Answer:
adulthood. It is a normal part of growing up, and each person’s experience of it is unique.
Puberty can be a challenging and confusing time. Knowing what to expect and why these changes happen can help a person feel more in control as they go through it.
This stage of life involves many physical and psychological changes, which result from shifts in hormone levels.
Puberty usually begins between the ages of 8 and 14. It tends to happen in females earlier than in males.
This article gives an overview of puberty, including what changes to expect, when they happen, and why
During puberty, the body goes through many internal and external changes. Among other things, this is the time when a person:
reaches their adult height and body proportions
develops external sex characteristics
becomes able to reproduce
The physical and psychological changes of puberty happen slowly over time. They typically begin between the ages of 8–13 in females and 9–14 in males.
Puberty lasts throughout the teenage years. A person may be 20 years old by the time all the changes take place.
What happens during puberty?
Puberty begins when an area of the brain called the hypothalamus starts signaling to the rest of the body that it is time to develop adult characteristics.
It sends these signals through hormones, which cause reproductive organs — the ovaries in females and the testes in males — to produce a range of other hormones.
These hormones cause growth and changes in various parts of the body, including the:
external reproductive organs
breast tissue
skin
muscles
bones
hair
brain
The skin becomes oily and the body produces more sweat. Many people develop some form of acne. Some people start using deodorant.
Changes in hormones also affect the person’s emotions and thoughts. Puberty usually has the following psychological effects:
heightened emotions
frequently changing emotions
the start of sexual thoughts and desires
the start of sexual and romantic attractions to others
During puberty, many people begin to explore their sexuality and start to figure out whether they are homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual, or have another identity. This is totally normal, and each person’s experience is different.
Not everyone will have feelings of attraction for others, and this is nothing to worry about either. People who do not develop sexual attraction may choose to identify as asexual.
During puberty, some people begin to notice that their gender identity — how much they feel like a girl, a boy, or neither — does not match their body. If this happens, the physical changes of puberty can cause emotional distress known as gender dysphoria.
