Can I still grow taller?

I'm 16 years old and 5'10". I've only grown about an inch in the last two years... does that mean I'm done growing, or could there be something else going on??

P.S. Please, no jokes! 🙂)

ruggedhawk11 said:I'm 16 years old and 5'10". I've only grown about an inch in the last two years... does that mean I'm done growing, or could there be something else going on??

P.S. Please, no jokes! 🙂)

You can, and you probably will. Most people keep growing until they hit 20 or 21.

Angela Wright said:You can, and you probably will. Most people keep growing until they hit 20 or 21.

Now, if you look at some of the theories out there, they say growth can actually continue until you're 27 or 28. But let's be real—it’s pretty rare for someone to grow more than an inch after they turn 19. By that stage, any progress is usually just tiny increments, like millimeters. It isn't even that unusual to see girls stop growing entirely after 13, just like it's not unheard of for guys to basically stall out after 15. I remember back in my high school days, I had plenty of guys in my class who didn't grow a single thing after they were 14 or 15—maybe an inch or two if they were lucky.
In my opinion, if your growth has already slowed down to the point where you're only gaining maybe 2cm over two years, you've likely reached your limit. You might squeeze out another inch or so, but that's about it.

I started my growth spurt around age 16, sitting at about 5'5" to 5'7".
Now I'm 6'2".
Meanwhile, a buddy of mine was already 5'11" by the time he was 15 and hasn't grown an inch since.
Anything can happen, I guess. 🙂

ruggedhawk11 said:I'm 16 years old and 5'10". I've only grown about an inch in the last two years... does that mean I'm done growing, or could there be something else going on??

P.S. Please, no jokes! 🙂)

Genetics plays the biggest role here. Ultimately, your odds depend on how tall your parents and other ancestors are.

I messed up my math... I've grown 2 cm since last year, not 2 from before! Does that actually mean anything?

ruggedhawk11 said:I messed up my math... I've grown 2 cm since last year, not 2 from before! Does that actually mean anything?

Well, here's the thing—during childhood or even through puberty, the growth rate for a typical American kid rarely ever dips below 4 cm a year. Usually, you're looking at about 5-6 cm during childhood, and then during those peak puberty years, it can easily jump over 10 cm in a single year. So, seeing a number like yours means your growth has definitely slowed down significantly. Next year, you'll likely see an even slower pace, and there's a real chance things might just hit a wall and stop altogether. How much height is left in the tank? Honestly, I'd guess maybe another 0-3 cm at most.
Generally speaking, once things start slowing down, the growth rate tends to cut in half almost every year—though, of course, some people just hit a sudden plateau regardless of that rule.

Kenneth Fisher3 said:Well, here's the thing—during childhood or even through puberty, the growth rate for a typical American kid rarely ever dips below 4 cm a year. Usually, you're looking at about 5-6 cm during childhood, and then during those peak puberty years, it can easily jump over 10 cm in a single year. So, seeing a number like yours means your growth has definitely slowed down significantly. Next year, you'll likely see an even slower pace, and there's a real chance things might just hit a wall and stop altogether. How much height is left in the tank? Honestly, I'd guess maybe another 0-3 cm at most.
Generally speaking, once things start slowing down, the growth rate tends to cut in half almost every year—though, of course, some people just hit a sudden plateau regardless of that rule.

But I grew 2 cm since last year... Does that mean I can only get maybe another 0-3 cm total?? (roughly)??

ruggedhawk11 said:But I grew 2 cm since last year... Does that mean I can only get maybe another 0-3 cm total?? (roughly)??

I grew three inches between fifteen and eighteen, so you still have some time on your hands :P
nothing happens after eighteen, though I ended up hitting 6'3"...

redsailor15 said:I grew three inches between fifteen and eighteen, so you still have some time on your hands :P
nothing happens after eighteen, though I ended up hitting 6'3"...

Yeah, but I’m guessing you didn't just sprout an extra inch between being 14 and 15 like the original poster did—you probably shot up way more than that! I mean, if Bosanacusrac actually grew 7cm over the next three years, his growth spurt would have had to pick up speed compared to the year before. But that’s just not how it works biologically—once you hit that stage where your growth starts to taper off after puberty, there's no "speeding up" again; it’s really just a gradual slowdown from there.
It’s funny how much variety there is—you've got some guys who hit their stride after they pass that 6-inch mark and end up well over 8 inches, while others just stay exactly where they started. It really is a total toss-up!

ruggedhawk11 said:But I grew 2 cm since last year... Does that mean I can only get maybe another 0-3 cm total?? (roughly)??

Well, if we assume the measurements were actually accurate—maybe another half inch at most—it's worth noting that you'll always measure a bit taller in the morning than you do at night; I read somewhere that you can be up to an inch taller right when you wake up! Plus, if someone has bad posture, straightening out their spine might add a little height too. Both of those things don't actually count as true growth, though.

Kenneth Fisher3 said:Well, if we assume the measurements were actually accurate—maybe another half inch at most—it's worth noting that you'll always measure a bit taller in the morning than you do at night; I read somewhere that you can be up to an inch taller right when you wake up! Plus, if someone has bad posture, straightening out their spine might add a little height too. Both of those things don't actually count as true growth, though.

I'm aware... I measured myself this morning. Still, 3 cm is a lot...🙂)

I know a guy who was actually the shortest boy in his entire elementary school class, only to shoot up later and hit a solid 6 feet tall.
As for me, I felt like I had completely stopped growing before I even hit fifteen, but then after two years of nothing happening, I suddenly shot up another inch.
It’s just a fact that guys have a much higher chance of seeing significant growth spurts well after they've moved past puberty.
So, looking at how things are going, it really seems like you're still on an upward trajectory, and honestly, who knows just how much taller you might get?