Teen Hormones – 101
No matter what medical problems or complications we may have, I’m sure every woman reading these words would agree that being a woman is a beautiful thing. There's nothing like it.
OK, here comes the “but.” But…for many individuals (including me), it has taken a while for us to gain that opinion about ourselves. Growing up, more than a few of us may have felt awkward, ugly, fat and the like. Remember how crass the boys were; lest we forget the remarks (mostly from jealousy or their own insecurity) from our female peers? Ah, insecurity, thy name is puberty. Speaking of which, let’s talk about puberty and what exactly goes on inside of girls at this age.
Puberty
Puberty starts between the ages of 9-16. Our brains are responsible for kick starting the hormones in our bodies. It tells the pituitary gland to start making hormones. In turn, these hormones travel to the reproductive organs to communicate to these organs that it is now time to start making hormones of their own. The hormones in a young girl's ovaries signal breast growth. We all remember being sore and itchy up there until our breast actually came out. These same hormones get the body to manufacture fat. It’s the same fat which makes breasts the shape they are, make hips and buttocks round, and thighs shapely.
Hair starts to grow too. It takes hormones to start this process as well. This includes hair on the forearms, under the arms, legs, and pubic area. Then there’s the dreaded acne. Oh the horror stories I could tell you about that! It seems like every time I was up to take school pictures in Jr. High, I developed a big bump on my nose. Due to the altered body chemistry during this time (mostly due to hormones), many have oily skin. And boy did I ever!
Sexual Arousal and Menstruation
Parents don’t want to think about their babies being sexual beings, but hey, that’s the way we are made. Yes, your little girl will experience sexual arousal at this time. Be ready to talk about it. Give open, informative, and firm guidance. Don’t overreact about it, and as a result, your daughter won’t either.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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