How to Tell if You Have Hit Puberty (Boys)
See if you have more body odor., Check for an increase in the sizes of your testicles., Check for an increase in the size of your penis and scrotum., Check for body hair growth., Check for a swelling in your chest., Check for mild to moderate acne...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: See if you have more body odor.
Your hormones affect your sweat glands, which can lead you to smell a bit more and to smell differently.
If you have a change in your body odor, then it may be time to start wearing deodorant if you aren't doing so already.
You may also need to shower more often to keep your body feeling and smelling clean., If the size of your testicles is increasing, then you've probably hit puberty.
This is one of the first signs of puberty and isn't always easy to spot.
Your testicles will continue to grow from childhood to puberty to adulthood., About a year after your testicles begin to increase in size, your penis and scrotum will start to grow as well.
Your penis will increase in length, and will grow less significantly in width.
Your testicles will continue to grow from childhood to puberty to adulthood., Once your testicles have begun to grow, you may notice that you're growing body hair in places that previously had very thin hair, little hair, or no hair at all.
These locations include your armpits, pubic region, arms, legs, chest, face, hands, and feet.
Your hair will not only grow in new places, but it may become thick and darker as well.
Usually, you'll grow facial and underarm hair about two years after you grow pubic hair.
Every boy's body is different.
Some boys will develop thick body hair during puberty, while others won't see a major change in their amount of body hair.
Some people are just naturally hairier than others.
The hair in your pubic region and armpits may get even darker than the rest of your body hair, as well as coarser and more curly. , Some boys develop a swelling in their chests for 1-2 years.
This is perfectly natural and does not mean you're developing breasts.
It just means that your body is adjusting to its new form.
This typically happens when you're around 13-14 years old and does not affect everyone., Acne may be unpleasant, but it's a perfectly natural part of puberty.
The high levels of hormones in your body can cause acne outbreaks in parts of your body that had previously never seen a single pimple.
Part of the reason is also that your oil glands will be more active during puberty, which will cause you to sweat more and will make your skin more prone to acne.
Most boys develop acne about at the same time as when they develop underarm hair.
As your skin grows more oily, you'll find that you may need to shower more to continue to look and feel clean.
Some boys develop severe acne during puberty.
If this is a concern for you, then you and your parents should see a doctor to discuss potentially taking medication. , A boy or man has an erection when his penis hardens and lengthens.
This can happen when a boy has romantic or sexual thoughts, or when his penis is stimulated.
Erections can also happen without any stimulation or romantic thoughts at all, which can be a bit embarrassing if you're in public.Though you can have erections before puberty, you'll find that you get erections more often during puberty as your sexual feelings and hormones develop.
Most erections aren't completely straight
-- they tend to curve upwards or to one side. , During a wet dream, a boy becomes sexually aroused during his sleep and ejaculates semen.
Semen is the sticky liquid that contains sperm.
Sometimes, when you have a wet dream, you can remember having a sexual dream, but many times you may just notice a wet patch on your pajamas, underwear, or sheets when you wake up.If you've found that you did have a wet dream, then you should wash your penis and the soiled clothes or linens.
Don't worry if you've never had a wet dream but have experienced other signs of puberty
-- not everyone gets them. , Every boy grows at a different time, and you may find that you're suddenly a head taller than all of your friends, or that you haven't grown very much while all of your friends are suddenly hovering over you.
But don't worry
-- either your friends will catch up, or you'll catch up to them.
It may just take more time.
Here are some more things to consider when you're checking for a growth spurt:
Typically, boys will have their growth spurts a bit later than girls.
You may come back to school after a long summer and find that all of the girls in your class are suddenly taller than you.
That's perfectly normal.
Look to see if your fingers are growing, and check to see if your feet are growing.
For example, if you shoot up three shoe sizes in about three months, you are probably having a growth spurt.
Most boys reach the peak of their growth spurts about half a year after they develop pubic hair.
You'll find yourself growing taller
-- sometimes dramatically taller.
Your shoulders may also become broader and more full to reach your new frame.
If you feel like you've had a growth spurt but wish you were a bit taller, don't worry.
Most boys don't reach their adult heights until their late teens or early 20s, so you will have time to grow. , Before puberty, your face may be more round and apple-cheeked, kind of like Charlie Brown's.
During puberty, your face will become more oval-shaped and will look more defined and adult-like.
It may be difficult to study a change in your face since you're used to looking at it all the time.
Check out photos of yourself from a year ago, or even a few months ago, and see if you can detect a difference. , You may have found that your voice has been cracking a lot lately, which will sound like a nervous creaking sound that can stop you cold in the middle of a sentence.
This may be a bit embarrassing in public, but have no fear
-- most boys experience a cracking voice, and it's just a sign that you're on your way to becoming a man.
Your voice will stop cracking after a few months and will become deeper.Your voice is changing because of an increase in testosterone, male hormone, in your body.
This makes your vocal chords thicker and louder, which allows them to produce a deeper sound.
This change in hormones also makes your larynx grow bigger.
You can see this change in a protrusion of cartilage in your neck, which is also known as the "Adam's apple." You may also find that you have more trouble controlling your voice, as its sound goes up and down instead of sounding nice and even.
Typically, your voice will start cracking around the same time as when your penis beings to grow. -
Step 2: Check for an increase in the sizes of your testicles.
-
Step 3: Check for an increase in the size of your penis and scrotum.
-
Step 4: Check for body hair growth.
-
Step 5: Check for a swelling in your chest.
-
Step 6: Check for mild to moderate acne.
-
Step 7: See if you're having more erections.
-
Step 8: See if you're having wet dreams.
-
Step 9: Check for a growth spurt.
-
Step 10: Check the shape of your face.
-
Step 11: Check to see if your voice has started cracking.
Detailed Guide
Your hormones affect your sweat glands, which can lead you to smell a bit more and to smell differently.
If you have a change in your body odor, then it may be time to start wearing deodorant if you aren't doing so already.
You may also need to shower more often to keep your body feeling and smelling clean., If the size of your testicles is increasing, then you've probably hit puberty.
This is one of the first signs of puberty and isn't always easy to spot.
Your testicles will continue to grow from childhood to puberty to adulthood., About a year after your testicles begin to increase in size, your penis and scrotum will start to grow as well.
Your penis will increase in length, and will grow less significantly in width.
Your testicles will continue to grow from childhood to puberty to adulthood., Once your testicles have begun to grow, you may notice that you're growing body hair in places that previously had very thin hair, little hair, or no hair at all.
These locations include your armpits, pubic region, arms, legs, chest, face, hands, and feet.
Your hair will not only grow in new places, but it may become thick and darker as well.
Usually, you'll grow facial and underarm hair about two years after you grow pubic hair.
Every boy's body is different.
Some boys will develop thick body hair during puberty, while others won't see a major change in their amount of body hair.
Some people are just naturally hairier than others.
The hair in your pubic region and armpits may get even darker than the rest of your body hair, as well as coarser and more curly. , Some boys develop a swelling in their chests for 1-2 years.
This is perfectly natural and does not mean you're developing breasts.
It just means that your body is adjusting to its new form.
This typically happens when you're around 13-14 years old and does not affect everyone., Acne may be unpleasant, but it's a perfectly natural part of puberty.
The high levels of hormones in your body can cause acne outbreaks in parts of your body that had previously never seen a single pimple.
Part of the reason is also that your oil glands will be more active during puberty, which will cause you to sweat more and will make your skin more prone to acne.
Most boys develop acne about at the same time as when they develop underarm hair.
As your skin grows more oily, you'll find that you may need to shower more to continue to look and feel clean.
Some boys develop severe acne during puberty.
If this is a concern for you, then you and your parents should see a doctor to discuss potentially taking medication. , A boy or man has an erection when his penis hardens and lengthens.
This can happen when a boy has romantic or sexual thoughts, or when his penis is stimulated.
Erections can also happen without any stimulation or romantic thoughts at all, which can be a bit embarrassing if you're in public.Though you can have erections before puberty, you'll find that you get erections more often during puberty as your sexual feelings and hormones develop.
Most erections aren't completely straight
-- they tend to curve upwards or to one side. , During a wet dream, a boy becomes sexually aroused during his sleep and ejaculates semen.
Semen is the sticky liquid that contains sperm.
Sometimes, when you have a wet dream, you can remember having a sexual dream, but many times you may just notice a wet patch on your pajamas, underwear, or sheets when you wake up.If you've found that you did have a wet dream, then you should wash your penis and the soiled clothes or linens.
Don't worry if you've never had a wet dream but have experienced other signs of puberty
-- not everyone gets them. , Every boy grows at a different time, and you may find that you're suddenly a head taller than all of your friends, or that you haven't grown very much while all of your friends are suddenly hovering over you.
But don't worry
-- either your friends will catch up, or you'll catch up to them.
It may just take more time.
Here are some more things to consider when you're checking for a growth spurt:
Typically, boys will have their growth spurts a bit later than girls.
You may come back to school after a long summer and find that all of the girls in your class are suddenly taller than you.
That's perfectly normal.
Look to see if your fingers are growing, and check to see if your feet are growing.
For example, if you shoot up three shoe sizes in about three months, you are probably having a growth spurt.
Most boys reach the peak of their growth spurts about half a year after they develop pubic hair.
You'll find yourself growing taller
-- sometimes dramatically taller.
Your shoulders may also become broader and more full to reach your new frame.
If you feel like you've had a growth spurt but wish you were a bit taller, don't worry.
Most boys don't reach their adult heights until their late teens or early 20s, so you will have time to grow. , Before puberty, your face may be more round and apple-cheeked, kind of like Charlie Brown's.
During puberty, your face will become more oval-shaped and will look more defined and adult-like.
It may be difficult to study a change in your face since you're used to looking at it all the time.
Check out photos of yourself from a year ago, or even a few months ago, and see if you can detect a difference. , You may have found that your voice has been cracking a lot lately, which will sound like a nervous creaking sound that can stop you cold in the middle of a sentence.
This may be a bit embarrassing in public, but have no fear
-- most boys experience a cracking voice, and it's just a sign that you're on your way to becoming a man.
Your voice will stop cracking after a few months and will become deeper.Your voice is changing because of an increase in testosterone, male hormone, in your body.
This makes your vocal chords thicker and louder, which allows them to produce a deeper sound.
This change in hormones also makes your larynx grow bigger.
You can see this change in a protrusion of cartilage in your neck, which is also known as the "Adam's apple." You may also find that you have more trouble controlling your voice, as its sound goes up and down instead of sounding nice and even.
Typically, your voice will start cracking around the same time as when your penis beings to grow.
About the Author
Sandra Bailey
Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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