Last updated on February 21, 2026
Question:
Hey,
I had my yearly checkup yesterday, and I am worried about my growth. First off, my growth has been declining over the years because I think I hit puberty too early. And I’ve been in the same Tanner stage for a while based off what the doctor told me, here is my growth rate over the years.
9: 4’5
10: 4’7.5
11: 4’10.5
12: 5’2.75
13: 5’5
14: 5’6
15: 5’6.75
16: now I am 16 either 5’6.75 or 5’7 I don’t even know if I grew in the past year because I used a different scale that was off by a little.
I am worried that I am finished growing because I started puberty too early, but my doctor says, based on my pubic hair and genital development, I am stage 3, maybe going into early 4, but I am worried because my growth rate has been slowing down, and I might not have grown any in the past year. I also had pubic hair at 11. My mom is 5’1 “and my dad is 5’10″, but my mom’s brother is 6’2”. But a lot of men on my dad’s side are short. I was wondering if I was going to grow anymore.
Also, did I stunt my growth by lifting weights? Because I put on almost 10 pounds of muscle in the past year.
Thank you.
Answer:
Let’s look at the information you gave. At 11, you noticed pubic hair growing. That commonly happens in the middle of stage 2. Each stage typically lasts about 2 years. Thus, using timing, I would expect you to have been at the start of stage 3 at age 12 and the start of stage 4 at age 14. Therefore, you would be at the end of your growth in height at age 16. The difficulty is that while each stage typically lasts 2 years, it can be different for some individuals.
Looking at your growth rates:
- 10: 2.5″
- 11: 3.0″
- 12: 4.25″
- 13: 2.25″
- 14: 1″
- 15: 0.75″
This puts your growth spurt between the ages of 11 and 12, which would happen during stage 3. A growth spurt is growing faster than 2 inches per year. So, based on your growth rates alone, I would say you were in stage 2 at ages 9-10, stage 3 at ages 11-13, and stage 4 at ages 14-15, which means you are near the start of stage 5 at age 16.
Genetically, boys in your family would range anywhere from 5’6″ to 6’2″. The most likely height for boys in your family is 5’8″. You are within the expected range, though at the lower end.
It is possible to overdo weightlifting or lift incorrectly, which can damage joints or muscles. At one time, it was suggested that weight lifting not be done by teenagers, but that has since been deemed as over-cautious. There is no evidence that proper weight training harms growth. Still, caution and being a teenager don’t always go hand-in-hand.
“Don’t confuse strength training with weightlifting, bodybuilding, or powerlifting. These activities are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons, and areas of cartilage that haven’t yet turned to bone (growth plates) — especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight” [“Strength training: OK for kids?”, Mayo Clinic].
Putting on muscle mass is another indication that you are in the stage 4 to stage 5 range. However, it is not an indication that you stunted your growth.
I’m puzzled that the doctor said you’re late-stage 3 to early-stage 4. I can’t see you, but the information you gave suggests you’re more mature than that. Perhaps there are other factors, but I have a slight suspicion that the doctor told you what he thought you wanted to hear to avoid conflict or sadness.
Question:
I think I’m going through the stages more slowly, and he said I might grow more because my pubic hair hasn’t yet reached my inner thighs. Also, I only have facial hair on my upper lip and chin, and my dad and brother have facial hair covering their cheeks, and my brother is 20. Is there a chance I can grow anymore, even if it’s like an inch? To get me to 5’8 like a half each per year until 18? Also, I was stage 3 at like 13. I don’t have to shave everyday also maybe like 3 times a week.
Answer:
Facial hair often doesn’t fully develop until after you reach stage 5. What you describe indicates stage 4.
Hair on the upper inner thighs is an indication of being in stage 5 or near it. This doesn’t rule out the possibility that you’re in stage 4. I would assume that your pubic hair covers your groin and that you are only missing the inner thigh hair.
Being at stage 3 matches at thirteen does match what your growth indicates. However, timewise, that would put you near the end of stage 4, which still matches everything so far.
All growth in height stops when you reach stage 5, which you seem to be close to. As you get closer, the amount of growth continues to slow down (like a car gradually coming to a stop). Thus, while you are 16, I would expect you to grow less than you did while 15. How much less is merely a guess. I wouldn’t expect more than half an inch.