# Can you grow taller as an adult? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441 "2008-02-20T22:13:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/21 "2010-12-04T22:08:35Z")
Don’t worry about it. In a few more years, you will lose that extra inch - and more- as your intervetrebral discs become dessicated. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/22 "2010-12-06T18:07:11Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > Not unless parthenogenesis can spontaneously happen in mammals. There was a case reported about 2010 years ago. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/23 "2010-12-06T18:22:18Z")
Weird. I was just recalling something about this, in a totally unrelated mental thread. When I was 19 I developed some pretty bad neck pains, and went to see an orthopedist. I measured at 6’1", a full inch over my height a few months earlier. He thought my wrestlers/weightlifters neck was over compensating for wearing a heavy motorcycle helmet (the good ones were all pretty heavy back then), and my spine was overly straight in my neck. I followed his suggestion to get a lighter helmet, and acquired a car that didn’t require wearing a helmet soon after, and my height returned to 6’0". So the spinal curvarture, or lack of it can have a big effect. I didn’t get any taller after that, but 30 something years later I’m starting to shrink. Lost cartilage in the knees may account for some of that, but spinal curvature is probably the biggest factor. Another tidbit, an article on high jumpers somewhere back in the 70s or 80s mentioned the relationship between height and high jumping, and that some high jumpers could improve their records as they aged because some people grow 2 inches or more through their 20s. So maybe at 35 you could still add an inch, especially if you combine the factors mentioned here. So if you have some hormonal growth, a straighter spine, and get measured in the morning, maybe an inch difference isn’t that much. ---
**Author:** ![Diamonds02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Diamonds02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diamonds02)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/24 "2010-12-06T18:26:29Z")
ADD meds can stunt growth, while you’re on them. I guess if you been on them long enough, and then discontinue them in adulthood it wouldn’t seem far fetched if you’ve grown a few inches. ---
**Author:** ![lisalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@lisalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisalan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/25 "2010-12-06T18:27:39Z")
You are taller in the mornings. Is that when they checked your height? From what I understand just having come back from space would also make one taller as there is no gravity to compress the spine. Are you an astronaut:D ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/26 "2010-12-06T20:47:31Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Weird. I was just recalling something about this, in a totally unrelated mental thread. When I was 19 I developed some pretty bad neck pains, and went to see an orthopedist. I measured at 6’1", a full inch over my height a few months earlier. He thought my wrestlers/weightlifters neck was over compensating for wearing a heavy motorcycle helmet (the good ones were all pretty heavy back then), and my spine was overly straight in my neck. I followed his suggestion to get a lighter helmet, and acquired a car that didn’t require wearing a helmet soon after, and my height returned to 6’0". So the spinal curvarture, or lack of it can have a big effect. I didn’t get any taller after that, but 30 something years later I’m starting to shrink. Lost cartilage in the knees may account for some of that, but spinal curvature is probably the biggest factor. See my prior post. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/27 "2010-12-07T07:31:42Z")
I seem to remember that astronauts when returning from space would find that they were slightly taller. The decreased gravity allowed their spines to stretch out a bit more. After being under Earth’s gravity for a while, they would return to their normal height. This fits with the curved spine explanation, and would also allow for one to be measured as taller if one’s spine straightened out. I would argue that you didn’t actually grow, though, for the reasons already stated in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2010, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/28 "2010-12-07T16:20:53Z")
Some people in this thread are reporting growth after high school. IIRC, it’s not unusual for height to increase well into one’s 20s. Former NBA player David Robinson grew from 6’7" to 7’1" between his freshman and senior years at the Naval Academy. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/29 "2010-12-08T04:48:53Z")
It’s not unusual for men to get taller up til the early 20s, but it is quite unusual for women. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/30 "2010-12-08T05:58:51Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > It’s not unusual for men to get taller up til the early 20s, but it is quite unusual for women. I’ve heard this too. But I’ve also noticed that women are getting more physically fit and athletic, and seem to grow through their teens and into their 20’s. So perhaps there are factors that had not been previously considered. ---
**Author:** ![causticsubstance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba8739/32.png) [@causticsubstance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/causticsubstance)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/31 "2010-12-08T18:26:52Z")
Perhaps not applicable in this situation, since you went to 2 different offices, but the height chart at the doctor’s office where I worked was stuck to the wall, if I recall correctly. At any rate, the nurse shared with me that they were off when they put it up, so all the patients were measured about a half inch taller than they really were. She got “wow, I must be growing” comments all the time. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/32 "2011-01-23T16:41:56Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve heard this too. But I’ve also noticed that women are getting more physically fit and athletic, and seem to grow through their teens and into their 20’s. So perhaps there are factors that had not been previously considered. Possibly, but only if puberty were continuing later; for men it’s ordinary for puberty to continue into their 20s (though the changes are less obvious), but women start and end puberty earlier. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/33 "2011-01-23T19:17:15Z")
I gained height after being diagnosed with a foot problem… as soon as I got orthopedic inserts for my shoes. My wife calls them my “lifts”. Also, for anyone that wants to be taller: posture. Makes a huge difference, esp. in perception, because you look more confident, too. ---
**Author:** ![NetTrekker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nettrekker/32/2909_2.png) [@NetTrekker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetTrekker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/34 "2011-01-23T20:22:21Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > All times were totally shoeless. 🙂 If it was in shoes, I’d be 5’ **9**.75" 😃 I would still allow for a large margin of measurement error at the Dr.'s office, for both height and weight. Are you sure they held the ruler exactly level each time? Maybe they installed a new tape at some point. They’re really not concerned about being ultra-precise. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/35 "2011-01-23T22:09:23Z")
I “grew” about 1.25 inch from age 30 to 34. During that time I was doing a lot of Yoga. I talked to my doctor about it and she said I basically strengthened the muscled in my back to a point where my posture was being maintained better than ever with out me trying to “stand up straight”. ---
**Author:** ![Drake2020](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@Drake2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake2020)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/36 "2013-08-15T01:05:37Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I “grew” about 1.25 inch from age 30 to 34. During that time I was doing a lot of Yoga. I talked to my doctor about it and she said I basically strengthened the muscled in my back to a point where my posture was being maintained better than ever with out me trying to “stand up straight”. Same here. Grew 2 inches at 28, within 4 months of yoga/stretching/hanging on bar. I was surprised and still can’t believe it. Was 5’11, now 6’1. Easily 6’2 - 6’2 1/2 in shoes. Believe me, stretching/yoga works. Had to measure myself daily for 3 months and saw myself grow. Made a mark on the wall when I started out 4 months ago at 5’11, now, I see 2 inches above that. At this height, I feel tall. Towering most at my gym, and only few my height, just a couple taller than me. Didn’t feel that way when I was 5’11. Like they say…you start feeling tall at near 6’2. Now working on gaining another inch in my neck. Got 1/4 growth already and should get to 1 inch in 3-4 months, putting me at legit 6’2. The neck is the easiest way to grow taller; very fast and noticeable too. A friend of my grew 1 1/2 inches from neck stretches and now stands 6’3. ---
**Author:** ![durr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@durr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/durr)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/37 "2015-02-01T22:29:22Z")
> [@Drake2020](#): > > Same here. Grew 2 inches at 28, within 4 months of yoga/stretching/hanging on bar. I was surprised and still can’t believe it. Was 5’11, now 6’1. Easily 6’2 - 6’2 1/2 in shoes. Believe me, stretching/yoga works. Had to measure myself daily for 3 months and saw myself grow. Made a mark on the wall when I started out 4 months ago at 5’11, now, I see 2 inches above that. At this height, I feel tall. Towering most at my gym, and only few my height, just a couple taller than me. Didn’t feel that way when I was 5’11. Like they say…you start feeling tall at near 6’2. > > Now working on gaining another inch in my neck. Got 1/4 growth already and should get to 1 inch in 3-4 months, putting me at legit 6’2. The neck is the easiest way to grow taller; very fast and noticeable too. A friend of my grew 1 1/2 inches from neck stretches and now stands 6’3. Can you tell me how was your routine? For how long and how often did you do each of these things? Did you gain any inch in your neck? I’m sorry for resurrecting this topic but I am really interested. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/38 "2015-02-01T23:26:46Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > By any chance, were you pregnant in the intervening time? An aunt of mine grew an inch while she was carrying her firstborn. Apparently, there was enough HGH to go around. AT WHAT AGE ? If 20 or 21… fine… maybe it was growth of the bones… which might have happened anyway. But also, the small of the back… well they become a bit straighter when pregnant. Too obvious there… Also the load on the belly starts them leaning back … walking with the back up and head held back… improving posture… improving muscle strength requisite to hold such posture. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/39 "2015-02-02T01:46:19Z")
> [@durr](#): > > Can you tell me how was your routine? For how long and how often did you do each of these things? > Did you gain any inch in your neck? > I’m sorry for resurrecting this topic but I am really interested. Thank you! That poster has only made 1 post to this board, so I don’t think you should expect an answer to that question. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441/40 "2015-02-02T02:04:40Z")
quad zombie or no inversion boots give you the stretch without the pain of the rack. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-grow-taller-as-an-adult/438441.md?page=3)