Taking care of your body
If you’re going to kiss or have sex, it’s good to look clean and smell nice. How do you do that? Brush your teeth, shower regularly and make sure you put on clean clothes. When you hit puberty, your body goes through changes. So, it usually needs more looking after.
Everyone smells
Everyone has a natural body scent. Smell is important in love and sex. You often find someone extra attractive because you like the way he or she smells. You don’t have to conceal the smell of your own body. Your partner may actually like it.
Sweating
During puberty people sweat more, especially under their arms, and this may smell. It’s completely normal. Washing every day and changing your clothes regularly is a good idea. Using a deodorant also helps.
Spots/pimples/facial breakouts
Hormones make the skin become oilier. That leads to spots/pimples/breakouts. Do you suffer from this? Use a cleansing gel to make your skin less oily. Don’t use ordinary soap: it often dries your skin out too much. Your skin then reacts by producing even more oil, resulting in yet more spots.
Discharge is the whitish liquid that comes out of the vagina when you’re not having your period. Vaginal discharge is normal and very important. Discharge actually keeps your vagina clean on the inside. The discharge may start to smell a bit if it dries up between your labia or in your underwear. But if you take good care of yourself, your labia will stay clean and you won’t smell.
Puberty
Breasts
You develop breasts during puberty. This could start in a girl of 8, but also in a girl of 14. Age varies for all girls.
Vulva
The vagina
Menstruation
During puberty, a girl has her first period. For about 5 days, some blood, mixed with mucus, flows from your vagina. You can use tampons, sanitary pads or cups to soak up the blood and mucus.