm.

⭐Signs Of Puberty In Boys

puberty signs in boys

Boys develop a bit later and slower than girls, once more due to evolution. Males simply aren't as critical to the role of survival as females, whom carry and care for the baby, and in the wild males typically require a bit longer time than females to develop stronger bodies or the specialized 

appendages used in courtship such as a male bird's display feathers. Between ages of 11 and 13 though, boys begin to enter maturity marked with a sudden growth spurt of the genitals. 

Typically the testis will grow faster than the penis, and just like breasts may grow at different rates and end up slightly asymmetrical. Along with genital growth, pubic hair will also begin to appear, growing darker and thicker over time. 

At ages 12-14 males will also hit their largest growth spurt, gaining an average of 10-30 centimeters in height. Males typically grow taller than females, and their chest and shoulders grow broader. Just like girls though, the head, face and hands might grow faster than the limbs or torso, but the rest of the body will eventually catch up. 

At about ages 18-20, males stop growing altogether. Rarely males can see some breast development

during puberty. This is called Gynecomastia, and is a result of a hormone imbalance that's typically temporary. 

Male bodies are prompted through their specific changes via androgens which help develop male physical traits. However all males have some level of estrogen in their bodies, and during puberty the balance may be enough out of whack that some males might see slight breast growth.

 As the body develops though the hormonal balance is corrected and that breast growth is reversed. Surprisingly just about half of all males develop gynecomastia in one or both breasts, But it is overwhelmingly temporary. 

For those that it isn't however, surgical removal of excess breast tissue is always an option. At around ages 13-15 boys will start to see a lot of hair growth across the face, chest and under the arms.

Leg and arm hair grows thicker and darker, and hair may continue to expand across the body into the early 20s. The testicles begin producing more testosterone which prompts the creation of sperm. 

This leads to the start of random erections- a perfectly natural, if very awkward phenomenon- which can occur for no reason at all and sometimes needs no sexual prompting.

puberty signs in boys

Males may also start experiencing random ejaculations, specially during sleep and commonly known as wet dreams.

At around 14-15, the larynx- or Adam's apple- becomes more pronounced and

puberty signs in boys

obvious, and as it grows a male's voice will often 'break' and squeak. This can be mortifyingly embarrassing, but is a natural part of puberty and the voice will eventually become deeper. 

As they grow, both males and females will start to become more fiercely independent and rebellious- once more just a natural part of evolution, and is typically more pronounced in males than in females.

 In the wild most animals are solitary, but even for pack animals like lions and elephants males are typically forced out of the pack, or choose to leave on their own, though the females remain behind.

 This is likely because females have stronger nurturing instincts and can take care of other young in the pack while learning how to take care of their own young one day.

By forcing males away, or them choosing to leave, it also ensures that the male will find another group to find a mate in and helps prevent inbreeding. 

Puberty is a terrifying, awkward, and sometimes difficult time for boys and girls, but thankfully it'll all be over one day.

 It might seem unfair now, but the ultimate trade off is the development of more advanced brains and greater learning potential. All those years of zits and awkward boners have helped the human animal become the very top of the food chain. So, do you have any embarrassing puberty stories?

 Let us know in the comments.