Puberty For Boys: Signs, Stages, And Ways To Support Them
A boy goes through five stages of puberty, each consisting of prominent physical changes.
![Puberty For Boys: Signs, Stages, And Ways To Support Them Puberty For Boys Signs, Stages, And Tips To Support Them](https://cdn2.thebridalbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Puberty-For-Boys-Signs-Stages-And-Tips-To-Support-Them.jpg.webp)
Image: Shutterstock
In This Article
Puberty is when the child undergoes physical, mental, and emotional changes as they enter adolescence. This period usually starts between the ages of nine and 14 for boys. Once it begins, it may last for about two to five years (1). However, it does not happen at the same time for everyone.
Puberty begins when the brain produces the stimulating hormones that signal the growth of testicles. The testicles will release a hormone, testosterone, the male sex hormone responsible for the appearance of secondary sex characteristics (2).
Moreover, puberty is a long process and does not happen overnight. The changes and transition from a child to a man can be confusing, overwhelming, exciting, anxious, or embarrassing for boys. Read about the signs, stages, types, and tips on puberty in boys.
Signs Of Puberty In Boys
The signs of puberty become more pronounced as years pass by. Following are the signs of puberty differentiated based on when they appear (3).
Initial signs of puberty
- Testicles get bigger.
- Scrotum becomes thinner and redder.
- Pubic hair appears at the base of the penis.
Later signs of puberty
These signs appear about a year after puberty and continue for the next two years.
- Growth of penis and testicles
- Darkening of the scrotum
- Thickening and curling of pubic hair
- Growth of hair in the underarms
- Increased hair growth all over the body
- Increased sweating in boys
- Slight swelling of the breasts
- Experiencing penile erections
- Experiencing “wet dreams” (ejaculating in sleep) (4)
- Permanent deepening of the voice. (The voice may go deep and high)
- Increased acne, pimples, and oily skin.
- Experiencing a growth spurt where the boys grow in height by about seven to eight centimeters or around three inches within a year
Appear muscular. - Changes in voice with initially the voice breaking
About four years of puberty
- Genitals begin to look like that of an adult.
- Pubic hair begins to spread even to the inner thighs.
- Facial hair begins to grow, and the boys should start shaving
- Rate of height growth gets slower and may stop completely around 16 years of age
- Continue to get more muscular
Mood changes in puberty
Coping with the changes in the body can make a child self-conscious. Children may develop new emotions and feelings, where puberty is exciting for them. These changes can bring the following psychological and emotional effects:
- Mood swings with no underlying cause
- Confusion
- Self-consciousness
- Low self-esteem
- Aggression
- Depression
Stages Of Puberty For A Boy
Tanner has proposed a universally accepted scale to describe the onset and progression of puberty. Both boys and girls are rated on a five-point scale. Boys are rated on the basis of genital development and pubic hair growth. This table explains Tanner’s scale of puberty in boys (5).
Tanner stages | Pubic hair growth | Genital development |
Tanner stage I (Preadolescent) | No sexual hair | Similar to those seen in childhood |
Tanner stage II | Sparse, pigmented, long, and straight hair (mainly at the base of the penis) | Enlargement of the scrotum and testes. Changes in the texture of the scrotal skin and reddening of the scrotal skin. |
Tanner stage III | Darker, coarser, and curlier hair | Growth in the length and the circumference of the penis along with the testes and scrotum. |
Tanner stage IV | Adult hair but with decreased distribution | Significant enlargement of the penis scrotum and testes, development of glans penis, distinct darkening of the scrotal skin. |
Tanner stage V | Adult hair with increased quantity | Adult genitalia |
Each male child reaches different stages of puberty at different periods (6).
Puberty Hitting Too Late Or Too Early
Some boys and girls may hit puberty earlier (precocious puberty) or later (delayed puberty) than others. Both precocious and delayed puberties can run in families.
- Happens early than the expected age range.
- In most cases, precocious puberty is a variation of normal puberty.
- Sometimes, there are underlying medical reasons, such as an abnormality of the brain, tumors, genetic abnormalities of reproductive organs, or overproduction of sex hormones.
- It can be divided into two types based on where the abnormality occurs – central precocious puberty or peripheral precocious puberty.
- Talk to the doctor if your son exhibits an increase in the size of the penis or testicle before nine years of age.
- Most children with delayed puberty eventually go through normal changes of puberty, but a little later than the others.
- Puberty can get delayed in children who might have nutritional deficiencies due to long-term illnesses.
- It may also happen due to a medical condition called hypogonadism, where the sex gland may produce lesser or no sex hormones.
- No testicle development by fourteen years or incomplete development of the testicles and penis for five years after the first signs of development.
- Talk to the healthcare provider if you suspect your child to have delayed puberty. The doctor may order blood tests, wrist x-rays, genetic studies or CT scans, and MRIs to rule out tumors, brain injuries, etc.
Tips To Help Your Son Through Puberty
The following tips can help you support your son through the changes of puberty (1) (9).
- The hormones bring several physical changes and emotional changes. The child may behave moodily or differently. Reassure your child that the changes are normal.
- Refrain from making comments or jokes about their changed voice, appearance, or other changes.
- Offer them solutions if they are facing acne or body odor. Buy them deodorants, acne control products or provide them with solutions such as bathing more often to ward off the foul odor.
- Talk to them about how normal is it to have uneven testes.
- Explain that the size of the penis does not affect sexual functioning.
- Ensure that they know that ejaculating during sleep or spontaneous erections are normal and settle down in some time.
- The child may be concerned about growing breasts or tenderness. Reassure them that it is temporary and will settle as their chest widens.
- Explain that the size of the penis does not affect sexual functioning.
- Tell them that each child has their pace of growth.
- Speak to the child and help them deal with mood changes.
- You can also promote exercises in this period.
- Give them enough time and space to come to terms with all changes.
- Talk to them about their questions, confusions and ensure that they can comfortably reach you to find answers to their doubts.
- Buy them books about puberty to get real information in clear words.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does puberty hurt for a boy?
A few boys may experience tenderness in the breasts upon reaching puberty. When pressed, the breasts may cause slight discomfort or pain (10). Some may also experience growing pains, a harmless muscular pain in the calf, knees, or thighs. This pain could be due to the developing bones, poor posture, or muscular fatigue (11).
2. Can puberty cause abdominal pain?
The changes that occur during puberty in itself may not cause abdominal pain in boys. The abdominal pain could be due to underlying conditions. For example, gastrointestinal conditions such as acid reflux, food intolerances, and constipation could cause abdominal pain. Sometimes, emotional turmoils may manifest as abdominal pain (12).
Create an environment where your son would feel comfortable to approach you with their doubts instead of believing false information from their friends or other sources. If you feel your child has some barriers and is unable to open up, you may ask them if they would prefer talking about it to a therapist or a school counselor.
Key Pointers
- Puberty in boys proceeds in five stages, with each stage characterized by significant developments.
- The signs of puberty vary depending on the time of their appearance, with the first significant changes appearing in their genitals.
- Children attaining puberty later or earlier than the rest may be normal or due to certain underlying conditions.
- You may help them through this transitional phase by educating them about the physical changes and mood swings and having a comfortable conversation about their doubts.
References
- Puberty: Normal Growth and Development in Boys.
https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/puberty-normal-growth-and-development-boys - Puberty in Boys.
https://www.msdmanuals.com/en-in/home/quick-facts-men-s-health-issues/biology-of-the-male-reproductive-system/puberty-in-boys - Stages of puberty: what happens to boys and girls.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sexual-health/stages-of-puberty-what-happens-to-boys-and-girls/ - Physical Development in Boys: What to Expect.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/Physical-Development-Boys-What-to-Expect.aspx - The Tanner Stages.
https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/medical_education/undergraduate/spm/SPM_100/documents/tannerstagescard.pdf - Disorders of Puberty.
https://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0701/p209.html - For Parents: What to Expect When Your Child Goes Through Puberty.
https://familydoctor.org/for-parents-what-to-expect-when-your-child-goes-through-puberty/ - What causes normal puberty, precocious puberty, & delayed puberty?
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/puberty/conditioninfo/causes - Parenting children through puberty.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Parenting-children-through-puberty#how-you-can-support-your-son-during-puberty - Concerns boys have about puberty.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/puberty/Pages/Concerns-Boys-Have-About-Puberty.aspx - Growing pains.
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/growing-pains - What causes GI issues in teens – and how to get them to talk about it.
https://utswmed.org/medblog/what-causes-gi-issues-teens-and-how-get-them-talk-about-it/