Sometimes I feel strong and grown up, but when I look in the mirror and see my pimples, I feel like a little boy!” Such sensations are very typical of the difficult and exciting time of puberty. The years of development that boys between the ages of nine and 18 go through not only bring about physical changes, but also change your attitudes, your emotional experience and your relationship with other people. How does puberty go with boys, what changes are you going to see and what questions do you ask yourself during this time?
It is not possible to say in general terms when boys reach puberty. On average, it begins between the ages of nine and eleven and is largely completed by around 18 to 19 years of age. On average, boys reach puberty one to two years later than girls. The individual physical changes that you will go through during this time do not follow a fixed “schedule”. This means that, for example, your beard can start growing some time earlier than that of your classmates, but they may break their voice before you.
However, there are tendencies as to the age at which physical changes begin:
9-14 years: growth of the testicles
10-15 years: pubic hair
10-15 years: growth of the penis
11-20 years: length growth
12-13 years: armpit hair
12-15 years: first beard growth (upper lip fluff)
12-15 years: broken voice
13-14 years: Spermarche (first ejaculation)
13-17 years: acne / blemished skin
The physical changes of puberty raise questions for many young people. We have collected some questions from boys that you might find interesting too.
“I grow pubic hair, but not armpit hair yet. Is that normal?” (Michi, 11 years)
Yes, that is quite possible. Your hormones (especially the “male” sex hormone testosterone) cause you to grow hair in both the armpit and pubic area around the penis and on your chest, but when this happens is very different. It is very common for the pubic hair to grow earlier than the armpit hair. The way they grow, however, is the same: both grow very smoothly at first and then begin to curl. In contrast to the scalp hair , they only grow for about six months, then fall out and are replaced by new, renewable ones.
Skin Changes: Pimples Or Acne?
During puberty, some teenagers get not just a few pimples, but acne. It should be treated by a doctor. (Source: Henryart / Wikimedia Commons)
The increased release of hormones during puberty causes the sebum glands in your skin to produce more sebum. Sebum glands are everywhere where hairs or hairs grow and they lubricate the hair. But when they produce too much fat, they clog the gland outlets. If there are still small dirt particles or germs in the ducts, they can ignite on the surface: blackheads or pimples filled with pus develop. With acne, on the other hand, the inflammation is deeper in the tissue under the skin. If you are not sure whether you have acne, it is important to go to the dermatologist and have a look. Acne can become very painful and leave unsightly scars if treated incorrectly.
In general, you should take good care of your skin during puberty by washing it daily with a soap-free washing lotion and treating it with facial cleansing water. Then a non-greasy skin cream soothes your skin. You can find many products in the drugstore or pharmacy. Just let yourself be advised. For blemished skin, it is also advisable to eat a healthy diet low in fat and sugar.
“My hair is always greasy and my sister says I stink of sweat.” (Lukas, 13 years)
The increased production of fat by the sebum glands, which causes pimples and blackheads, also makes your scalp hair greasy faster. That is why you should wash your hair regularly during this time, preferably with a shampoo against oily hair. Increased sweating and the smell of sweat are also caused by the hormonal changes during puberty.
The scent and sweat glands of the skin are located on the hair roots and are only formed by the body during puberty. Sweating children, for example, hardly smell at all because of this. Usually, freshly formed sweat is odorless. In adolescents in puberty, on the other hand, the hormonal processes in the body also smell fresh sweat – boys in particular have a stronger odor. This hyperfunction of the sweat glands returns by itself between the ages of 17 and 18. It is important that you take good care of your body hygiene and that you wash or shower regularly during puberty. When it comes to clothing, it is advisable to avoid synthetic fibers, as cotton or linen T-shirts are more breathable. There are also antiperspirant deodorants. But you should choose a product that doesn’t irritate the skin too much. You can get advice on this from a drugstore or pharmacy.
Sometimes squeaky, sometimes deep: the broken voice
Beard growth begins during puberty and an Adam’s apple forms on the larynx. (Source: mysteriouskyn / Flickr.com (CC BY-SA 2.0))
Your voice changes during puberty . This is called the “voice break”. The increased testosterone and the growth of your larynx will double the length of your vocal cords. Before they are about twelve millimeters long, during puberty they grow by about one centimeter. They also get thicker. As the thicker and longer vocal cords vibrate less, the sounds they make become deeper. In addition, the size and position of your larynx will change. The larynx pushes a kind of bump forward out of the neck. This “bump” is called the Adam’s apple.
Unfortunately, the vocal cords do not grow evenly, which means that at times some are shorter, others longer. Therefore it can happen that you jump back and forth between your child’s voice and your man’s voice or that your voice breaks. That’s what you perceive as a beep. The uneven growth of the vocal cords is completed relatively quickly, so that the “beeping” time will not take too long. Your voice is fully developed by around 25 to 30 years of age. Only then is the larynx “fully grown”. By the way: Girls also have their voices breaking, so their voices change during puberty and usually become deeper. However, your vocal cords only grow a little, so the change is not as noticeable.
Waxing of the penis and testicles
During puberty you not only get more body hair and become more muscular, the penis and testicles of the man also grow and you get your first ejaculation. (Source: Genesis89 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 1.0))
From the age of ten or eleven, the testicles and penis begin to grow due to the hormone secretion. This is a completely normal process. In addition, the color of the scrotum becomes darker and the texture changes. Your friends may experience this growth a little earlier than you do – or vice versa. The greatest growth of the penis takes place around the age of 16, but it does not reach its final size until after puberty.
The size of the penis is determined in your genes (hereditary disposition), so you cannot influence the size. On average, an adult male’s flaccid penis is between seven and ten centimeters long. In the stiff state the differences are less big and it is about 14 centimeters. In puberty you are still growing and shouldn’t measure yourself against these values. In addition, “average values” always mean that values that are a little below or above are also absolutely normal.
Even if the penis length is often a criterion for measuring “masculinity” among boys, it is not at all an important criterion for choosing a partner for girls and women. By the way: During sex, the size of the penis plays a much smaller role in a woman’s sense of pleasure than most men think. And when the man feels sexual pleasure, the penis, as I said, becomes significantly larger anyway. So don’t be intimidated by stupid sayings from your buddies. Your penis and testicles will also get a growth spurt during puberty!
The first ejaculation: puberty
During puberty, your hair will grow slightly curled under your armpits, on your chest and in the pubic area. This usually does not happen at the same time – for example, many already have pubic hair but no armpit hair. The chest hair grows last. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
During puberty, not only do your testicles grow, but they also produce sperm cells called sperm. This first sperm production is also called “Spermarche”. At around 14 years of age, the sperm cells are secreted, i.e. the sperm squirts out of the penis. This is called ejaculation or ejaculation. Since ejaculation often happens during sleep, it is sometimes called “wet dreams”. Most of the time you have an erotic dream in your sleep that you cannot remember when you wake up. Your body adjusts to sexual arousal even during sleep.
If you are aroused, your penis is supplied with more blood and straightens up. This is called an “erection”. Through ejaculation, semen “discharges” and up to 300 million sperm are released. Since your body can only slowly adapt to the hormonal changes that also increase sexual pleasure, spontaneous erections and ejaculations can occur more often during puberty. Ejaculation is a normal thing that you shouldn’t be ashamed of. Adult men also had ejaculations during puberty or are still having sex or masturbation. You can certainly take your father or older brother into confidence for a “man to man” conversation if you have any questions.
The first ejaculation is something very special in a young man’s life. You are now able to father a child. Therefore, if you are with a girl, you should definitely pay attention to contraception from then on !
“I’m the smallest in my class! What can I do?” (Samuel, 13 years)
During puberty, boys hang out with their buddies more often and distance themselves more from their parents. Fooling around and nagging one another are common – they often cover up their own insecurities. (Source: Siegbert Pinger / pixelio.de)
Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about it, because the growth spurt in puberty comes by itself. It is determined by your hormones and genetic makeup. But don’t worry, because at 13 you are still very young. The growth in height during puberty begins between the ages of eleven and 15 years, boys usually get the biggest growth spurt at 14 years of age! Your classmates are just growing a little faster at the moment, but you may well catch up with them shortly. Often the once smallest boys in the class suddenly get an enormous growth spurt and then suddenly even belong to the biggest ones during puberty!
DISPLAY
By the way, puberty won’t just change your height. Your physique will also develop into a typical male body shape with wider shoulders, a narrow pelvis and more muscle mass.
“I’m getting breasts. Am I going to be a girl?” (Pablo, 12 years)
No certainly not! The fact that you get a slight breast base is due to the sex hormones. That even affects more than a third of all boys. And this is how it works: Men also have a small proportion of “female” hormones, the so-called estrogens, which interact with the other sex hormones and are increasingly formed during puberty. These can cause mammary glands to form and temporarily swell the area around your chest into a bump. It looks like a bosom. But no worry! When your hormonal balance levels off over the course of puberty, the breasts swell again. The whole process can take anywhere from a few months to two years and is typical of puberty.
When does the beard start to grow?
In boys between the ages of twelve and 15, beard growth begins with a slight down on the upper lip. Later, the stubble on the chin grows stronger and you get firm whiskers that get thicker and thicker. (Source: atirme / sxc.hu)
When the beard starts to grow and how strong it becomes, varies greatly. Both depend on your genes. This means that you can neither influence the time of onset nor the strength of the beard growth. It usually begins between the ages of twelve and 15. Usually a soft fuzz grows on the upper lip, which later turns into hard stubble. Only gradually do more thick whiskers form around the cheeks and chin.
You can decide for yourself whether and when you want to shave your beard and whether you prefer to use a wet or electric razor. Your father, an older brother or a friend can certainly advise you on what is suitable for you. Since your skin is very sensitive during puberty, you should take good care of it after shaving. Shaving makes small cuts in the skin that can easily become infected and lead to pimples. Therefore, after shaving, you should apply a mild but alcoholic aftershave that disinfects the small cuts and soothes the skin. Just get advice in the drugstore and choose an aftershave fragrance that appeals to you.
When other things become important – emotional and social changes
During puberty, the release of testosterone and other hormones not only changes your body, it also influences your interests, attitudes, moods and experiences. If the “male” hormone testosterone is released in larger quantities, mood swings and tantrums occur more often. This is why boys are often more aggressive during puberty. So this is initially a completely normal process. In addition, you first have to come to terms with the rapid changes and find your way around in your new role as a growing young man. Unfortunately, these developments are the reason why there are very often quarrels with parents and siblings during puberty – but also because girls suddenly become interesting.
Jan (21 years) tells you how he experienced this time:
Who am I?
Puberty is a time when many teenagers suffer from self-doubt and constantly put themselves under pressure. It is particularly important for them to be recognized and popular, at the same time they often feel unsafe and uncomfortable in their own skin. (Source: adel / pixelio.de)
At the age of 13 I didn’t even know where I belonged. My body changed a lot: I grew tall, got a strong, muscular torso, and had skin problems – but only pimples, no acne like other guys in my class. Actually, everything would have worked out fine. But somehow I felt pressured to be even better, stronger and more popular.
Especially at school I wanted to be one of the “cool” guys and wanted to look good in front of my buddies. It was well received when you risked a big mouth in front of the teacher every now and then – no matter what was in the note on the certificate. I always had to be the best in sports competitions, which of course earned me a lot of reputation. In school it wasn’t cool to be among the good guys. One was quickly seen as a nerd or a freak. There was often stress at home when I came home with a five in English – just because I preferred to go to the swimming pool or the youth club with my mates instead of studying for the test.
Who’s the coolest in the whole country?
For boys, reputation and success in sport are usually very important and they absolutely want to appear “cool”. The body becomes stronger and it is particularly “masculine” to have lots of muscles. How muscular you are also depends on your genes. (Source: RB / pixelio.de)
A little later, around the age of 16, it went a little further. You had to prove yourself again and again in the clique and be particularly “adult”. During that time I did some things that I find pretty stupid today. My buddies and I smoked in front of school (you were allowed to smoke at the age of 16) and we used to drink alcohol at parties. You can imagine what anger there was at home when my parents had to pick me up from a party with my first high!
There was a lot of stress with my parents anyway and I remember that I was often aggressive and mean back then. Sometimes we argued violently and I insulted them so much that they banned me from leaving! That made me even madder. I argued with them once because some guys in my class were getting their driver’s license and getting a motorcycle for their 16th birthday. Of course, I really wanted to keep up. And what did my parents say: “The bus stop is in front of the house. You don’t need a motorcycle and we don’t have the money for it either!” I freaked out and yelled at them that I would never be seen at school again! After that, I felt sorry for my rabble because I knew that we really couldn’t afford a motorcycle.
At the time I didn’t really know that my aggressive freaks had a lot to do with my hormones, otherwise I might have said: “Hey, dear parents, I’m really sorry that I’m so mean, but it’s also my hormones – that’s quite normal in puberty! ” Maybe they would have understood me a little better and we would have paused less. By the way: I’ve stopped smoking now. And I recommend that you don’t even start. You are doing your health a huge favor – and you will save yourself a lot of money! And once you’re really addicted, it’s difficult to get rid of the addiction.
Is she smiling at me?
The physical and emotional changes during puberty not only lead to quarrels with parents and siblings – girls also suddenly become interesting. (Source: twinlili / pixelio.de)
There was one girl in my class that I really liked. Martina was her name. She was really funny and nice. Whenever I saw her, I was completely different: my whole body began to tingle and I talked weird things when I met her – at least that’s how it felt to me. I think I had a crush on her. But I didn’t know how she found me. And how should I ask her if she likes me without making a fool of me – maybe she didn’t like me at all and would make fun of me with her friends?
Then we went on a school trip. That was in 8th grade. At the disco I then took all my courage and let her ask through my friend Chris if she wanted to dance with me – in retrospect, really silly. I wanted it to be as harmless as possible. The question of whether she wants to dance with me doesn’t mean that I’m into her. So nothing to lose, I thought. But it didn’t get that far because she wanted to dance with me. We danced together all evening and soon after we were really together!
And how does it go on?
Martina was my first friend. So of course I had no experience of how to have a relationship and how it all works. For Martina I was also the first friend and we experienced many things together for the first time: holding hands in front of our classmates and teachers, making out and getting closer physically. At that time I didn’t want to talk to my parents about my girlfriend, loyalty, sex, contraception and all that stuff. I was uncomfortable with that. And we hadn’t really talked about the subject in great detail at school either. The teachers were kind of embarrassed.
Puberty is an exciting time when most teens have their first experiences with the opposite sex and boys have their first girlfriend.
Fortunately, my friend Chris knew his way around quite well. Because he had a big brother with whom he talked about all these things at his first girlfriend’s. It was very important to me that I could talk to someone about my insecurity and to whom I could ask my questions. If you have questions, be sure to talk to a friend, brother, or older acquaintance about it if your parents aren’t the right people for such a conversation. That helps a lot and gives you security for the relationship with your girlfriend.
But if you don’t have anyone with whom you can talk “man to man” about love and sex, or if you want to find out more on your own first, you can find information on the websites below, for example. And one more thing to finish: Don’t be afraid of your feelings or insecurities – everyone is like that. When you have the right girlfriend, it is not that difficult to confide in and talk about intimate things to each other!
