coder Puberty – it's a crazy time. Your
body's changing, and so is
everything else. But, what is
causing all these changes? Well,
you know how everyone says
that puberty is all about raging
hormones; it's kind of true.

Hormones that were hibernating
suddenly awaken and signal your
body to enter puberty.

You might
think this doesn't mean a lot but,
hormones cause the changes
that are associated with puberty.

Timing of Puberty

Puberty starts at different times
and lasts for different periods of
time for everyone. It can start as
early as 9 years of age to as late
as 13 1/2 years of age.

The
sequence of pubertal
development usually ranges from
2 to 5 years.

This is sometimes very difficult,
as some of your peers may have
entered and completed puberty
before you have even started.

There is no way to slow or speed
up the process, but puberty
happens to everyone, so never
fear, it will happen to you!
Below is a general time line for
physical changes that occur
during puberty (for boys):
Puberty Event Age at which it happens

Growth of Testicles
& Scrotal Sac 10-13 1/2

Growth of Pubic
Hair 10-15

Body Growth 10 1/2 -16 1/2

Growth of Penis 11-14 1/2

Change in Voice About the same time as
Penis Growth.

Facial & Underarm
Hair About 2 years after Pubic
Hair appears.

Acne About the same time as
Underarm Hair appears

More Information on Each
Physical Change

Genitalia & Pubic Hair

In the early stages of puberty, the
scrotum grows larger and you
might experience some
reddening of the skin and notice
texture change in the scrotal
skin. Pubic hair might start
appearing at the base of your
penis.

While the scrotum grows, the
penis increases in length and has
a smaller increase in width.

About a year after your penis
starts growing, most boys have
their first ejaculation.

This is at
times scary or worrisome to
boys, but it is perfectly natural
and a part of the pubertal
process.

At the same time, you might also
be noticing that more pubic hair
is growing and that it is
becoming darker, coarser, and
curlier. The penis continues to
grow, and the head of the penis
develops. The scrotal skin gets
darker and the scrotum also
continues to grow.

When the penis is fully
developed, pubic hair will have
grown like an upside down
triangle around your penis and
will probably have spread to your
thighs as well. There is no
healthy or natural way to
increase penis size, and it is true:
size does not matter.

Growing

Puberty can also cause you to go
through a growth spurt, which
results in an average growth of
about 4.1 inches a year. Your
head, hands, and feet are the
first things to grow.

Then you
grow in your arms and legs, and
finally your torso and shoulders
catch up with the rest of your
body.

Possible Breast Development

During puberty, some boys do
experience slight breast growth,
but this is usually temporary and
disappears after a while.

However, if it does not disappear
after puberty and continues to
worry you, you might want to
consult your doctor about it.

Voice Change

Your voice deepens, and while
the process is gradual, you might
experience your voice breaking
at times. This is normal and
natural, so don't worry about it.

Body Hair

Facial hair first appears at the
corners of your upper lip and
then spreads across the upper
lip, to the upper parts of the
cheek, below the bottom lip, and
finally to the sides of your face
and your chin.

Underarm Hair is
also growing at this time as well.

Acne

Accompanying underarm hair
growth, your sweat and oil
producing glands also start
developing, which eventually
results in acne when these
glands are clogged. In order to
avoid breakouts, you should
wash your face twice daily. If you
still regularly break out, you may
want to speak with a
dermatologist.