A boy goes through many important changes during puberty. His body beefs up, his voice cracks as it changes, he becomes stronger, and he begins to mature sexually.1
There are five stages of puberty that boys go through, but keep in mind that the age at which each boy goes through them can vary widely.
Signs of puberty in boys
Boys mature a little slower than girls. For boys, puberty begins at age 11 on average, although starting as early as age nine or as late as age 14 is still considered normal.
Some boys mature faster than their peers, and some physical changes may be more gradual than others.
A number of these physical changes are very personal. You will notice them. Some of these may be embarrassing experiences for you and you will likely keep much of this private.
Body shape
Externally, you may notice your body begin to grow, but just before that happens, you may put on a little weight and look like all arms and legs. Next comes a growth spurt in height, often around the age of 13.
Your shoulders will broaden, and your muscles will develop more definition too. You will become noticeably stronger and can take advantage of that by beginning a regular workout routine.
Sweating, hair, and acne
Personal hygiene is probably one of the biggest changes for young boys. It may have been hard to get you to wash your hands or take a shower, but now you will need to pay attention to these things as you start to sweat more and develop body odour.
You may go to your parent and ask about shaving the peach fuzz from your face or ask about antiperspirants. Your hormones will produce more oil on your skin, and you may be prone to acne breakouts.
This is the perfect time to get familiar with good skin care routines.
Nocturnal emissions and erections
As you develop, you may begin to have nocturnal emissions,8 or “wet dreams,”
Learn about nocturnal emissions before they happen is helpful, so you know what to expect and that you haven’t accidentally wet the bed. Learn that it’s just another part of puberty and that it’ll go away in time.
Involuntary erections are another big part of male puberty, and they can occur at any time, for absolutely no reason at all.
Learn that this may happen for a while, and you will likely have little control over it, but it will get better as you get older.
Voice change
Your voice will change around the time that your growth spurt has begun to slow down a bit. This occurs because your vocal cords and voice box (larynx) gain mass too. Before your voice changes completely, it may crack and soar, going from high to low quickly. This can be embarrassing for you, so be mindful of this.
Breast growth
When you are first in puberty, your breast tissue may swell a bit for a year or two as some of your hormones change into estrogen. For most boys, this is temporary and not excessive, though, in some boys, it can be more obvious, especially if they’re overweight.
If your breast area seems excessively swollen or the swelling happens before puberty or later in puberty, see your healthcare provider. There could be a medical problem that’s causing this swelling rather than hormones.
Mood swings
Like girls, boys can also have mood swings thanks to the hormonal, physical, and emotional changes they’re experiencing.11 Be patient and understanding; this, too, shall pass.
You are growing up and this also means that you may open to your parents less often. It’s common for teenage boys to become less talkative and withdraw from their parents. Keep the lines of communication open and talk to your parents about the changes you are having.
Stay connected to your interests.
Delayed puberty
The most common cause is called constitutional delayed puberty. Most boys who are constitutionally delayed are totally healthy and will go through puberty eventually.
More than two-thirds of boys inherit this from one or both of their parents who also started puberty late. In boys, this can be defined as having no increase in testicle size by the age of 14 years old or continuing undergo puberty for more than five years after the start.
If you have a chronic illness like sickle cell disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or cystic fibrosis, puberty may also begin later than normal.
A small number of boys have a condition called isolated gonadotropin deficiency (IGD), which means that they don’t produce adequate amounts of the hormones LH and FSH. This condition typically begins at birth and is typically treated with testosterone injections.
An even smaller number of boys have something going on with their testicles that’s causing puberty to be delayed. Testosterone is the main treatment for issues of this sort.
