Can you speed up or slow down puberty?

Understanding puberty: It’s mainly genetic but influenced by diet and activity. For abnormal timings, seek medical advice. Learn, talk, and maintain a healthy lifestyle to cope.

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Understanding Puberty: Can You Speed It Up or Slow It Down?

Puberty is a significant phase in everyone's life, marking the transition from childhood to adolescence and finally into adulthood. It brings about dramatic changes, both physically and emotionally. Typically, puberty starts anywhere between 8 to 13 years in girls and 9 to 14 years in boys, but this can vary widely from person to person. Can you speed up or slow down puberty?

What Happens During Puberty?

During puberty, your body undergoes several changes driven by hormonal fluctuations. Boys experience growth in facial and body hair, a deepening of the voice, and changes in physical structure. Girls develop breasts and start their menstrual cycles. Both genders experience growth spurts, acne, and changes in body odour. On an emotional level, puberty can contribute to mood swings, increased independence, and developing a sense of identity.

Can You Alter the Timing of Puberty?

The timing of puberty is mainly dictated by genetics, meaning it's largely pre-determined and based on the inheritance from your parents. Environmental factors, health, and nutrition also play crucial roles.

1. Nutrition and Physical Health

Optimal nutrition is crucial for the healthy development of a young person. A diet deficient in essential nutrients can delay puberty, while a nutrient-rich diet can ensure that you enter puberty on a normal schedule. Obesity has been linked with earlier puberty, especially in girls, while being significantly underweight may delay it.

2. Physical Activity

Moderate physical activity is beneficial and promotes healthy growth and development, which can impact the timing of puberty indirectly. However, extreme physical activity, as often seen in competitive athletes, may delay the onset of puberty.

3. Environmental Factors

Exposure to certain chemicals and environmental pollutants can potentially alter the normal timing of puberty. These substances can act as endocrine disruptors, interfering with the natural hormones in the body responsible for development.

Adjusting the Speed of Puberty: Is It Possible?

While slight influences can be exerted on the timing of puberty, they are limited. It's neither safe nor recommended to attempt to drastically speed up or slow down the process.

Strategies to Deal with Early or Late Puberty

If you're experiencing early or late puberty and it's causing you stress, here are some practical strategies:
Talk to Someone
Discuss your feelings with a trusted adult, such as a parent or guardian, or seek guidance from a school counsellor. Understanding that your feelings are normal can help you cope better.
Maintain a Balanced Diet and Regular Exercise
Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, proteins, and whole grains to support a healthy body. Regular exercise can also help you feel better about body changes.
See a Healthcare Professional
In some cases, especially where puberty significantly deviates from the normal age ranges, consulting a healthcare professional is necessary. They can offer guidance, and if needed, medical interventions to manage early or late puberty.
Educate Yourself
Understanding what changes your body is going through can alleviate a lot of anxiety. There are many resources online and books about puberty that can offer comfort and knowledge.
Connect with Peers
Remember, you are not alone in this. Many of your peers will also be going through similar changes. Talking to them can help you understand that your experiences are normal and shared by others.
practise Patience and Self-compassion
Lastly, it's important to practise patience and self-compassion. Your body is doing exactly what it's supposed to do, even if it's not on the same timeline as some of your peers.

Conclusion

While there are minor adjustments you can make to possibly nudge the timing of puberty slightly through lifestyle choices like nutrition and exercise, significant changes to the timing of puberty are not something that can be controlled safely. Embracing the process and seeking support when needed can help you navigate this critical period of life. Remember, puberty is only a chapter in the lifelong book of your development.

How are you feeling?

It is really important that when we need help, we feel able to ask for it. This could be speaking to a parent, a close friend, a teacher or someone else you trust. Sometimes it can be really hard to share our feelings with other people but if we are feeling low or don't know where to turn, sharing with others is really important. Teachers will always take you seriously and listen to your problems in confidence if you approach them for help. Likewise, parents, siblings or friends will help you if you reach out to them.

If you feel like you can't speak to anyone you know, there are people and organisations that can help support you:

  • Childline - Call them on 0800 1111 any time of the day or night, every day of the week
  • NSPCC - Call them on 0808 800 5000 between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday or email them on help@NSPCC.org.uk
  • The Samaritans – Call them on 116 123 any time of the day or night, every day of the week
  • SANE – Call 0300 304 7000 for support (4:30pm - 10:30pm every day)
  • Mind – Call 0300 123 3393 (9:00am - 6:00pm Monday to Friday)

*Sometimes we will use real life examples in our articles to aid understanding. When we do, names and ages will be changed.