Late Puberty in Girls

Puberty is an exciting time full of changes. When you see your friends developing and getting their periods, you may be wondering when puberty is going to start for you and why it seems your puberty is delayed.

The first sign of puberty is usually growing breasts. Breasts develop by first showing up as something called breast buds. These are firm, sometimes tender, knots that form under your nipples. The appearance of breast buds is a sign that the body has started making sex hormones – oestrogen and progesterone – and is typically viewed as the onset of puberty.

The average age of puberty onset ranges between the ages of 8 and 13, so most girls will start developing sometime between these ages. However, it’s important to note that each girl is an individual and on her own special timeline. Generally speaking, there is nothing good or bad about starting puberty earlier or later. Everybody is a little different, and that’s actually pretty great because it’s what makes us unique.

If you haven’t started developing secondary sexual characteristics – i.e. breast buds and pubic hair – by the age of 13 or 14, you are a puberty late bloomer. Likewise, if you haven’t had your first period by the age of 16, you are going through delayed puberty.

A common cause of late puberty in girls is lack of body fat. This can be caused by involvement in extreme sports, eating disorders, or being malnourished. Delayed puberty sometimes can be a sign of an endocrine, or hormone, problem. Consult your doctor in order to work out a solution together.

It can be difficult to be a puberty late bloomer as you sit back and watch all of your friends developing before you. But don’t sweat it. In the end, we all end up in the same place – as strong, confident adults. How and when we got there matters little. We all go through puberty in our own way and on our own clock. That’s part of the magic of being a unique individual.