Everything You Need to Know About Puberty

February 2024

Ellen Song • Illustration by Serge Seidlitz

Have you been noticing changes in your body lately? You might have suddenly gotten taller or seen hair in weird places. You might need to shower a lot more than you used to. These changes can seem alarming, but they’re all totally natural. They just mean you’re entering puberty. Puberty is the process your body goes through as you mature from a child into an adult. In addition to the physical developments of puberty, your thoughts and feelings may change a lot too. If it all seems a bit overwhelming, just remember you’re not going through puberty alone. It happens to everyone! Here are some facts about this important and exciting stage of your life.

16-17

Age at which most teens reach their adult height. Some people keep growing into their early 20s.

At least 80% of teens get acne as part of puberty.

Your Body On Puberty

1. Acne

The oil glands on your face and body produce more oil. You get pimples when the glands become clogged with dead skin cells and bacteria.

2. Voice box

Your voice box becomes bigger, and your vocal cords become thicker, making your voice sound deeper. This happens to everyone, but it is often more apparent in boys.

3. Sweat

You’ll start sweating more from your scalp and face as well as your armpits, groin, and feet.

4. Hair

The hair on your head becomes thicker, longer, and coarser. It may also grow on many other parts of your face and body.

5. Growth

You could grow up to several inches taller. If this happens very quickly, you might experience growing pains, especially at night. You also might develop muscles or gain weight. This sudden growth may cause stretch marks to appear on your body.

Puberty and the Brain

During puberty, increases in the hormones estrogen and testosterone affect the part of the brain that controls emotions. When your brain is flooded with these hormones, you might experience mood swings, feel more influenced by peer pressure, and act impulsively.

QUIZ!

True or false? Puberty happens at different ages for different people.

True! Puberty can start as early as age 8 and as late as age 16. You and your friends might experience different stages of development even if you’re the same age.

True or false? All of the physical changes associated with puberty happen at the same time.