Puberty - what is it?
Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.
No longer a child, but also not yet an adult - puberty is an exciting, but usually difficult time for girls and boys. Your body changes, emotions go roundabout and you often understand yourself just as little as adults. This turbulent phase lasts quite a long time: in girls puberty usually begins from the age of ten, in boys around two years later. The development to adulthood is then completed by the age of 20. But what actually happens during the transition from childhood to adulthood?
Physical changes
The most noticeable change brought about by puberty is the formation of the so-called secondary sex organs. It is triggered by the sex hormones that the body is now starting to produce:
“The girls get breasts, pubic hair and wider hips - so the body takes on feminine shapes. In addition, the menstrual period (menstruation) sets in. From a purely organic point of view, you are now ready to conceive.
“A lot is happening with the boys too: their first pubic and whiskers are sprouting. The back and chest become wider, the pitch of the voice slips down (voice break) and you experience your first ejaculation.
At the same time, the whole body grows, sometimes quite quickly. Many of you are going through real growth spurts that make you skyrocket. However, not all body parts grow at the same speed, which often looks disproportionate overall. An example of this are boys who are 1.60 meters tall and size 41. No wonder if you feel uncomfortable and awkward. But don't worry, it will level off over time!
Sometimes waxing can hurt too. Growing pains usually occur at night and are short-lived. Usually the legs hurt, but the arms can also pinch. Girls are more often affected than boys.
The changes in the hormonal balance not only bring you bosom and pubic hair, but unfortunately all too often blemished skin or even acne: the sebum glands produce more skin oil. If this encounters narrowed or blocked skin channels, blackheads and pimples bloom. A tough test at a time when one's own self-confidence is usually not very pronounced anyway. Fortunately, over time and with the right care, skin problems usually go away on their own.
Mental changes
The brain also changes during puberty: The huge number of "wild" connections between nerve cells decreases. In addition, the abundant gray matter in children is increasingly turning into white matter. Put simply, this means: During puberty, the number of your brain cells decreases, but these are now interconnected more effectively. The transfer of information works faster and better as a result. The price for this: the enormous wealth of ideas, the exuberant imagination and creativity as well as the ability to switch seamlessly between dreams and reality - all characteristics that can be observed in children - are decreasing.
Mental changes
The remodeling in the brain also leaves dramatic traces in your emotional world: mood swings from cheering up to death, moodiness, the first lovesickness or even suicidal thoughts - on the way to adulthood most people go through a stormy rollercoaster of emotions. This is especially true when it comes to love life. Your sexual interest awakens - sooner for one, later for another. The new feelings, insecurities and confusions that are associated with it can sometimes be quite exhausting - but also exciting.
In addition, when you are a teenager, you lose your way from your parents' home. You want to be independent, make independent decisions, test boundaries - in short: you will "fledge", a development that probably does not always come easy to your parents. Frictions and arguments are often the result. With a lot of understanding and openness - on both sides - this difficult phase can be mastered.
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