What is puberty?
Puberty is the stage in which the human body becomes capable of sexual reproduction. It is marked by relatively rapid hormonal changes, genital maturation, and pubic hair growth in both the male and female gender. Increased oils in the skin and hair follicles, body odor and acne may also become a problem.
Females begin to develop breasts and to menstruate. Males develop deeper voices, and become capable of bulking up more muscle mass. Later in puberty, facial and chest hair may develop in males. Both males and females grow quicker during this period.
Puberty usually begins somewhere between 10 to 13 years of age in girls, and 11 to 14 years of age in boys, but it varies dramatically. Genes, illness, stress, or even other factors can delay puberty. In extreme cases puberty is known to have started as early as 6-years-old and as late as 20-years-old in some children.
Everyone must go through Puberty. If you have not started puberty by your late teens then you should seek medical advice and maybe hormone replacement treatment.