Last updated on October 11, 2020
Question:
Hi there,
I am a 13-year-old boy and I have a question regarding my development. I started puberty when I was around 10 or 11 years old. I now have pubic hair, had erections, my voice has been deepened, I am able to ejaculate and have increased in height rapidly. Recently I have gotten a bit of armpit hair and some hair around my nipples (fine hairs). Am I developing too quickly? Since many others in my year haven’t gotten to this stage yet.
Thanks!
Answer:
It sounds like you are probably in late stage 3 at this time, though I’m guessing about some of the details. On average stage 3 starts around age 13.5 but can start as early as 10 or as late as 17. Therefore, it sounds like you are about a year ahead of the average, but still within the normal range.
One of the problems with boys is that the early signs of puberty are easily overlooked. Thus, you can be past puberty and not notice for a while. Typically guys start noticing pubic hair or erections, which come in the middle of stage 2. If you first noticed around 10 or 11, then you are developing at the usual rate of about 2 years per stage.
What makes you different from many other boys is that you started sooner than the average.