Puberty for girls

Bodies grow at different rates during puberty so try not to compare yourself with anyone else. The size and shape of your breasts will keep changing throughout your life. Lots of things can affect their size and shape like losing or gaining weight, pregnancy and breastfeeding. See our message boards for more breast related worries.

We're all different and have different body types so our breasts will look different too. There's no specific size or shape that breasts should be but we often wish our breasts were different.

It can be hard not to compare yourself to other people. It can also be difficult to always see women online and in movies or magazines with "perfect" looking breasts.

The important thing to remember is that some of the women have had breast enlargements or plastic surgery. Most of these images are also airbrushed and changed to look a certain way. In real life, we are all unique. Find out how to feel better about how you look.

When you go through puberty you will start to grow hair under your arms, on your private parts (pubic hair), on your legs and sometimes on other parts of your body.

It's your body and it's your decision to choose whether or not you want to remove your pubic hair or body hair. Everyone grows pubic hair, it's a normal part of puberty.

Some people choose to shave, wax or trim their pubic hair. This could be removing a little or all of the hair. Sometimes women trim or remove pubic hair if they go swimming so that the hairs don't show through a swimming costume or bikini. You might see women online or in films with no pubic hair but this is not how everyone looks in real life. It's important to do what feels right for you.

As you go through puberty you might find that you sweat more. This is because your sweat glands change and produce more sweat to help control your body's temperature. It's important to wash often and wear clean clothes so that you don't smell. You can also wear deodorant or antiperspirant if you are worried about smelling.

During puberty, girls start having periods. It's common to experience premenstrual tension (PMT) in the week or days just before your period. You might have lots of questions like what exactly are periods, how often they happen, what they look like and what to use when you have them. Get advice and information about periods.

Discharge is a clear, white liquid. It's completely normal and it's how your vagina keeps itself clean. If the discharge is yellow or smells, or if your private parts feel itchy, you should see your doctor. It's important to see a doctor as you might have an infection.

You will usually have thicker or more discharge just before your period. It might stain your underwear so you could wear panty liners if you want to. These can be bought in supermarkets and chemists – you'll find them in the same section as sanitary pads and tampons.