As a teen, have you ever felt different in the way you behave or respond, just because you are embarrassed by the changes in your body?
As a teen, have you ever felt different in the way you behave or respond, just because you are embarrassed by the changes in your body? Well, you need to relax as whatever you are going through is perfectly normal and happens with everyone. Adolescence is that stage of your life where you will experience a variety of changes in your body both in terms of its physical aspects and emotional ones.
All these are because of hormonal changes taking place in the body. A sudden spurt of hormones developing in your body during puberty causes these bodily changes. Usually, puberty starts somewhere between 8-13 years; however, you will begin to experience these changes from 10-11 years onwards. During puberty, your ovaries grow in size, and the body secretes two essential hormones called oestrogen and progesterone.
Hormonal actions on reproductive organs
These hormones will cause your breasts to grow, and your nipples become more prominent. These hormones will develop your vagina, uterus, and fallopian tube. You will also start getting vaginal discharge due to increased mucosal secretion. You will begin getting monthly periods, and these hormones will control your menstrual cycle.
Physical changes
You will find changes in your physical growth as well. Your height will increase. These hormones will influence the way fat deposits in your body. More fat will start to deposit on your waist, hips, and buttocks and make them appear more prominent. You will also become stronger and heavier.
Your sebaceous glands start secreting more oil, and your face and skin will become oily. You will tend to get acne and pimples because of sebaceous action. You will also secrete more sweat, which is completely normal.
You will start to develop hair growth around your genitals. Initially, these hairs will be small, localized, and soft in texture. However, eventually, they will get replaced by thick, more generalized, adult hairs. Not only in the genital region, but you will also develop hair in your underarms, on the legs and arms. Sometimes, genital hair growth may also extend to the stomach.
Emotional changes
Due to hormonal influence, you will start noticing sudden changes in your mood. You may also experience mood swings and changing emotions. You will also experience an involuntary increase in sexual feelings.
You need to understand that these changes are perfectly normal and part of hormonal actions. There is no need for you to feel embarrassed. However, you can take guidance from elders to handle these changes in the best way possible.
Special thanks to Dr. Supriya Arwari (M.D, D.G.O) for the expert advice.
