Did I stop growing? What can a teen do to grow taller?

Posted by vamp14 @vamp14, Aug 8, 2021

I’m 14 years old and have been 5’6 for about a few months now and I’m not sure if I should be worried or not. I hit my first growth spurt back in 4th grade when I was 4’9 and grew, by the time I was in 6th grade I was 5’1 . Then 7th grade came and I grew 5 more inches. By the time the pandemic started I was 5’6. I started 8th grade and finished 8th grade (currently about to go to 9th) and still haven’t grown a single inch. The doctor says I have a lot of testosterone and should be exercising more so I did but no signs of growth yet. Is there a certain exercise or medication or any remedies I can take to increase my height or maximize it?

Community Director's note

Learn more with Dr. Siobhan Pittock, pediatric endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, in this podcast:
How do kids grow? - Mayo Clinic Press

"The best we can do is take good care of our kids so they grow to their maximum potential: make sure they get plenty of sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and have healthy, realistic expectations."

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the About Kids & Teens Support Group.

@imshort

i started growing 3 inches a year from 11 years old(boy, i dont think it was early puberty and more like catch up growth). that rate lasted until i was 13 and a half. right after that my spurt ended and my growth went back to my childhood rate which was 1.5 inches per year. I grew that rate from 13.5-14.5 but now i feel like i wont grow that much as im currently abt 5'6 and my dad is 5'8-9 and my mom is 5'0,5'1

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@imshort
Welcome to Connect! I’m sorry that we have not welcomed you until now.
Are you 14.5 now? How tall are you now?
It sounds like you had your major growth spurt already but you are probably not done yet.
Have you read the other posts on this thread? Also, check the links given.
We usually end up close to our parents’ heights- like you fit in with your family.
You could still add inches, but more slowly.

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@thehonkler

my dad is 5'1 and my mom is 5'3, im 15 years old now and my height is 154 cm
(5'1) my underhair is above 4cm and i grow some beard. will i grow height in future?

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@thehonkler
I encourage you to read all of the thread in this topic.

This link may help: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/growth-hormone.html

This is another thread that you might want to read on growth: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/did-i-stop-growing-at-14/

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@astaingegerdm

@imshort
Welcome to Connect! I’m sorry that we have not welcomed you until now.
Are you 14.5 now? How tall are you now?
It sounds like you had your major growth spurt already but you are probably not done yet.
Have you read the other posts on this thread? Also, check the links given.
We usually end up close to our parents’ heights- like you fit in with your family.
You could still add inches, but more slowly.

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I know I shouldn't be worried but I just want to know if I will grow 1 or 2 inches more my growth is very slow

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@imshort

I know I shouldn't be worried but I just want to know if I will grow 1 or 2 inches more my growth is very slow

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@imshort
I’m sorry- I should have offered more specific advice.
What you should do now is contact your pediatrician or family doctor to get a referral to see a Pediatric Endocrinologist to evaluate your growth. There are certain tests that can tell them where you are in your growth pattern as well as rule out illnesses that can slow your growth.
Please get back to us with a follow up post!

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@dk119s

I am 15.6 years old and 178 cm (5'10). My mother is 5'6 and my father is 6 foot. Although all my other family members are quite short, my dad grew to be surprisingly tall. Although i was estimated to be over 6 feet when i was younger, i havent grown a single inch since june of last year. ( i was 5'6 march 2020.) June is coincidentally the year i started to start lifting heavy weights. I exercised frequently and even made sure to eat healthy. I grew pubic hair around (late 13-early 14) and i have yet to grow any significant facial hair. Is this the end of my growth? Is there anything stunting my growth such as my bad posture or my weightlifting? Is there anything i can do to help my growth?

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Im currently 14 and a biological female that just started testosterone. Im 5"1 1/2 and havent grown a single centimeter since 5th grade. I dont think ive ever experienced growing pains, but ive already gone through puberty. My dad is 6"1 and my mom is my current height.
I was thinking maybe since i started testosterone ill have a late growth spurt but since ive already been through puberty will i just stay this height forever? Even after puberty my chest size is whatever is the smallest bra size is, nothing really changed except for bleeding which was short lived because i got testosterone shortly after.

I dont want to be a short boy, ill be shorter than most girls ill ever meet and my voice still sounds like a little kid. Im worried that ill never grow.

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@mthlrd76

Im currently 14 and a biological female that just started testosterone. Im 5"1 1/2 and havent grown a single centimeter since 5th grade. I dont think ive ever experienced growing pains, but ive already gone through puberty. My dad is 6"1 and my mom is my current height.
I was thinking maybe since i started testosterone ill have a late growth spurt but since ive already been through puberty will i just stay this height forever? Even after puberty my chest size is whatever is the smallest bra size is, nothing really changed except for bleeding which was short lived because i got testosterone shortly after.

I dont want to be a short boy, ill be shorter than most girls ill ever meet and my voice still sounds like a little kid. Im worried that ill never grow.

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Boys grow until they are 25. Girls grow 1-2 inches after reaching puberty

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@dk119s

I am 15.6 years old and 178 cm (5'10). My mother is 5'6 and my father is 6 foot. Although all my other family members are quite short, my dad grew to be surprisingly tall. Although i was estimated to be over 6 feet when i was younger, i havent grown a single inch since june of last year. ( i was 5'6 march 2020.) June is coincidentally the year i started to start lifting heavy weights. I exercised frequently and even made sure to eat healthy. I grew pubic hair around (late 13-early 14) and i have yet to grow any significant facial hair. Is this the end of my growth? Is there anything stunting my growth such as my bad posture or my weightlifting? Is there anything i can do to help my growth?

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I am currently at the age of 14 as a female but I have not grown for a year and I am just 154 cm .I am a bit underweight but I am trying to increase my appetite to get a normal weight.I still haven’t got my period yet.I am just worrying if my growth spurt has stopped already

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@iehdjfhsks

I am currently at the age of 14 as a female but I have not grown for a year and I am just 154 cm .I am a bit underweight but I am trying to increase my appetite to get a normal weight.I still haven’t got my period yet.I am just worrying if my growth spurt has stopped already

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Hello @iehdjfhsks, Unfortunately, in spite our fondest wishes we don’t get to make the decision how tall we’ll become. Your genes decide all of that. How tall are your parents or siblings? Another factor is hormones. Most girls stop growing within a couple of years after they start their monthly periods. You’ve not had that happen yet so you may not have reached your full height.

I found a little article which talks about grown in girls and the importance of hormones in development.
https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-girls-stop-growing
Not having a period by the age of 14 is a little later than usual. You mentioned that you’re trying to increase your appetite to put on a little weight. Hormone levels are affected by your weight and the amount of fat on your body. If you are underweight, with too little body fat that can impact your menstrual cycle. I was very athletic in school and my low body fat changed my cycle for quite a while.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/changes-in-your-weight-and-missing-your-period-4105209#:~:text=Hormone%20levels%20are%20affected%20by%20your%20weight%20and,fluctuations%20can%20also%20interfere%20with%20your%20menstrual%20cycle.
Have you talked to your mom about your period? Sometimes, getting a late period can run in generations. It might be normal for the women in your family to have this arrive later. If not, you still may want to talk this over with your mom. Have you had a checkup with a doctor recently?

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@loribmt

Hello @iehdjfhsks, Unfortunately, in spite our fondest wishes we don’t get to make the decision how tall we’ll become. Your genes decide all of that. How tall are your parents or siblings? Another factor is hormones. Most girls stop growing within a couple of years after they start their monthly periods. You’ve not had that happen yet so you may not have reached your full height.

I found a little article which talks about grown in girls and the importance of hormones in development.
https://www.healthline.com/health/when-do-girls-stop-growing
Not having a period by the age of 14 is a little later than usual. You mentioned that you’re trying to increase your appetite to put on a little weight. Hormone levels are affected by your weight and the amount of fat on your body. If you are underweight, with too little body fat that can impact your menstrual cycle. I was very athletic in school and my low body fat changed my cycle for quite a while.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/changes-in-your-weight-and-missing-your-period-4105209#:~:text=Hormone%20levels%20are%20affected%20by%20your%20weight%20and,fluctuations%20can%20also%20interfere%20with%20your%20menstrual%20cycle.
Have you talked to your mom about your period? Sometimes, getting a late period can run in generations. It might be normal for the women in your family to have this arrive later. If not, you still may want to talk this over with your mom. Have you had a checkup with a doctor recently?

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Thank you for your reply.I am quite athletic.My mum is 155cm and my dad is 168cm.I have talked to my mum about my period.I have also seen the doctor.She said that my hormones are unbalanced but every time I saw her she just said I need to increase my weight and just give some supplements for calcium and vitamin C.I am now worrying that I cannot increase my height because I haven’t grown for a year and I do not have my period yet

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@iehdjfhsks

Thank you for your reply.I am quite athletic.My mum is 155cm and my dad is 168cm.I have talked to my mum about my period.I have also seen the doctor.She said that my hormones are unbalanced but every time I saw her she just said I need to increase my weight and just give some supplements for calcium and vitamin C.I am now worrying that I cannot increase my height because I haven’t grown for a year and I do not have my period yet

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From everything I’m seeing in research, a young woman generally will grow in height 1-2 inches after she reaches puberty, when her periods begin. You’ve not reached that point yet and it’s not considered ‘late’ for getting the first period until about the age of 15. This may be why your doctor hasn’t suggested any change other than gaining body mass/fat, which can help regulate your hormones.

Do you see any other changes in your body that comes with puberty such as breasts developing? That usually happens a year or so before you get your period. If nothing is changing then that may suggest a need for further investigation as to why you’re delayed.
My young neighbor girl was going through a similar situation. Her parents were getting very concerned because there were very few signs of puberty and she was 14. She was referred to a pediatric endocrinologist who ran tests for hormone and thyroid levels, along with other tests. The doctor wanted to rule out any potential underlying illness.

She also had an xray of her wrist. The reason for that was to check the “bone age” of her bones. The X-ray showed the growth plates at the end of the bones in the wrist. Amelia was 14 at the time but her bones plates looked much younger, and not closed at the end. That let her doctor know that she still had the potential for growth. She was given a human growth medication that got her back on a normal tract. I’m not saying this is what your doctor will suggest. I just wanted to let you know that there may be options for getting your body to regulate itself if nature doesn’t take care of it on its own.

As an older woman who has been on the petite side all my life, I can really understand what you’re going through. When I was younger all I wanted was to be tall. Everywhere I looked, the popular girls seemed taller, models and ‘super stars’ were all tall, many of my friends were tall and I hated being called Shorty!! What was interesting, once I got past a certain point in high school, I realized my height had no bearing on the person that I was! I wasn’t ‘less than’ anyone else just because my body wasn’t as tall. Your self-worth is determined by you. ☺️

Give this a little more time and try not to focus too much on your thoughts of growing. If you’re healthy, enjoying athletics, and having a good life with friends and family, then embrace your height. The urgency of this will fall to the back of your mind. You’ll find that accepting yourself will have you living a happier existence.
If you don’t get your period by your next birthday, then it might be a good idea to talk to your mom about seeing a pediatric endocrinologist.
I was a gymnast, loved tennis, volleyball, and badminton. What type of sports do you enjoy?

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