AKA: Adolescence, becoming a woman, growing up, reaching sexual maturity, sprouting.
What is it?
Puberty is when your body changes from a girl’s to a woman’s.
When will it happen to me?
The average age girls start puberty is between nine and 13, but many start younger or a lot older than that.
How will my body change?
• Your breasts will probably start to form first and soon the whole of your body will take on a more curvy, womanly shape. So expect to put on a bit of weight.
• You’ll get taller, much quicker than you did before. Your arms and legs will grow fastest, which might feel a bit weird until the rest of you catches up.
• Thick, curly hair will begin to grow on your vagina and armpits. Your legs and arms wil become hairier and you may get dark hairs above your upper lip.
• Your vagina will change shape, with the inner lips (labia minora) getting larger. You’ll also start getting vaginal discharge, which can be a sign that you’ll soon start your periods.
• Your skin and hair will probably become more oily, so you might get acne and you’ll sweat more, so you’ll need to take extra care over personal hygiene.
Will I feel different inside?
It won’t happen overnight, but you’ll start thinking more like an adult. Eventually your feelings will make more sense and you’ll be able to express them better, but for a while you might feel emotional and have a lot of mood swings.
You’ll start to become more aware of who you are as an individual. While figuring this out, many people compare themselves to others and end up thinking they might be weird - but it’s worth remembering that everyone’s different. It's what makes humans so amazing.
Further help and advice
• factsoflife.org.uk
• bbc.co.uk/science
Disclaimer: the BBC can't be held responsible for the content of external websites.
Pictures posed by models.
