Last updated on January 2, 2023
Question:
I started puberty at around age 13 and had a growth spurt of about 3 inches then, after that I grew 1-2 inches a year steadily from 14 until 18. The thing is, I am at early Tanner stage 4 right now, which means I had to be Tanner stage 3 at around 15-17, but that doesn’t seem likely as I never had a growth spurt then and only grew like 3 inches in those 3 years. Does this mean I won’t have another growth spurt at all or does this mean I’ll get one in tanner stage 4-5?
Answer:
I can’t see you in order to double-check where you are currently in the Tanner Stages.
The most likely answer is that you are one of those boys who grow over a more extended period of time. I am assuming you started stage 3 sometime when you were 13 and remained in stage 3 until sometime during age 15. You have been in stage 4 since then you are most likely close or at stage 5 at age 18. This would mean that the calculator is off because some of the answers were not accurate, but I can’t prove that.
Question:
I don’t think I was at Tanner Stage 3 at 13 because I don’t remember any sign of that. Tanner stage 3 at 13 sounds relatively normal, but I’ve always remembered looking very young for my age and being less developed than everyone else my age. At 14 when everyone started growing beards, I got my first strand of pubic hair. So I’d assume I was at Tanner Stage 2 at 13, started Tanner Stage 3 at around 15-16, and tanner stage 4 at 18. Right now I don’t have any signs whatsoever of Tanner Stage 5 either.
Answer:
Thank you. The mention of gaining pubic hair at the age of 14 does indicate you were in the middle of stage 2 at that time. It still remains that a few boys don’t have dramatic growth spurts. Instead, they grow at a more steady rate for a longer period of time. The cause of this can be genetic or it is known to be caused by some medications that must be taken over a period of time.
Question:
Well, I didn’t take any sort of medication during my early years of puberty so I guess it is genetic. Does this mean I’ll still grow 1-2 inches a year until the end of puberty?
Answer:
Your growth will slow down just before the end of adolescence. So you will probably see a year where you only grow a half-inch before you completely stop. What tends to happen with guys like you is that you stay in stages 3 and 4 for longer than the typical two years.