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.

@cocoabutter28

I hit puberty really young, when I was 7 or 8? Unfortunately, during that era eating disorders were like crazy popular so I didn’t eat as much as I should’ve because I thought it was hip and trendy, I had like 4 cucumbers a day plus dinner then that was it. I was always tall, but once I reached 5’1 I stopped growing. I was disappointed since my sisters, grandmothers and other female family members on my dads side are super tall, but I chalked it up to the fact that I must’ve inherited my moms side of the family’s height since they’re all a little short (5’3 and under). However, I started to notice that my body wasn’t changing AT ALL. My breasts have stayed the same size (something like 38A?) and are still that weird torpedo shape that early puberty boobs usually are. I find this really strange since quite literally all the women on both sides of my family have large breasts (all of them are C cups or above, even like my ancestors had pretty big melons) My fat distribution also didn’t change, whenever I gain weight it’s only in my stomach, not my legs or my butt which is eher I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to go during puberty. Is it over for me?

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Hi @cocoabutter28, you might find the posts by @californiazebra @astaingegerdm @loribmt in this related discussion to be helpful
- Am I still growing? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/am-i-still-growing/

You'll see that you are not alone. Like you @gamer @iehdjfhsks @ imconfused @imshort and others ask if they will continue to grow and if they can do something about it.

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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 16 years and 9.5 months old and a Junior in High School and currently 5’7.5 in height. But the problem is I’ve been 5’7.5 since I was 12 years old in the 7th grade. I never really had a growth spurt I just grew large at a young age, in the 5th grade I was about 5’4 and in the 6th I was about 5’6, and then I reached 5’7.5 once i entered 7th grade. I was the biggest and tallest kid on most of my basketball teams and classes, as the grades progressed I seen my friends gradually surpass me in height and before I knew it my friends were 6’2, 6’3, 6’4, and some even 6’5. Now I’m pretty sure it’s not because I stunted my growth or anything. I started lifting weights at 14 years old once I became a freshman in high-school, I never drank coffee, and I’ve never done anything that could prevent me from growing. When I was 12 I asked the Doctor how tall I would be and she said 6’5 based off the rate I was growing and my Father being 6’2 and my Mother being around 5’6/5’7. Most of my friends who are taller than me by a large margin have parents shorter than mine. Now I understand I could’ve possibly started puberty early because I have a lot of body hair under my arms and on my stomach, but I find it hard to believe that I really just stopped growing at 12 years old…. Is there any possible way I will ever grow again I am going on 5 years without growing?!

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@izaiah

Im 16 years and 9.5 months old and a Junior in High School and currently 5’7.5 in height. But the problem is I’ve been 5’7.5 since I was 12 years old in the 7th grade. I never really had a growth spurt I just grew large at a young age, in the 5th grade I was about 5’4 and in the 6th I was about 5’6, and then I reached 5’7.5 once i entered 7th grade. I was the biggest and tallest kid on most of my basketball teams and classes, as the grades progressed I seen my friends gradually surpass me in height and before I knew it my friends were 6’2, 6’3, 6’4, and some even 6’5. Now I’m pretty sure it’s not because I stunted my growth or anything. I started lifting weights at 14 years old once I became a freshman in high-school, I never drank coffee, and I’ve never done anything that could prevent me from growing. When I was 12 I asked the Doctor how tall I would be and she said 6’5 based off the rate I was growing and my Father being 6’2 and my Mother being around 5’6/5’7. Most of my friends who are taller than me by a large margin have parents shorter than mine. Now I understand I could’ve possibly started puberty early because I have a lot of body hair under my arms and on my stomach, but I find it hard to believe that I really just stopped growing at 12 years old…. Is there any possible way I will ever grow again I am going on 5 years without growing?!

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@izaiah
Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect!
I understand your concern about your growth - you had expected growth similar to your parents.
You may have started puberty early which also means that your growth slows down with age.
I recommend that you ask your doctor to evaluate your growth.
One common test is to take an X-ray of the wrist to see if the growth plates are still open.
There are other tests too- such as hormones. Your doctor may also refer you to a Pediatric Endocrinologist.
Please let us know what happens-we really like to follow up with you.

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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 want to know if i am still growing, my dad is 6’2 and my mom is about 5’6, the doctors said i could be about 6’4 to 6’5 when im older because i had really long legs as a baby and etc. is this possible? and or (true)

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@goo

I want to know if i am still growing, my dad is 6’2 and my mom is about 5’6, the doctors said i could be about 6’4 to 6’5 when im older because i had really long legs as a baby and etc. is this possible? and or (true)

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I have no idea if it is true that longer legs as a baby = taller as an adult. I'm 5'4" and so is my husband, but he had longer legs than me (I have a longer torso) 🙂 However, you are likely still growing.

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I'm a twelve-year-old female and I am 4' 11" tall and 105 pounds. My mother is 5' 1" and my father is 5' 11". I was predicted by my doctor to be 5' 3" as an adult, however, I have not grown at all in height or weight since I was nine years old. I started puberty at about seven or eight years old and got my period when I was nine. My diet consists of one meal a day since I have an unusually low appetite. This one meal is usually red meat or pasta. Occasionally other things. I haven't grown in so long that I think its possible I'll be this height forever. What do you think?

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@hi5678

I'm a twelve-year-old female and I am 4' 11" tall and 105 pounds. My mother is 5' 1" and my father is 5' 11". I was predicted by my doctor to be 5' 3" as an adult, however, I have not grown at all in height or weight since I was nine years old. I started puberty at about seven or eight years old and got my period when I was nine. My diet consists of one meal a day since I have an unusually low appetite. This one meal is usually red meat or pasta. Occasionally other things. I haven't grown in so long that I think its possible I'll be this height forever. What do you think?

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im 14 about to be 15 and im 5’5 and my dad is 5’6 and so is my mom. will i keep growing taller because i haven’t really grown in the past year and my shoe size really haven’t either

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@hi5678

I'm a twelve-year-old female and I am 4' 11" tall and 105 pounds. My mother is 5' 1" and my father is 5' 11". I was predicted by my doctor to be 5' 3" as an adult, however, I have not grown at all in height or weight since I was nine years old. I started puberty at about seven or eight years old and got my period when I was nine. My diet consists of one meal a day since I have an unusually low appetite. This one meal is usually red meat or pasta. Occasionally other things. I haven't grown in so long that I think its possible I'll be this height forever. What do you think?

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@hi5678
Welcome to Connect!
Your final height may be difficult to predict since you started puberty early. In addition, it seems like your diet is not optimal for good growth.
Usually, your height should be somewhere between your parents’ heights.
You should ask a pediatrician or pediatric endocrinologist to estimate your final heigh in addition to give you advice on the best possible diet for you.

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@ueuashshsh

im 14 about to be 15 and im 5’5 and my dad is 5’6 and so is my mom. will i keep growing taller because i haven’t really grown in the past year and my shoe size really haven’t either

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@ueuashshsh
Welcome to Connect!
Your final height depends on what stage of puberty you are in as well as your general health and diet.
It’s very possible that you will grow more and you may be taller than your parents.
The best way to find out is to ask your pediatrician/ family doctor to examine you and possibly do certain testing.

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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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You can tell your parents that you will stop worrying once you get the answers. If you are past growing, you can learn to accept that.
Being tall is not necessarily something to strive for. I am tall, taller than most of my friends and in my teens taller than boys. Not so much fun. My father was tall but my mother about 5’1. My sister is short.
You can focus on your positive traits- I’m sure there are many!

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