Puberty
Introduction
Between the ages of 9 and 17, changes occur in male and female bodies. These changes are caused by hormones produced by the body.
Female Puberty
Upper Body
Chest
In the female body, the chest area gets larger. The chest grows breasts that get larger the farther you get into puberty. You may need a bra, which covers the breast.
Bra
There are different bra sizes. Some smaller bras are sold in the girl's section in the supermarket. But larger bras are sold in the women's section.
An example of a bra size is 40E. The number represents how wide the bra is . The letter represents how large the cup is.
To find your size, use measuring tape. Measure below the breasts first. If the number is even, add 4. If the number is odd, add 5. If both breasts are the same, the size is AA or AAA. If one breast is one inch larger, the size is A. Two inches is B, three inches is C, four inches is D, and 5 inches is DD or E.
Now you must shop for bras. You can write down your size to help you remember. Take another, older female that you know with you. To experiment, get multiple sizes.
To put the bra on, fasten the band on the chest. Adjust the shoulder straps so they don't droop from your shoulders. But the shoulder straps should not be too tight. Make sure they feel comfortable. (If you're getting a smaller bra from the girl's section, just put it over your head and pull it down to your chest.)
The back of the bra should be lower than the front. If the bra is too tight, you need a larger number size. If the cups are loose, you need a smaller cup size.
Do not get bras that have dark colors or striking designs. Most of your bras should be beige or white.
There are two types of bra: sports bra and regular bra.
Regular bras are made for normal, everyday activities.
Sports bras are made for exercise. They are made from more flexible materials than regular bras and are made by workout brands like Champion and Under Armour. (If you are getting smaller bras from the girl's section, the only thing that differs them from normal girl's bras is that they have more straps in the back and have holes for breathability. They are less comfortable.)
Arms and Armpits
The arms may start to get hairy. This means that you have to get a razor to shave them. If you or your parents are uncomfortable with using a razor, get a weaker product for shaving arms and legs.
When you exercise, your armpits get sweaty. As a result, they smell bad. Get deodorant to make them smell better.
Lower Body
Period
Just below the stomach, there is a place called the uterus. This is where your body's reproductive cells are. In a female, these reproductive cells are eggs. They are smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. The eggs are inside things called ovaries.
In a male, the reproductive cells are sperm. When an egg meets a sperm, it becomes a baby.
When there is no sperm, the lining on the uterus comes off and becomes blood. It comes out of your body and stains your underwear.
To keep the period blood from staining your undies, get a pad or a tampon.
A pad is made of cotton and looks like underwear. But, you put it in your underwear and when you get your period, the blood stains the pad instead of your underwear.
A tampon is much smaller than a pad. It is a cotton pill-shaped thing with a string on the end. You put it in the opening below your waist where the blood comes out. This is the opening behind your private part. The tampon stops the period blood from leaving your body. Unlike pads, you can swim with a tampon. To remove the tampon, pull the string on the end of it.
Legs
Your legs may start getting hairy. You can shave them with a razor or a gentle shaver for arms and legs.
Pubic Hair
You might start to get hair on your private part. This is called pubic hair.