It’s common. This feeling of confusion, questions about your body, pondering over your physical looks, this sudden attention to your skin & its texture, the sudden consciousness about everything, the sudden development of tiny chest dots becoming bigger and rounder, and the worse – the hair all over the body (down there too!). Phew! I know what this is, but still WHAT IS HAPPENING???!!!
We get the biology. Let's talk the dilemma-logy!
HAIR EVERYWHERE!
This is practically the first sign, you are growing. Equality here, as both boys & girls experience hair growth where it didn’t happen before. Normal again. We get the weirdness about it, but you’ll get used to it. Own it!
THE ODOR
Yes, it is strange how change can be smelly too? Hormones make their way through the glands in your skin which result in body odor under your arms, around your vagina and elsewhere on the body. No way to avoid it, best is to wash yourself every day and maybe use a skin safe deodorant.
FACE-TIME
Acne, pimples on cheeks, forehead, shoulders, upper chest–all triggered by the very famous puberty hormones (almost as if, its an invasion). Now, since the face acne is visible, this can really bother but there are ways to help deal with it. Stressing over your looks is a sure shot at making it worse, so the better solution is perhaps speaking to your doc!
THE SWING
Feelings tend to go up/down and east/west, its natural. Don’t feel the need to blame yourself at this point over a misunderstanding with parents or peers. Take the time and resolve it when you feel more settled. Conflicting thoughts are always an indication of growth and change. Isn’t this exactly what’s happening?
SHAPING UP
Getting curvier around hips, putting on weight, gaining some fat -believe it or not is part of the puberty game. These are basically signs that the hormones are functional, they are doing their job, and you need to do yours by embracing it. Curvy = healthy in this case.
BUDDIES
Friends become life, and everything revolves around them. In-fact you will find yourself seeking their approval for choices over clothes to personal beliefs. The logic is simple – they are the only ones going through what you are, so of course they get you, you get them and simply trust each other. Have fun, gain new experiences, have the heartbreaks – but just don’t take it to heart! Take a chill pill and once in a while do a ‘comfort’ check-in. Ask yourself, if its really what you want to do?
DISCHARGE
Notice a random white semi-liquid kind of substance on the undies? Normal. It is your vagina's way of keeping clean and healthy. A sign to say, its all good down and in there.
SEXUALITY & SEXUAL FEELINGS
We still confuse between the two.
Sexuality is exploring and understanding who you are, what your preferences are, your attractions, behavior towards yourself and other people. You will find yourself feeing a horde of things (beyond friendship) never felt before towards people around.
Sexual feeling is that exact tingly feeling or the excitement of seeing someone or recreating a whole scene from a book/movie keeping this other person in mind. Yes, all of it and lot more. Just remember never to feel awkward about these feelings as you are meant to feel them. Make sure to be well informed about sex by speaking to an adult you trust (parent, counselor, doctor)