Once you get through the agonizing puberty of your teenhood, you think you’re out of the woods. The days of cystic acne and major bodily changes are finally behind you, right?
Wrong.
Just when we’ve finally gotten used to our post-puberty bodies, more changes begin to occur. While it is not scientific, the term “second puberty” has been making its way around Twitter as women have shared their experience of going through even more bodily and psychological changes in their early 20s. While this may be a rude awakening, here’s what to expect as you brave this “second puberty.”
As your hormones continue to flip-flop at the beginning of adulthood, hormonal acne, mood swings and changes in your weight and shape will occur.
In my personal experience, I was cockily able to get through high school with minimal breakouts. What I didn’t see coming though was adult acne. Just when I thought I was in the clear, I began getting these big, painful blemishes on my chin. I later found out this was caused by fluctuating hormone levels which led to an excess of sebum, and the skin’s inability to shed dead skin cells as easily as it could before. This led me to revamp the skincare routine that had worked so well in my teenage years as it no longer served me. Using products containing chemical exfoliants such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid made a huge difference in keeping these hormonal breakouts and scarring at bay.
Another aspect of this “second puberty” is getting more regular periods. If you weren’t on birth control, as a teen you might have experienced periods which were few and far between. However, once again, due to those hormone fluctuations, your period — and cramps — may now begin to come on a more regular basis.
In terms of weight changes, fat tissues in your face and boobs will disappear from your neck and make their way into your hips and butt. This shared experience also had women in their mid-20s encouraging younger women to wait until this “second puberty” passes before going through with any major surgeries such as Brazilian Butt Lifts, as their bodies will continue to change shape. Additionally, more stretch marks may appear across your skin from any weight changes as collagen levels dip and the skin begins to lose its natural elasticity.
As difficult as it can be to accept even more bodily changes like these, we have to remember that we aren’t meant to look or feel the way we did at 17. Modifying any routines that may have worked as a teen to fit your current needs is a great way to assist yourself in handling this “second puberty.” Hopefully, now that you’ve read this, it won’t hit you out of nowhere.