Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at OPM.gov.

What are the symptoms of puberty, precocious puberty, & delayed puberty?

Normal Puberty

In Girls

The signs of puberty include:

  • Growth of pubic and other body hair
  • Growth spurt
  • Breast development
  • Onset of menstruation (after puberty is well advanced)
  • Acne

In Boys

The signs of puberty include1:

  • Growth of pubic hair, other body hair, and facial hair
  • Enlargement of testicles and penis
  • Muscle growth
  • Growth spurt
  • Acne
  • Deepening of the voice

Precocious Puberty

The symptoms of precocious puberty are similar to the signs of normal puberty but they manifest earlier—before the age of 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys.

Delayed Puberty

Delayed puberty is characterized by the lack of onset of puberty within the normal range of ages.

Citations

  1. Styne, D. M., & Grumbach, M. M. (2008). Puberty: Ontogeny, neuroendocrinology, physiology, and disorders. In Kronenberg, H. M., Melmed, S., Polonsky, K. S., & Larsen, P. R. (Eds.), Williams textbook of endocrinology (11th ed., chap. 24). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier.
top of page BACK TO TOP