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What would be boy's physical changes?
Body shape and size
During puberty
you will see your body changing from that of a young boy to
that of a man. You will notice that you will grow out of your
clothes and shoes more quickly than in previous years. Body
shape and size can change and this does not always happen
simultaneously. Your extremities might grow before the rest
of your body catches up, this is normal and soon the changes
will be more balanced. An increase in body fat can be noticed;
some areas of your body will build more fat than others. You
will also experience an increased weight gain that can happen
quickly. All this is part of what is called the ‘growth
spurt’ during puberty it will happen between the ages
of 10 and 17.
Your muscles will also get bigger, it is important not to
rush this muscle growth and not to indulge in strenuous weight
lifting that might look good on the body but could interfere
with the normal growth of the muscles. Even if your friends
are doing so, it is better to get a medical opinion on when
is the right time to start weight training. Other sports are
available and can promote healthier muscle growth such as
swimming, football, basketball etc. Physical Education programs
at school are made to suit your body and its development.
Your Physical education teacher at school could be another
source of important advice on what sports to practice and
how often. Nutritional supplements such as protein tablets
are available to speed up the muscle-building process, these
are not recommended for adolescents.
Sometimes athletes are tempted to take medical tablets such
as steroids to
improve athletic performance, these are very harmful and have
serious side-effects.
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Following are some of the other changes your body will go
through during puberty:
Penis:
During puberty your penis
and testicles
will also start growing they will change to a darker color
and the area around them will become covered with pubic
hair. It should be noted here that testicles might start
growing before your penis does, this is normal and there
is no reason to worry.
Voice:
One distinctive aspect of puberty for boys is their changing
voice. The larynx
grows in length and the voice breaks to become deeper. This
might happen at different times for different boys, but
eventually everyone goes through it.
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Caring
for the Skin:
Acne:
Those puberty
hormones are
at it again! In the case of skin their effect can be somewhat
unpleasant. Increased hormone activity during puberty causes
changes to your skin by increasing the production of sebum.
Sebum is oil produced by glands known as sebaceous
glands found in the hair follicles.
Sebum is produced mainly to lubricate the skin and keep
it soft. During puberty and the hormonal changes associated
with it, skin can be become oilier and sebum production
is increased .This can result in clogging pores and thus
forming pimples. Acne
cases can be mild or severe, and they can be exacerbated
by different factors; heredity, oily skin, hormones, allergies,
stress, nutritional deficiencies. Dirt and pollution can
also contribute to acne. There are many measures to keep
acne under control. It is important not to aggravate acne
by constantly touching your pimples or trying to squeeze
them. This will cause increased inflammation of the skin
and lead to a serious infection. This aggravation of the
skin will also cause you to have scars, which will be more
difficult to get rid of than your pimples. Keeping your
skin clean and using oil-free wash products will contribute
greatly in fighting acne and maintaining clear skin. In
case regular measures you are taking at home don’t
seem to be enough to control your acne you should consult
a skin doctor (dermatologist). A dermatologist will give
you specialized advice and treatment suitable for your condition
and skin type.
To
counter the factors that exacerbate acne you could:
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Keep your skin clean, dust and pollution can aggravate clogged
pores.
- Use wash products suitable for your skin type, consult
your pharmacist or dermatologist.
- Control stress by exercising and practicing sports.
- Make sure you follow a healthy diet, balanced nutrition
is vital for healthy skin.
- Drink lots of water.
- Consult a specialist: a dermatologist.
If
you have acne and you start shaving it is better to try
first what’s best for you that is, what method of
shaving aggravates your acne less.
Hair:
Hair growth is another significant sign of puberty. This
will happen on different parts of the body. Soft hair will
start to grow in the pubic
area around your penis, it is called pubic
hair and with time it will change in texture and consistency
to become thicker and curlier.
Soft hair will grow also under your arms and on your legs.
This will also get thicker with time. Chest hair will start
as well though this will come at a relatively later stage.
Facial hair will start as well; it will be soft at first
and begin to get thicker with time. The thickness of the
hair depends also on how early you choose to start shaving
your facial hair. You can choose between electric shavers
or razors this is a personal choice and might depend on
your type of skin. (See Acne for more advice).
Your father, older brother, uncle or the doctor/nurse at
school could give you experienced advice on what to do for
shaving.
If you decide to use razors you have to make sure that you
do not share anybody’s razor and that you use razors
made for men. Also use shaving cream or soap and water in
the absence of shaving cream and make sure to keep your
razor clean.
Sweating:
Skin is the biggest organ of the human body. Skin needs
to breathe too. Sweating (also referred to as transpiration
or perspiration)
is part of the body’s cooling mechanism. Sweat itself
does not smell; it is the bacteria on the skin that causes
the bad smell. During puberty
and due to the hormonal
upheaval you will be sweating more than usual. The best
way to control this situation is to keep your body clean,
by showering everyday and wearing clean clothes, socks and
underwear.
Clothes made of cotton absorb sweat better.
If you are worried about the way your underarms smell you
could resort to the use of deodorants or antiperspirant.
They come in many forms and scents, they come in roll-on,
gels, sprays or creams and they can be bought from supermarkets.
Recent research has shown that deodorant sprays may increase
the possibility and likelihood of breast cancer as they
release chemicals that may be cancerous.
Deodorant sprays contain chlorofluoro
carbon particles otherwise known as CFCs that
are harmful to the ozone layer and not recommended by environmental
groups. Antiperspirants can cause harm on the long run as
they tend to stop perspiration that is needed by the body
to release toxins and as we said before it skin’s
way of breathing. The use of products that do not belong
to either of these types is therefore recommended.
Personal hygiene (daily showering and washing) is your best
bet to control the problem of sweating and the odors associated
with it. In summertime you may consider showering at least
twice a day.
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Erections:
During this period sex hormones become more active and this
will result in you experiencing erections,
(erections happen when the penis gets stiff and hard), they
might happen at any time but particularly when you get excited.
Contrary to what you think they are hardly noticeable so
there is no reason to feel embarrassed when they do happen.
Another aspect associated with sex hormones in this period
is the production of sperm.
This means that you may also experience ejaculation
that is when the semen
made up of sperm and other fluids is discharged through
the penis. Your first experience with ejaculation could
be alarming, but rest assured it is perfectly normal.
Wet Dreams:
Ejaculation
could happen at night while you are sleeping and you could
wake up to find your sheets and pajamas soaked. This is
known as nocturnal emissions or “wet dreams”.
This is also a normal part of puberty and it happens to
most boys your age, it is also a sign that your development
is normal during this phase.
