Puberty

Am I Normal?

Puberty is confusing and awkward for most people– expect to feel weird…you’re not alone! One common thing about puberty is that almost everyone worries about being normal. A funny thing about all this is that what you worry that you don’t have enough of is what someone else worries that s/he has too much of! A girl might worry that she has small breasts, while another might worry that she has too big breasts. Irony of life you might say!

The chances are that everything you’re experiencing is normal, but if you’re worried that something isn’t, talk with your parents, a trusted adult or a health professional.

What Will I Look Like?

OK, you want to look like those movie starts you’ve seen on TV, or the models in fashion magazines? Tall, broad-shouldered, perfect dentition, killer-eyes, perfect figure, wealthy, in total control of their emotions and lives… We’ve got news for you– these are not real, everyday people. Do they look like people you see at school, on the bus, or the places you hang out? Certainly not! Have you noticed that human bodies are of different sizes, shapes and colours? Your height, weight, the size of your genitals, and overall shape all depend on your family background. If all your relations are tall and broad-shouldered, it’s very likely that you’ll be too. If they are thin, fat, or have a particular eye colour, there’s a good chance that you’ll be like them. With diet, exercise, or medical procedure, you may be able to alter your look, but there’s not much difference this will do. Many of these TV stars in real life, are not as they are portrayed on TV. They aren’t perfect and free of all the challenges that we all face. The truth is that a lot are far from if not the opposite of what they are portrayed to be. They are just practicing their trade…ACTING! So when you think about the kind of person you want to be when you’re fully grown, it’s helpful and saves you a lot of trouble to look for role models in the people that you know and have interacted with, and not the make-believe characters you see on TV.

You should love your body the way it is…you’re unique! If however, you’re very concerned about your look, you may want to talk with a relative or another adult that looks like you. S/he may have some helpful advice.

Caring For Your Body

Many of the physical changes that take place during puberty cause your bodies to work in many news ways, so a large part of growing up is learning to take care of your new body. Here are the essentials:

Diet, Exercise and Rest

Fat is the way our body stores food. Girls have more body fat than boys because nature prepares women to feed themselves and a growing baby when they become pregnant.

As you go through puberty, chances are that you’ll get hungry often and want to fill your stomach. Now is the time to think about your eating habit. It is essential that you eat a variety of foods to get a balanced diet. Fruits and vegetables are also essential and you should eat them in good quantity.

Exercising helps to keep your body in shape, enhances blood circulation and helps you think more clearly. It doesn’t matter the kind that you choose– whether jogging, aerobics, swimming, team sport, or dancing– as long as you do something.

After a long day, it is essential that you get enough rest to keep you healthy and alert. Between eight and ten hours of sleep each night is usually enough to achieve this, but it is up to you to determine how much sleep you need. For example, if you find that you yawn through most of the day, it may be an indication that you need more sleep.

Skin, Hair and Sweat

Girls and boys grow more hair during puberty. The amount again will depend on heredity and is not an indication of your masculinity or femininity.

During puberty, the sweat glands produce more sweat than before, therefore both boys and girls sweat under their arms and develop a new kind of body odour. This is why it is important to have regular baths at this period. It’s also important to use deodorants or antiperspirants or body spray to keep the body smelling fresh and nice. Antiperspirants reduce the amount of sweat produced by the body, while deodorants destroy bacteria that cause body odour.

Most boys prefer to shave their beards and mustaches while others don’t. For those who prefer to shave, it is proper to buy a shaving stick for personal use. Boys should avoid sharing shaving equipment with others and should clean them after each use. In order to avoid hair lice, boys should wash their hair regularly with a shampoo and oil it to keep it healthy and nice.

Boys also need to take regular baths and wash their penis and testicles with mild soap. They should also wear clean pants regularly. Sometimes, boys prefer to wear boxer shorts. These should be kept clean as well.

It is also essential for girls to wear clean underpants as well as avoid introducing chemicals such as sprays to the vagina because this can lead to infections.

Breast Care

The hormones in girls’ bodies make their breasts react in certain ways. For instance, they often become fuller and a bit painful just before menstruation, when the hormones are at their most active after a period they may feel softer and smaller. Every girl’s breasts feel different. Some breasts feel gritty or have lumpy areas in them, others feel like thick foam, smooth and even all over. Nipples vary too in size, colour and shape.

Monthly Breast Self-Exam

Breast self-exam means checking your breasts to see if there are any lumps or other irregularities that might be signs of breast cancer. Not all breast lumps are signs of cancer, but since cancer can appear as a small lump in the breast, it is important to examine your breasts and have a doctor check any lumps you find to rule out the possibility of breast cancer.

The self-exam should be done about once a month and right after your menstrual period and when you’re relaxed. The process involves looking at and feeling your breasts and can be done in any of the three ways described below:

In the bathroom: Raise one arm. With fingers flat, touch every part of each breast gently feeling for a lump or thickening. Use your right hand to examine your left breast, your left hand for your right breast.

Before a mirror: With arms at your sides, then raised above your head, look carefully for changes in the size, shape and contour of each breast. Look for dimpling, or changes in skin texture. Gently squeeze both nipples and look for discharge.

Lying down: Place a towel or pillow under your right shoulder and your right hand behind your head. Examine your right breast with your left hand. Fingers flat press gently in small circles, starting at the outermost top edge of your breast and spiraling in toward the nipple. Examine every part of the breast. Repeat with left breast. With your arm resting on a firm surface, use the same circular motion to examine the underarm area. If you notice any thing unusual, consult your doctor.

MORE INFORMATION FOR GIRLS

Testicular Self-Exam

Cancer of the testes is not a particularly common form of cancer. But when it manifests, many men do not discover the tumor, or if they do, they do not see a doctor. The first sign is usually a painless lump in the testes, or a slight enlargement or change in consistency of the testes. It is therefore, advisable for every young man to learn how to do the testicular self-examination.

Do your self-examination after a warm bath or shower when the skin of the scrotum is relaxed. Examine each testicle gently with the fingers to check for any hard lumps. If a lump or a nodule is found, it will usually be on the sides or front of the testicle and should not be confused with the epididymis, which is located on the top and back side of the testicle. Though the lump may not be cancerous, it is best to see a doctor immediately.