Question:
Hello Minster,
I am 17 years old. Four months ago, I was 5’8 (173 cm) and at Tanner stage 4.2 or 4.3. Now I‘m at Tanner stage 4.5 and I am 5’8.5 (174.5 cm). When you replied to my question four months ago, you told me that with my parents and all the factors, I may grow only an inch. I want to know: How much time do I have to grow taller? And with my growth in the last few months, does it mean that I’ll be growing only 0.5 inches (1.5 cm)?
At roughly the beginning of last year, I entered Tanner stage 4 and I grew right around 1.5 inches (4 cm) through last year. Can I grow this year another 3-4 cm or how does this work?
Height is currently a thing that really bothers me, especially because I live in a country with taller people. I would feel so much better if I grew about 5 cm taller. Is this even possible? Can my growth continue past the age of 18?
An answer would mean a lot.
Answer:
In stage 4, your rate of growth slows down over the two-year period and when you reach stage 5, it has completely stopped. It doesn’t continue to be a fast growth and then suddenly stops. It is more like a car slowing down as it approaches a stop sign.
The typical boy grows an additional 1 to 3 inches in height during the two years of stage 4. Most of that growth will come at the start of stage 4 and it will slowly taper off from there. Thus, I would expect you to grow perhaps another half-inch or so (1 to 2 cm) over the next year.