Puberty - Signs for Boys
Between ages 10 to 14, young people’s bodies change as they transition from childhood to adulthood. This doesn’t happen overnight and is a process of maturing that can take several years. Although there are some common changes, everyone matures differently in their own time. For example, some boys start growing facial hair in junior high school while others do not have to shave until well past graduation from high school. Don’t worry if your body is maturing faster or slower than your friends or siblings. Puberty only happens once so enjoy the ride.


Spontaneous Erections

During puberty, your sexual hormones are raging. It is very common and normal for boys to get spontaneous erections and even ejaculate at inopportune times. Although you think everyone will notice, it might help to remember that most people are too busy thinking about themselves to even notice.


Wet Dreams

At around age 12, some boys start having “wet dreams” which means they ejaculate during their sleep. Some males have wet dreams only during their teen years and others continue to have them into adulthood. Some males ejaculate if they are having sexual dreams; however, just because you ejaculate during your sleep, it does not mean you had a sex dream.

Having wet dreams is nothing to worry or feel ashamed about – it is normal. During puberty, your body is going through all sorts of hormonal changes that are not always under your control. If you wake up and find your bed is wet, just change the bedding or ask for some help and carry on.


Hair

During puberty you will start to notice hair growing in all sorts of places it didn’t use to. For a boy, it is normal to start growing hair around the penis, in his armpits, and on his chest, legs, arms and face.


Muscle and Chest Development

If you are a boy, you will notice that your chest widens and develops more muscles.


Acne

Many teenagers going through puberty get acne (pimples, whiteheads and blackheads). This is normal and is caused by hormonal changes that make your skin secrete more oils than usual. Girls are more likely to break-out before and during menstruation. If your parents had acne, you are more likely to get it. Don’t worry – it won’t last forever.

To help control acne, wash your skin regularly and gently with soap and water. Don’t scrub too hard or it will irritate your skin even more. There are plenty of treatments you can buy in drugstores that may or may not help. If your acne is severe, consult your doctor.

Read more about acne: Acne Treatments – Health Canada Website


Emotions

One minute you feel calm and the next minute, you are crying. Sound familiar? Blame it on hormones. It is normal for teenagers to feel like they are on an emotional roller-coaster during puberty. There are a lot of physical changes to catch up with in addition to more responsibilities, decisions and choices that come with growing up. Your feelings are valid and important to pay attention to; however, your hormones often make your feelings feel stronger and more intense than usual. If you are experiencing mood swings, it helps to just know this and to realize that things will calm down eventually. Make sure you have good support and talk to your friends or family about how you feel. Sometimes just telling someone how you feel inside helps you to feel better.