Introduction

In puberty every guy wants to be the super dude with good muscles, husky voice and best athletic and sports qualities. Knowing about new gizmos and technology is what fascinates them the most. Owning a superbike or a fast racing car is every boy’s dream. Indulging in adventurous sports, driving fast cars, breaking rules is what gives adrenaline rush to most of guys. But there is another side of coin to it. There are lot of physical and emotional changes taking place. There is a constant pressure and expectations from parents and teachers. In major decisions they take you as a kid while at other instances they want you to behave as grown-ups. Added to it is the pressure from peers and friends to match to latest trends, attend parties, and perform well in sports. Amongst all these changes and pressure the physical changes might keep you confused. Let’s know what happens in puberty.

What is puberty?

Puberty is the time when a person crossroads between adulthood and childhood. It is the time of transition when a boy starts becoming a man. The time when pubertal changes will start taking place in your body depends a lot on environmental, racial, social and nutritional factors. Puberty in males is a bit later as compared to females. So at the time when your girl classmates are getting taller and you still have the same or shorter height therefore don’t be embarrassed as their growth spurt is earlier than yours. Puberty in males usually occur between 11-13 years of age. This is the time when you will observe a sudden growth spurt. There are lot of physical changes taking place in your body. Your voice starts changing, there is an increase in your body hair, there are changes in your genital organ and you start having beard. So, guys if you observe these changes you have stepped into puberty.

Physical changes in puberty in males

Puberty is the time when your body might surprise you more than anything else. There are a lot of changes that are taking place in your body. They might occur earlier or later than your friends. These things should not be the reason for anxiety and worry. Just calm down and relax, puberty is a stage that occurs in all individuals and it is not necessary that you and your friend will experience the same things at same time. But if puberty hasn’t reached till 14 years of age in males than you should surely consult your healthcare provider. The physical or morphological changes that occur in puberty in males are as follows:

Growth in height and weight

Puberty is the time of growth spurt. At this time your height increases at approximately 4 inches a year and there is also increase in weight. Head, hands and feet grow first followed by arms, legs, torso and shoulders.

1. Boys begin to gain height around 11-12 years of age as this is the growth spurt that occurs in boys.
2. Growth in height is mainly due to hormones like Growth hormones (GH), and insulin like growth factors.

Change in genital organs

This is the time when there are lot of changes going on physically and emotionally. There is increase of testosterone that makes you aggressive.

1. The scrotum grows larger and there is noticeable change in scrotal skin texture.
2. Penis increases more in length than width. With increase in length head of penis or glans develops.
3. The scrotum grows in size and gets darker.
4. You might even experience erection of penis with any sexual arousal.

Growth in pubic hair

At time of puberty pubic hair also start growing. Pubic hair growth can be the first sign that puberty has started.

1. They are thin and sparse to begin with and become denser, curlier and coarser with time.
2. They grow in inverted triangle pattern with base of triangle towards your navel and apex pointing downwards.

Increase in body hair

Pubic hair or increase in scrotal and penis size may be the first sign of puberty in males. After the pubic hair growth has started increase in body hair is also observed.

1. Facial hair in form of moustaches is seen almost two years post pubic hair develops but for some may be observed at the same time.
2. First your moustaches develop and then you start gaining beard on cheeks followed by under lower lip and side of face and chin.
3. There is also increase in axillary hair (arm-pit) and hair over arms and legs.

Change of voice

Change in voice occurs almost at the same time as change in penis size. Every boy wants a deep, husky and manly voice. It is a gradual process and takes time.

1. Voice starts getting deep and husky.
2. It is a gradual process and voice breaking at times may be observed which is quite normal.
3. The larynx gets much larger and it is visible as a lump in boy’s throat which is also known as Adam’s apple.

Emotional and behavioural changes

There is a whole array of physical changes that take place in puberty and have been described above. Apart from all these changes there are also a lot of emotional changes that are taking place. Boys usually become more introvert and may not share their feelings with anyone. This is the time when indulging in adventurous activities which gives them adrenaline rush becomes quite common. Rash and ruthless driving is also commonly observed. This leads to accidents and injuries in teenage.

In teenagers there is also a tendency towards trying smoke, alcohol and drugs under peer pressure. Before you try out any such thing remember that is socially, ethically and morally unacceptable. It can also lead to legal action against you if you are caught by police involved in some illegal activity.

Infatuation and attraction towards opposite sex is common. There might be a lot of peer pressure pertaining to first kiss and having a girlfriend. It is advisable not to indulge in sexual relations at an early age. If at all you have to, you should go for a protected sex. But don’t get swayed about what your friends’ say, do what your mind says because at the end of the day you have to face yourself and nobody else.

References

1. Nelson textbook of paediatrics, 19th edition, Kliegman, Stanton, St. Geme, Schor, Behrman. Elsevier publication. ISBN: 978-1-4377-0755-7. Chapter-12& 104.
2. Current Pediatric Therapy, 18th edition, Frederic et al, ISBN-13: 978-0-7216-0549-4. Chapter-6