Male puberty is something boys go through. Puberty isn't just a girl thing. Boys go through a lot of changes at male puberty too, usually between the ages of 10 and 17. Here are some of the things boys experience during male puberty:
Height
A boy may have a growth spurt and shoot up 2–5 inches in one year. If you tower over the boys in your class right now, they'll catch up soon. Girls start getting taller around age 10; guys start around age 12 and keep on growing.
Body Shape
As a boy grows taller, his body shape changes, too.
- His shoulders get wider—giving him more physical strength.
- His muscles expand in size.
- Even his face changes—his nose and jaw get more prominent, and his forehead gets higher.
Voice
Did you ever notice that a boy who used to sing really sweetly and high all of a sudden starts to sound like a croaking frog? That's because his voice is getting deeper as the larynx, or voice box, grows. Sometimes the larynx muscles will make his voice crack—which is completely normal. A guy's voice can change really suddenly or over a period of time within male puberty.
Hair, hair, and more hair
Like girls, boys get a little hairier during puberty, too—in the pubic area and underarms, and maybe the outer arms, legs, chest, stomach, shoulders, and back. Facial hair comes later, starting on the upper lip, then on the cheeks and chin.
At first, a guy's body and facial hair will be soft, but it gradually gets rougher. The coarse texture makes body and facial hair more noticeable on men than on women, and more visible on guys with darker hair. (By the way, hairiness has nothing to do with masculinity, and hairy guys aren't "manlier" than guys who aren't hairy.)
Chest
A young guy might have some slight swelling in his chest around the nipples, and his chest may feel tender. Don't worry—he's not growing breasts. His hormones are just working overtime. This phase usually lasts less than a year.
Skin and acne
During male puberty, a boy's glands become really active. Certain glands cause a secretion of more oils in the hair and skin, while others increase the amount a guy perspires. Many boys start to develop acne. As with girls, boys usually need to start washing their faces and hair much more, and start using deodorant.
