A woman has revealed the changes she experienced during her so-called ‘second puberty’, saying there was even one ‘pleasant surprise’.
While it isn’t a strict medical concept, the changes that many people experience as they grow older have been colloquially referred to as the ‘second puberty’.
Puberty is a stage that usually happens in teenage years as you transition from a child to an adult.
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But second puberty was a label coined to describe the changes that take place in adulthood – often in your twenties, but can also be at any time over a few decades.
The topic recently came up in The Girl Survival Guide subreddit, a home for ‘life pro-tips for girls and women’ on Reddit, where u/salonpass detailed the ‘changes’ that her body went through.
“Let's talk about what changes happened during your second puberty!” she began.
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“For me, I lost A LOT of hair. I've always had thick hair, but I lost about 30% gradually and I didn't realise it until after because I'm someone who doesn't brush her hair daily haha.
“Second thing that happened was my hips got wider, but my weight stayed the same. For whatever reason, a layer of fat disappeared from my body.
“I've always been normal/average weight, but my jawline got more refined and my collarbone, which was normally hidden, suddenly started showing up all the time.
“My legs and arms also look leaner. I'm someone that doesn't really exercise too, so that was a pleasant surprise.”
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Others commented to share similar stories, with one writing: "I never thought about my hair loss being connected to my second puberty, but this makes so much sense. I used to have ridiculously thick hair that was absolutely amazing and I lost so much of it in the last 5ish years. I also started getting headaches and growing some hairs on my chin."
Another said: "I got big hips, my t*ts got smaller, I inherited my mothers mustache, and my curly hair become thinner and more wavy. My face is less round and more woman like."
Speaking to Tyla last year, hormone expert Dr Martin Kinsella explained what a second puberty is, what it involves and why so many people experience these similar body changes post-adolescence.
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“After puberty your body continues to change as a natural part of the ageing process," Kinsella said.
"Some people refer to these changes as the second puberty. It’s not a medical term and isn’t really a second puberty though, it’s just a term used to describe the way that your body is changing as an adult."
And while many have reported experiencing these changes in their twenties, they can happen anytime over a few decades.
Kinsella added: “These changes can take place in any decade from twenties up to your forties. Some people use the term to refer to the changes that occur in one decade of their life, others use it to describe the changes that occur from one decade to another.”
Jess Hardiman