Hormones, Body Odor, and Acne, Oh My! Puberty 101
Puberty—the process of developing from a child to a reproductive adult—can make a kid look, feel, and act differently. Here’s what’s happening to your kid.
Hosts Alok Patel and Bethany Van Delft are back for round two of the puberty talk. This time, they’re breaking down the science behind the body’s big shift, full of chemicals and hormones, as it grows to become capable of reproduction.
Hormones, the chemical messengers of the body, are complex. And as puberty gets underway, your child’s brain will release hormones in new ways. For people of trans, nonbinary, or intersex experience, the process may be a little different. But when it comes to puberty, “we’re just talking about a biological process,” Alok says.
Adrenarche—the process when the adrenal glands begin to secrete hormones—is responsible for some of the physical changes of puberty: the growth of underarm and pubic hair and the development of body odor, skin oiliness, and acne. Part of the brain goes from steadily releasing a hormone called GnRH to releasing it in pulses. This cues the pituitary gland—also located in the brain—to release two hormones that are major players in the puberty process: LH, or luteinizing hormone, and FSH, or follicle-stimulating hormone.
Depending on whether your child has testicles or ovaries, LH and FSH will do different things in the body. In biological females, “they’re gonna cause maturation of the ovaries, the release of eggs, and the rise of certain hormones like estrogen,” Alok says. This influx of hormones also triggers breast development and fat redistribution around the hip area. Menarche, or the first period, accompanies this process.
In biological males, LH and FSH stimulate the production of sperm and testosterone. Once these hormones are released, your child will experience a growth spurt, which comes in a little later than the female growth spurt. "I was taller than every boy I knew until I was 17 or so," says Bethany.
He may grow taller and heavier, his shoulders may broaden, and his muscles may develop. Your child may also grow facial hair and his voice may begin to crack and squeak. This is also the time of spermarche—the development of sperm and penis growth.
Some kids undergo delayed puberty. “Sometimes it’s no big deal and everything’s gonna be OK; your child’s going to develop without any issue,” Alok says. Other times an underlying medical condition, poor nutrition, or external stressors, like intense physical training for sports, can delay puberty. In these situations, Alok suggests, chat with your pediatrician or an endocrinologist.
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