Last updated on November 13, 2022
Question:
Hello,
I am pretty short and was a late bloomer.
My parents were 5’1” and 5’10” but grew up in poor circumstances.
I was 4’6” at 9 but didn’t grow much. I was 4’11 in 10th grade. I started growing hair around my genitals at the age of 13. I finally grew to 5’8” at 15.5 (gained all the height in two months), but haven’t grown a centimeter since. I finally got armpit hair at 15.5 as well.
I am currently 17.5 and look the exact same, even my photos look the same. I started getting fuzz on my lips last year, and it has remained so for over a year and a half. In 1.5 years, all I grew was a faint, two-inch strip of hair above my belly button and very light fuzz around my nipples.
According to your calculator, which I took at 16 and just today, I am still Tanner 4.3. I took accurate measurements and did not downplay anything. Should I get this checked out? My brother, who is 3 years younger is at basically the same stage as me.
Answer:
What I gathered from your description is that you reached stage 2 at the age of 13, you were in stage 3 at the age of 15, and you are in stage 4 at the age of 17. Thus, you are running about two years behind the average but well within the normal range.
It is common for growth in height to pause for a while after a growth spurt. The body has to work on the internal organs to get them to match your external height. Though I know you are anxious to finish your growth, nothing you’ve mentioned indicates anything going wrong. I’m guessing that you got a slightly higher estimate from the calculator than you should have at age 16.