Last updated on July 12, 2023
Question:
Please help me determine my adult height. My puberty and growing has been really strange and awkward so please help me if you can.
I believe I started puberty around the average time (at age 11.5). At this time I was about 5’1, then I grew 2 inches to 5’3 when I turned 12. From age 12 to 13, I grew about 3 inches, which made me 5’6. Then from 13 to my current age of 14, I grew 2 inches and I’m now 5’8. According to the Tanner Scale, I’m about 3.8 – 4.0. I started seeing a faint line of hair growing from my pubic hair to my stomach; however, it is not really connected.
I took the KGH method and it put me as 6’1 in the middle. The Prediction of Adult Height During Adolescence has me at 6’1.7 – 6’2.2. My measurements are: sitting height at 84.5 cm to – 85 cm and standing height at about 5’8.2. It says my adult height is about 92.8%.
My main concern is whether I will be able to grow to 5’11 or 6’1. My Dad is 6’2 and my Mom is 5’8.
Thanks for your time
Answer:
Each of the methods of predicting a person’s final height is an estimate. None are absolutely accurate. One of the reasons I included several methods is so you see a trend in the estimates.
Boys born to your parents will range in height from 5’11 to 6’9 depending on the mix of genes they inherited from their parents. While severe disease or other major health problems might cause a boy to be smaller, it would be highly likely that you will be at least 5’11 by the time you finish growing. Boys in stage 4 typically grow 1 to 3 additional inches, which also means 5’11 is possible for you.
Your lower stomach hair matches someone who is about to enter stage 4 so it sounds like the estimate is fairly accurate. Of course, you only mentioned this one fact, so it is a wild guess on my part.
From your measurements, it sounds like you were in stage 3 from ages 12-14. It is possible that you’ll stay in stage 3 a bit longer than the typical 2 years and continue to grow fast for a bit.
While I think 6’1 is on the high side, I would not rule the possibility out.
Question:
I would also like to mention that I have grown a happy trail that is just peach fuzz and the hair around my belly button is darker but still fuzzy. My armpit hair has grown too but It is not thick and I still have baby teeth. So am I at Tanner 4?
Answer:
The hair growth indicates that you are near the start of stage 4 but I can’t tell you if are just before stage 4, right at stage 4, or just past stage 4. Traits like hair growth can run ahead or behind other traits.