Puberty for boys

When you go through puberty you might start to grow hair under your arms, on your face and chest, around your penis, and on your legs and arms.

It's your choice whether you decide to shave your facial hair. If you decide to shave, you’ll need a buy razor and shaving gel or cream or an electric razor. You can buy them from a supermarket or pharmacy and you might need to ask your parent or carer if you don’t have your own money.

To avoid shaving rash it’s a good idea to wash before shaving, keep your razor clean and to replace the blades or your disposable razor when the blades are blunt Most people grow pubic and body hair, some people grow more hair than others.

It’s up to you whether to remove your pubic or body hair. Have a look at the different ways to remove it if you want to.

As you go through puberty you might find you sweat more. This is because your sweat glands change and produce more sweat to help control your body's temperature.

Keeping the areas that you sweat, like your armpits, clean and dry will help to stop any smell developing. It's important to wash, bath or shower once or twice a day, wear clean clothes and you can also wear deodorant or antiperspirant.

If you sweat a lot try wearing loose-fitting clothes, cotton material will help you to cool quicker than polyester or nylon. Change your socks regularly and wear different shoes when you can.

An erection is when your penis goes hard and stiff. It's normal for an erect penis to be slightly bent or curved and this is nothing to worry about.

Erections can happen when you’re thinking about sex or about someone you find attractive. Sometimes you might get an erection when you don't expect it – like at school or on the bus. This may seem embarrassing but it happens to most boys.

Erections can last for a short or long time. If your erection is painful you can call NHS 111 for advice and if your erection has lasted for more than 4 hours you will need to go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department.

Sperm are made in the testicles (balls) and are part of the fluid called semen that you ejaculate from your penis.

Semen is usually white or grey, but can occasionally appear yellowish. Semen becomes more sticky and jelly-like after ejaculation before it turns to liquid again after about 5 to 40 minutes.

A wet dream is when you ejaculate ('come' or 'cum') and release sperm (male reproductive cells) in your sleep. It's normal to have sexual thoughts and feelings, especially during puberty when your body is changing. It can be confusing and strange at first but it isn't unusual. Your feelings should calm down after a while when your body adjusts to the changes.

Usually wet dreams happen during dreams with sexual thoughts or images. Sometimes you might wake up from a wet dream, but often you'll sleep through it.

Find out more about sex.