These hormones start to rise in girls that are often as young as eight or nine years of age. They cause many physical changes that are a prelude to the first period. These changes are the growth of pubic and underarm hair, pimples, breast development, a widening of the hips and an increase in the production of sweat. The actual breast development is a slow process and begins with tiny buds that can take years to mature. Although unnecessary, many mothers find giving their daughters a training bra to wear at this time to be helpful if for no other reason than making the child feel more mature.
Pimples begin to appear on the face or back due to a change in the amount of oil produced.
The best thing a parent can do at this stage is to teach their daughter the importance of skin care and cleansing. Severe cases of acne can cause pitting or scarring to the face. If over the counter cleansers and acne treatments don t help, a talk with the child s pediatrician can give welcome relief to an embarrassing problem for the girl. As the oil glands increase production, so do the sweat glands. Parents will often be more aware of a girl s sweat because it will now start to have an odor.