Male puberty
Puberty timeline
When should you expect changes to start? Or are you worried that you’re falling behind? Don’t worry — everyone is a bit different. Things can happen out of sequence and at different ages. Changes normally start anywhere from the age of 9 through 13, with the average start age around 11.5.
Ages 11.5-15: testicles grow
Ages 12-15: pubic hair
Ages 12-15: penis grows
Age 13.5: growth spurt
Age 14.5: semen amount increases
When is my voice going to drop?
The voice drop that happens to EVERYONE during puberty (but more so in male bodies) can actually extend way beyond puberty. The changes are driven by hormones (mainly testosterone) that cause the voice box to enlarge and the vocal cords to thicken.
Another thing that’s super common during puberty (but can happen throughout your life) is voice cracks. They’re super common and completely beyond your control. There are some muscles that control the vocal cords, and sometimes they spasm—causing the vocal cords to tighten and squeak! Don’t worry if it happens to you, because it happens to us all!
Testicles
The day-to-day growth that happens during puberty really won’t be noticeable. However, there are a few things that you may notice with a simple check in the shower:
One may hang lower than the other
One may be slightly bigger than the other
There should be two
Anything beyond this should be shown to a doctor, including pain. Pain in the testicles can be an emergency. If you have new or severe pain in one testicle, swelling of a testicle or pain to touch of one testicle, get to a doctor right away.
It’s important that you do take a feel every once in a while to make sure there aren’t any bumps on the testicles (see the link below for more guidance).
I’ve felt sudden pain in my testicles from time to time over the past few years. The pain is really severe but only lasts for a minute. Should I be concerned?
It's tough to say for sure, but any severe pain in the testicles should be taken seriously. I would TRY to bring it up with your doctor, but a physical exam may not be necessary. Let them know that you'd prefer to not do the exam but explain the problem. They might order an ultrasound and/or send you to a urologist (a doctor who specifically deals with penis and testicle issues to make sure this isn’t testicular torsion), OR they might give you some guidance on something called torsion of the appendix testicle (a tiny appendage of the testicle that ISN'T the same as your actual appendix). If this is what’s going on, it’s very manageable. Don’t panic, but try to talk with a doctor as soon as possible.
Body hair
During puberty, the areas of the body most likely to develop hair are the armpits and the groin. Facial hair (like a beard and mustache) really doesn’t fill in for most people until WAY after puberty (like their 20s).
Penises during puberty
The penis has an agenda of its own during puberty. Here are a few completely normal occurrences that may happen during puberty (and for years after):
Random erections (or boners): increased blood flow and hormones are to blame. While they can be awkward, these erections are just a sign that you’re developing normally.
Nocturnal penile tumescence (also known as morning wood): actually happens a few times a night and you probably don’t even know it. This is because nocturnal erections only happen during one specific phase of sleep (REM or the Rapid Eye Movement phase). This is also the reason why you may not notice erections when you wake up. This can happen if you are not sleeping well or suffer from a medical condition that disrupts your sleep cycle (like depression).
Nocturnal emissions (better known as “wet dreams”): describes ejaculation during sleep. It’s thought that a little extra friction during one of your REM cycles can cause wet dreams. Don’t panic — you’re perfectly normal.
Penises
Where to begin? There are so many uncertainties about penis shape and size, but here are the facts (spoiler alert: there’s a HUGE range of “normal” when it comes to penises):
First, what’s the average size? Studies have identified that the average length of an erect penis (pubic bone to tip) is around 5 inches. Size is mostly genetic (believe it or not, your MOM carries these genes) and, no, there aren’t any miracle creams or medications that will make the penis any larger — with one exception. A length less than 3 inches after puberty may have a hormonal cause which a doctor can help address.
Second, are there any sizes or shapes that are problematic? Overall, no! Penises can be wider at the base and narrower at the tip, wider at the tip and narrower at the base, or they may be the same thickness or girth throughout the entire shaft. Even a slight bend in the penis (up, down or to one side) is very common. There is one exception to this as well. Peyronie’s disease is a problematic bend in the penis, usually caused by scarring. Bring it up with your doctor if you have a firm nodule in the bend of the penis, a dent in the shaft, painful erections, painful peeing and/or if the bend is getting worse.
Lastly, noticing any lumps or bumps? STIs (or sexually-transmitted infections) are one cause but there are certainly other more common culprits. A lymphocele is a small bump under the shaft of the penis and is usually caused by lots of ejaculation. It should go away within a few days or so. Fordyce spots are little sweat glands that might give the skin on your foreskin or testicles the look of chicken skin. Super normal and nothing to worry about. Finally, pearly penile papules are little dewdrops around the glans. Again, normal and may go away with time.
What’s a skin bridge?
A skin bridge is a small piece of skin that connects two parts of your penis – specifically the head of the penis to the shaft. The head of the penis (or the glans) generally has a very distinct rim that separates it from the shaft, but skin bridges create more of a smooth appearance around the rim of the glans. They can be in one or two spots or cover a larger portion of the ridge of the glans.
Skin bridges are very common in childhood but generally break or stretch as the penis grows through puberty. However, if you’re through puberty or have a skin bridge that is bothering you (sometimes they can make it difficult to clean all of the crevices down there) talk with your doc. There’s a medicine that will help those bridges break.
Height
The biggest outward sign of puberty is the growth spurt. This is a period of time during which someone’s height increases REALLY FAST. For those with male anatomy, it usually happens toward the end of puberty.
Lots of folks are anxious to know how tall they’re going to be, but there’s only one way to know for sure: wait.
However, if you’re itching to take a guess, look at your parents. Your height will be similar to your father’s and adjusted up or down depending on your mother’s. Here’s an online calculator that can help you make an “educated” guess:
I’m a guy, but I’ve developed small breasts and can squeeze clear fluid out of my nipples. Am I okay?
Gynecomastia defines breast development during puberty in males. It happens in about 1/3 of all males during puberty and is normal! It should go away in a year or two, but if it doesn’t you can talk with your doc.
If you’re beyond puberty then it’s possible that you’ve developed breasts for another reason. Carrying excess weight can certainly cause weight gain as can marijuana use. It can be natural for breasts and breast tissue to produce discharge, so that’s nothing concerning. Marijuana can also cause nipple discharge. Just FYI.
Other parts of puberty
There are a few other things that happen during puberty that you should know about.
First, it is VERY common to develop a little breast tissue under one or both nipples. It usually goes away within a year or two, but if it sticks around you can chat with your doctor about possible causes and management.
Second, you may not get your adult voice until WAY after puberty…which means voice cracks can last for many years. Try to laugh it off and know that your voice drop will be official by your early 20s.
Third, muscle bulk usually happens about a year after puberty. If you’re feeling a little skinny toward the end of puberty, don’t worry. You’re totally normal.
And speaking of totally normal…if you want to hear more about puberty, check out my podcast. For tweens and parents, we cover some of the main events of puberty and science behind them.