So, your body is changing and you're not sure what the heck is happening, but things have been weird lately. Suddenly, your feet seem huge, you feel clumsy (like you can’t do anything without everyone staring at you), you're growing breasts, and you think you might have a major crush on someone: I mean really major.
Well…. Welcome to Puberty!
For girls, puberty can start anywhere between the ages of 9 and 12. Some girls will start sooner and some later – don't worry if your friends seem to be ahead of or behind you. Everyone goes through this at a different pace.
The Beginning
The first thing you might notice is that your feet may have grown a lot in the last few months (sometimes as much as 2 sizes) and you might be beginning to grow breasts. Next will come some pubic hair, possibly some hair under your arms, and you might also notice the hair on your legs becoming darker. Before you start shaving anywhere, talk to your parent(s) or a trusted adult to find out how to do it right; you don’t want to hurt yourself the first time you shave your legs.
As your breasts begin to grow, you might be looking at getting some kind of a bra. Bras come in all different colors, sizes, and types. When you are interested in getting some type of bra, talk to your parent(s) or a trusted adult and have them go with you. It is important that you get a bra that fits right, so make sure that you let the salesperson at the store measure you.
Why doesn’t anything fit right?
Another thing you might notice is that your clothes may not seem to fit the same. Your body is becoming curvier: you are getting hips and your waist is defining itself. You may also gain a little bit of weight: THIS IS NORMAL. As long as you eat healthy and get some exercise, you do not need to diet! Your body is getting ready for your period to start. Also, because your breasts are growing, shirts that once seemed to fit perfectly may be too tight or just feel a little too clingy. Remember, this is all normal.
I don’t like the way I look!
Everyone, even adults, have times when they don’t like what they see in the mirror. Usually it is because we are comparing ourselves to the people we see in the magazines, on TV, and people we consider to be popular. Try not to spend too much time comparing yourself to the models and people you see on TV. In the magazines, the models are airbrushed to make them seem skinnier, have perfect skin, and perfect hair. That isn’t the real world: in the real world, people have bad hair days, pimples, and very few people have that much muscle (unless they work out for a living). Models look just like everyone else when they are walking around on the street: they have pimples, dark circles, fat around the middle, and sometimes even they do not like the way they look. For more ways to feel better about your body, click here.
The one thing you need to remember is that it takes time to get used to and grow into this new body. Remember that what makes you amazing is your personality and how you treat other people. You are beautiful!!!
Click here for more information about puberty.
Click here for information about what happens to boys during puberty.
