Puberty: What Changes, in What Order, and When to Check

Puberty is the few years when your body grows from a child's into an adult's, and for most girls it starts with small breast buds, followed by body hair, a growth spurt and discharge, with the first period coming later. The order is fairly similar from girl to girl but the timing is not, so starting before or after your friends is normal, and only a few clear age lines mean a doctor's check is worth it.

The usual order, and how much it varies

Puberty begins when your brain signals your ovaries to make more hormones, mainly estrogen. For most girls the changes come roughly in this order:

1. Breast buds. A small, firm bump under one or both nipples. For some girls pubic hair comes first, which is normal too.
2. Hair. Pubic hair, then underarm hair, and darker hair on the legs.
3. A growth spurt. A stretch of faster growth in height, and a change in body shape.
4. Discharge. A clear or white fluid in your underwear, which may start some months before a first period.
5. The first period. It typically comes about 2 years after the breasts start growing, and often about a year after your fastest growth. Both are averages, not countdowns: the gap varies a lot, and for some girls the period even comes before the growth spurt peaks.

Skin, sweat and feelings change all along the way.

As for age, most girls get their first period between 11 and 14, though it can come anywhere from 9 to 15 or later. That describes a lot of girls, not a date for you: nobody can work out your date from your height or your breasts.

Breasts, height and a changing shape

Breast buds can feel tender, itchy or sore, especially when bumped. One side often starts first, and breasts can stay slightly different in size for a long time. That is how breasts grow, not a sign of a problem. A soft crop top or a first bra can help, and there is no right age or size to start. More on growing breasts.

During the growth spurt, clothes and shoes can stop fitting fast. Hips get wider, and thighs, hips and tummy get softer and rounder. Weight goes up as you grow and fill out, and that is part of growing, not something to fix.

Hair, skin, sweat and discharge

Hair. Pubic hair often starts soft and sparse, then gets darker and curlier, and underarm and leg hair follow. Removing any of it is a choice, never a requirement. If you want to, this guide to pubic hair and shaving covers avoiding irritation.

Skin and sweat. Skin and hair get oilier, and spots on the face, chest or back are common. Wash your face gently morning and night, without scrubbing or squeezing. Sweat starts to smell more as the glands under your arms get more active, and a daily shower, clean clothes and deodorant take care of it. If spots get painful or really bother you, a doctor can help.

Discharge. Discharge is fluid from the vagina that helps keep it clean and healthy. Normal discharge is clear or white, thick and sticky or slippery and wet, with no strong or unpleasant smell. It may start some months before a first period, so finding it in your underwear is a normal step, and a panty liner helps if there is a lot. Tell an adult you trust if it changes colour, smell or texture, if there is much more than usual, or if it comes with itching or soreness, pain when you pee, or pain low in your tummy.

Feelings and body confidence

The hormones that change your body, along with everything else that is changing in your life, can make feelings bigger and quicker to change. You might feel happy one hour and teary or snappy the next, or suddenly self-conscious about how you look. That is common in puberty, and it does not mean anything is wrong with you.

Comparing yourself with friends tells you very little: two girls in the same class can be years apart in puberty and both be completely normal. If someone keeps commenting on your body and it bothers you, you can tell them to stop or tell an adult.

If you feel sad or low most days and it does not lift, stop enjoying things you used to love, or the feelings get so big that they scare you, tell an adult you trust.

When early or late is worth a check

Most of puberty needs nothing but time. A few lines are worth knowing, for you and for the adults around you:

• Signs before 8. If breasts, pubic hair or underarm hair start before age 8, it could be early puberty. It is usually nothing to worry about, but tell an adult so a doctor can take a look, because tests can show whether anything is causing it.
• A period before 9. This is a separate line from the one above: a first period before age 9 is a reason to see a doctor.
• Nothing yet at 13 or 15. If you are 13 with no period and no other signs of puberty, or 15 and your period has not started, tell an adult so you can see a doctor.

None of these means something is definitely wrong: they are the points where a check is the sensible next step.