How does puberty begin

Boys and girls can see these changes happening to each other — in some cases, they can smell them. It's important to talk to your child about how bodies change — sooner, rather than later. Be prepared to talk to a girl about the expected events of puberty, including menstruation, when you see the first signs of breast development, or earlier if she seems ready or has questions.

A boy should know about normal penile development, erections, and nocturnal emissions before age 12 — sooner, if he's an early developer. And it's also important to talk to your child about what's happening to members of the opposite sex.

It's best not to have "The Talk" as one grand summit but rather as a series of talks, ideally beginning when your child is young and starting to ask questions about body parts.

Each time you talk, offer more and more detail, depending upon your child's maturity level and interest in the topic. And, if your child has a question, answer it honestly. If you feel uncomfortable, need answers to questions, or are uncertain about how to have these talks with your child, ask your doctor for advice. Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. Welcome to puberty, the time when kids sprout up, fill out, and maybe even mouth off.

Stages of Puberty Sure, most of us know the telltale signs of puberty — hair growth in new places, menstruation, body odor, lower voice in boys, breast growth in girls, etc. What happens next depends on gender: Boys: Hormones travel through the bloodstream to the testes testicles and give the signal to begin production of sperm and the hormone testosterone. Girls: Hormones go to the ovaries the two oval-shaped organs that lie to the right and left of the uterus and trigger the maturation and release of eggs and the production of the hormone estrogen, which matures a female's body and prepares her for pregnancy.

Page 1 For a Boy The physical changes of puberty for a boy usually start with enlargement of the testicles and sprouting of pubic hair, followed by a growth spurt between ages 10 and 16 — on average 1 to 2 years later than when girls start. For a Girl Puberty generally starts earlier for girls, some time between 8 and 13 years of age. Page 3 Common Puberty Concerns The physical changes kids experience as they move toward adulthood often are accompanied by emotional consequences.

Keeping your vagina clean and healthy Vagina changes after childbirth. Puberty is when a child's body begins to develop and change as they become an adult. The average age for girls to begin puberty is 11, while for boys the average age is Late or early puberty Children who begin puberty either very early before the age of 8 or very late after 14 should see a doctor just to make sure they're in good health. Read more about puberty problems. First signs of puberty in girls The first sign of puberty in girls is usually that their breasts begin to develop.

Pubic hair also starts to grow, and some girls may notice more hair on their legs and arms. Later signs of puberty in girls After a year or so of puberty beginning, and for the next couple of years: girls' breasts continue to grow and become fuller around 2 years after beginning puberty, girls usually have their first period pubic hair becomes coarser and curlier underarm hair begins to grow — some girls also have hair in other parts of their body, such as their top lip, and this is completely normal girls start to sweat more girls often get acne — a skin condition that shows up as different types of spots, including whiteheads, blackheads and pus-filled spots called pustules girls have a white vaginal discharge girls go through a growth spurt — from the time their periods start, girls grow 5 to 7.

Puberty can also be an exciting time, as children develop new emotions and feelings. But the "emotional rollercoaster" they're on can have psychological and emotional effects, such as: unexplained mood swings low self-esteem aggression depression Find out more about teen aggression , coping with your teenager and talking to your teen.

Muscles grow, the voice deepens, and facial hair develops as puberty continues. Start Here. What's Not? Diagnosis and Tests. Treatments and Therapies. Clinical Trials. These hormones travel through the blood to the testicles and ovaries and switch on the development procedure which will lead to sexual maturity. As puberty progresses, a girl's ovaries begin releasing oestrogen and progesterone.

A boy's testicles will start secreting testosterone. Once these sex hormones are coursing through the body, all kinds of changes will take place. They will take a child on a rollercoaster ride to adulthood. At the end of it they will have started their periods or had their first erection. They will have pubic hair , deeper voices and some spots.

It is a time when a child will experience total loss of control over their body. They have no way of telling when puberty will happen, or how long it will last. Scientists still don't know what triggers the trigger. In other words - what causes the hypothalamus to start releasing the hormone that switches on puberty?