The Second Coming: Is Second Puberty a Real Thing?
updated: Jan. 2026
Scrolling through TikTok, I came across a woman who was discussing the idea of a “second puberty”: how women in their early twenties, typically around twenty-three years old, undergo a “rebirth”.
I had originally come across this concept at twenty-three years old, thinking I was going through a second puberty. Though I do believe in the idea of a second puberty, I don’t think it happened at that age - that was solely my “rebirth”.
It’s now been three years since I originally came out with this piece, and I have a very different perspective on life. I believe that now I am truly going through “second puberty”, being in my mid-20s.
The “Rebirth”
Early 20s can be seen as our “rebirth”: most of us are navigating a whole new chapter in our lives.
Reflecting on my life at twenty-three, I was navigating through life as if I was a whole ass adult. As much as I wanted to cosplay adulthood, I definitely wasn’t at that point yet. If I’m being honest, I still don’t feel that adult. It’s nearly three years later, but that’s the point: we’re continuing to learn and grow, at whatever stage we are in our 20s.
At twenty-two/twenty-three, I was fresh in the workforce, pretending as if I was grown. I had no idea what I was doing, what I truly wanted, or where my future was headed. That’s not to say that I don’t have those same thoughts, but I can confidently say that it’s in a much different light: I am more accepting of the unknown.
My “rebirth” was simply for understanding that I have a whole life ahead of me. For me, it’s where I started to learn more about myself and a stepping stone for where my life could potentially go. I had no idea where I was headed, but I knew that I had things to work on and things I wanted to do.
The “Second Puberty”
The “rebirth” was a difficult, yet necessary transition into adulthood. I don’t have all of the answers to navigating your 20s, but I have a better understanding of what it means to be in this phase of life.
The hardest part about my “rebirth” was the growing pains. My challenges were presented on a wide spectrum ranging from being new to the workforce to navigating adult friendships to understanding family dynamics. All things that we’ll dive into, later in this series.
Now that I’ve come out the other side of this “rebirth” and am entering the “second puberty”, there are a handful of things that I am certain of.
Self-love is an important kind of love.
Be authentically yourself - learn more about who you are and don’t be afraid to showcase yourself.
Your friendships are of utmost importance - community is important.
Take any and all opportunities that come your way.
Nothing is ever that serious, especially in the corporate world.
This list is bound to change, but being in your 20s, it’s all about learning, growing, and changing. Though we’re not going to dive into the meaning of this list, we’ll definitely touch on all of these subjects later in this series.
For now, let’s continue to understand how we can get through the “second puberty” and if it’s a real concept.
Getting through the “second puberty”
The ultimate tool to assist a huge shift or new chapter - in this case, the “second puberty” - is self-reflection. I am a big proponent for journaling, in whatever capacity that may be. For this, it is really useful for self-reflection.
Not only does it allow you to have moments of reflection, but it can help you on a path forward, whether that’s creating goals or visualizing your future.
Reflecting back on my early 20s, or my “rebirth”, there were so many lessons learned and mistakes made. My biggest lesson was learning: what it means to be a good friend and a good person. There were things that I’ve done that I’m not proud of and it had a lot to do with the people I was surrounding myself with.
It took some reflection to come to that conclusion: that me and some friends didn’t align in values or goals. Though those were hard conclusions to come to (ultimately shedding old friends), they were necessary to becoming the person I am today.
A big part of getting through “second puberty” is learning from our mistakes. We have to realize that making mistakes is part of being in our 20s. We have to allow ourselves to make mistakes and to have failure because it allows us to learn, grow, and form a sense resiliency. Use those moments as tools for growth, rather than setbacks.
The truth about the “Second Puberty”
So, is “second puberty” a real thing? Scientifically, no, but socially, yes! Things are awkward; we’re learning more about ourselves, we’re noticing changes, we’re trying to make new friends—all things that I can confidently say I’ve experienced during puberty.
It is difficult, but with self-love, self-reflection practices, and strong friendships, it’s more bearable to get through.
Don’t forget, this time is ours—have fun, get to know yourself, take yourself on dates, meet new people, try new things, and put yourself out there. Do it all! This is truly prime time—our time— to live our lives, but to also learn from mistakes.
Here’s to always being baddies, practicing self-love, and proving the haters wrong.
xoxo,
kaels
too bad ain’t me<3
