Your body during puberty

When you reach puberty, you change. Your body does, but so does the way you feel. All of these changes are driven by hormones. Hormones are a kind of control mechanism in your body. They regulate how you look, how you feel and how you behave.

Breasts start to develop somewhere between the ages of 8 and 13. Rapidly for some, more slowly for others.

The inner labia grow as well. They become more elongated than the outer labia.

Hair grows on and around your labia. Fine hair at first, which later becomes thicker and curlier. You grow underarm hair as well.

A lot of girls have a growth spurt around their 12th year: suddenly they grow much taller. Girls often start getting taller before boys do. A growth spurt like this is often followed by your first period. Your figure changes as well. Your hips, buttocks and thighs become more rounded during puberty.

Somewhere between the ages of 9 and 16, you have your first period. Most girls have their first period at the age of 12.

You sweat more during puberty, especially under your arms. So you smell more of sweat. This is completely normal. Wash every day and change your clothes regularly. You could use a deodorant as well. You buy this at You can buy various kinds at chemists and supermarkets.

Hormones make the skin become oilier. This results in spots. Do you suffer from this? Use a cleansing gel to make your skin less oily. Don’t use ordinary soap. This often dries your skin out too much. Your skin reacts by producing even more oil, resulting in yet more spots.