What Is ‘Cougar Puberty’? The Midlife Glow-Up No One Asked For 😅

Move over hot girl summer — it’s Cougar Puberty season, apparently.

In the grand tradition of TikTok giving awkward things a sassy rebrand, the uncomfortable pre-menopause stage known as perimenopause has now been dubbed “Cougar Puberty.” Which, honestly? Is kind of iconic... and also wildly misleading.

Because spoiler alert: this ain’t your first puberty party — and this time, it comes with night sweats, mood swings, and a sudden need to pee during every Netflix episode.

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So, What Is Cougar Puberty (aka Perimenopause)?

Perimenopause is the transition phase before full-on menopause. It’s when your hormones start to shift, your periods become irregular (read: total chaos), and your body starts doing stuff that makes you feel like a hormonal teenager anda tired auntie all at once.

Common symptoms include:

• Hot flashes and night sweats (fun!)
• Mood swings and irritability (yay!)
• Vaginal dryness and lower libido (double yay!)
• Sleep issues
• Anxiety or depression
• Memory blips and brain fog
• Heavy periods... or no period for months, then suddenly a crime scene
• Needing to pee more often (hope you weren’t too attached to long walks or uninterrupted road trips)

Wait, Isn't That Just Menopause?

Nope — menopause officially starts when you’ve gone 12 months without a period. Everything before that? That’s perimenopause, and it can last anywhere from a few months to nearly a decade. The average age Canadian women hit menopause is 51, but perimenopause often kicks off in your mid-40s (and sometimes even earlier).

Why “Cougar Puberty”?

Because TikTok can’t help itself. And honestly, if calling it “Cougar Puberty” helps women talk about it with a little more sass and a little less shame, we’re all for it. Plus, celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Drew Barrymore, Brooke Shields and Salma Hayek have started opening up about “The Change,” helping to make midlife a little more mainstream.