Question:
Hello,
I’m 19 and I’m just now starting to get a “happy trail.” I am also 5’8. When I took the Tanner Stage Test I got a 4.3, which I believe is lower than average for my age. I was wondering if I may have some growth in height left in me because I only grew 3 inches during tanner stage 3 which lasted about a year for me if even that. I grew 3 inches when I was 17. I also have a babyface, and I’m just now getting hairs on my cheeks, but they are much lighter in color than the hairs on my head. I’m not sure when I started puberty, but I do know that I got my first pubic hairs when I was 12.
Answer:
The average time to hit puberty is at age 11, though it can be as early as 9 or as late as 15. If you saw signs of pubic hair at age twelve, then you started puberty at a very typical time. However, it sounds like you developed more slowly that most boys. This can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as health issues or medication taken that slows down development as a side-effect.
Because of the unusual slowness of your development, it is not possible for me to guess how much growth you have left. I can say that typically boys add another 1 to 3 inches to their height during the time they are in stage 4.