Puberty begins in a similar way in boys and girls. A change in body odor is a sign that will be obvious to you as your son enters puberty and is also a beginning sign in girls.

This is how it works. Skin glands attached to hair follicles in the armpits and genital area wake up at puberty and begin producing a special sweat.

From I’m a Boy! Hormones

Friendly bacteria that live on the skin in those locations ingest the fluid and then produce a gas which is our body odor. Testosterone is the signal for the glands to wake up and then keeps them functioning. Both boys and girls produce testosterone, but boys just produce more.

From I’m a Boy! Hormones

There are other early signs you might have already noticed in your son. Pimples, another change you can thank testosterone for. And the most surprising for parents, emotional changes.

I look forward to helping you understand what is happening in your child’s body during puberty and give you suggestions about how best to respond.