Developmental steps during puberty | What happens in puberty?

Developmental steps during puberty

During puberty, many physical changes slowly take place. The child’s body grows up to sexual maturity. The physical development of peers in puberty does not always happen simultaneously and can vary greatly in duration.

It is controlled by hormones. In girls the female sex hormone estrogen predominates, in boys the male sex hormone testosterone. The first signs of physical development during puberty are the development of secondary sexual characteristics in both boys and girls, such as the growth of armpit and pubic hair.

Girls also show growth of the breast. Due to the testosterone production there is a significant increase in sebum production. This results in impure skin with pimples and hair appears flat, sticky and greasy.

Since boys are more affected by testosterone production than girls, they suffer from skin problems much more frequently and increased activity of the sweat and scent glands often causes a strong body odor.In addition, there is an increased release of a growth hormone called somatotropin, which promotes bone growth. This hormonal change causes the previously childlike, delicate body to change in shape and structure and to be prepared for new tasks. Many children experience an enormous growth spurt, which can also cause some problems.

If the growth is too fast, the children often suffer from pain and complain mainly about joint problems. Besides the externally visible physical changes, there are also far-reaching changes inside the body. In girls, the vagina grows and the shape of the uterus changes.

In boys, the penis grows and the sex glands such as the prostate and the vesicle gland mature and achieve their full function. The fat mantle, which serves as protection for the skin, is regulated by the sex hormones. Due to an increased production of sex hormones during physical development, the sebaceous glands become more active during puberty.

As a result, sebum production is increased. The sebum settles in the skin pores and clogs them. Through small cracks in the skin, bacteria of the normal skin flora can penetrate the skin.

They find sufficient nutrients in the pores due to the increased sebum occurrence, multiply there and lead to inflammatory changes. As a result, pimples and the image of an impure skin surface develop. These skin changes occur mainly in the facial area, but can also manifest themselves in other parts of the body.

An increased activity of the sebaceous glands also leads to changes in the hair. The sebum produced by the sebaceous glands is deposited on the scalp and absorbed by the hair. If there is a lot of sebum, more than normally necessary is absorbed by the hair.

This makes the hair look very greasy and greasy. Not all teenagers have to deal with oily hair during puberty. In hair with a thin structure, the natural fats of the scalp cannot be sufficiently absorbed, so that the hair looks sticky and is flat and difficult to attach to the scalp.

Frequent washing makes the condition even worse in most cases. During puberty, in addition to the pronounced physical changes, mental development can also be observed. These mental processes present many young people with a great challenge with many hurdles that they have to overcome in the course of their development.

During puberty there is an improvement in memory and the ability to think. In addition, during the transition from child to adult, an idea of morality, social values and one’s own identity develops. Especially the formation of identity causes problems for some young people, as they have to learn to take the right path and to face conflicts with parents, friends or even school.

Most young people have to find out through attempts and also failures where they belong and who they really are and they have a great desire to feel confirmed and recognized. This also includes the solution from the sheltered environment of the parents. This process often leads to the young people being very irritable and suffering from severe mood swings.

This change in thinking, morality and self-expression enables the adolescent to become an independent person and to strengthen his or her own character and identity. Depending on the environment in which the teenager finds himself, the risk of experiencing bullying, eating disorders or depression during puberty may increase. However, an increased confrontation with one’s own body as well as mood swings belong to the normal side effects of puberty.

During the phase of puberty, boys and girls also experience psychological changes. During this time, many young people are not able to classify exactly who they actually are, what they want and what goals they want to achieve. This mental maturation strongly influences the further path of the adolescent and often leads to great potential for conflict.

Puberty is the time of self-discovery and individualization. Previously existing interpersonal relationships are evaluated differently, as young people now deal with morals and values and begin to reflect on their behavior.However, this newly gained self-reflection can also cause many problems, as young people often feel judged in all life situations and they develop the feeling that they are not good enough in the opinion of their fellow men.