Puberty & Menstruation
What Happens During Puberty?
When the time is right for you, your
body sends a signal from your pituitary gland in your brain to
your ovaries for puberty to begin. During puberty, your body is
going to change.
Breast development.
Your breasts will start to grow. Your breasts will start as breast
"buds," small mounds beneath the nipple and areola. (The areola is
the dark area surrounding your nipple.) One breast may start
growing before the other, sometimes even 6 months before the
other. In the beginning, they may hurt sometimes and be tender
when they are touched. But this will go away as your breasts
become rounder and fuller. The nipple and areola also darken. Many
girls have breasts that develop unevenly; one breast may be bigger
than the other. This is perfectly normal. Many women have one
breast that is slightly larger than the other, but the difference
in breast size usually decreases as your breasts develop. Young
women may have different breast sizes because of differences in
families, hormones, and weight. Rapid development of breasts can
lead to spoke-like stretch marks, but these will lighten with
time. Towards the end of puberty, you may also grow a small amount
of hair on your areola.
You may need to start thinking about
wearing a bra to support your breasts. Talk to your mother, an
older sister, or an adult that you feel comfortable with about
buying some bras.
Diagrams below show the 5 stages of
breast development:
Pubic and underarm hair.
You will start to grow hair around your pubic area (around your
vagina) and under your arms. This usually happens after you start
to develop breasts, but for many girls, pubic hair starts first.
You will probably get pubic hair before you get underarm hair.
Underarm hair usually comes near the end of puberty. At first, you
will probably just have a few fine hairs in your pubic area and
under your arms. Late in puberty, the hair will become thicker and
curlier. Some girls decide to shave the hair under their arms.
There are no health reasons to do so, but some girls simply prefer
not to have underarm hair. It is up to you if you want to shave.
Talk to your mom or another adult that you feel comfortable
talking to about this.
Diagrams below show the 5 stages of pubic hair development:
Growth spurt and body shape change.
Most girls have a growth spurt the year before they get their
menstrual period. Your feet and hands will usually be the first
parts to grow, and then the rest of your body will follow. After
you get your first period, you will grow more slowly. But you will
probably grow about another 1 or 2 inches after your first period.
During puberty, your hips will get wider as your waist gets
smaller. You will develop a healthy, curvy shape. Talk to your
health care provider if you are not growing and changing by age
13. It's important to get check-ups during puberty to make sure
that your height and weight are normal.
Vaginal discharge.
Most girls notice a yellow or white stain in the crotch of their
underpants as they go through puberty. This is a normal fluid that
helps clean and moisten your vagina. However, if you have itching,
odor, or irritation around your vagina, this could mean that you
have an infection. If you have any of these symptoms, talk to your
health care provider. You will usually get your period a year
after you first have discharge from your vagina.
Skin.
Your skin may get oilier. You may get some pimples and acne. This
is because of more hormones and oil glands that become more active
during puberty. You should be washing your skin at least once
daily with soap and warm water. Don't scrub too hard because this
can irritate your skin and cause even more acne. Wash your hair
regularly and keep your face and hands clean. You can treat acne
with medications that you can buy in a drugstore, or get from your
primary care clinician or a dermatologist (a doctor that treats
skin problems) if the problem is more serious. Birth control pills
that you take by mouth often make acne better.
Sweat/Perspiration.
Your sweat glands will become more active during puberty. This can
cause perspiration odor. This is a good time to go shopping for
deodorant, to help fight the odor.
Menstruation.
You will also start getting your monthly menstrual period. Most
girls start getting their menstrual periods about 2 and a half
years after they first start developing breasts. Most girls have
their first menstrual period between the ages of 12 and 13, but
some girls start as early as age 9 and others as late as 15 or 16.
|