# Did anyone else grow (in height) at a later age? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141 "2005-06-06T16:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Douggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Douggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Douggy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/1 "2005-06-06T16:00:01Z")
Me, myself and I: Grew 3 inches (that’s right folks!!!) at the sweet and sexy age of 27. I went from a medium-short 5"10 to a 6"1 in like a year and a half. My family thought I was some sort of freak or something, but according to the doctor I have nothing wrong with me. Apparently, although cases are pretty rare at my kind of age(s), it _does_ happen. Anyone else a late sort of bloomer? [By the way, the rest of my family are more or less in the five foot-something range, so I getz to be DA BIG MAN!!! Though pappy always says he can still kick my ass!!!] ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/2 "2005-06-06T16:02:41Z")
Wow. Was this accompanied or preceded by a change in diet, lifestyle, drug consumption, or proximity of residence to the nearest nuclear waste facility? The last choice was a joke, but I’m serious about the other possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/3 "2005-06-06T16:04:06Z")
Man, I hope not! I’d have to buy all new clothes… and 6’4" is plenty tall enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Douggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Douggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Douggy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/4 "2005-06-06T16:13:12Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Wow. Was this accompanied or preceded by a change in diet, lifestyle, drug consumption, or proximity of residence to the nearest nuclear waste facility? > > The last choice was a joke, but I’m serious about the other possibilities. Not as far as I know. Although I have a sneaky suspicion about that bean-burger I once ate. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/5 "2005-06-06T20:41:09Z")
It’s not unheard of. While most folks reach their final height before 18, some don’t. College athletic teams measure and weigh a player as a freshman, and they publish those same numbers until the player’s graduation. Every coach has seen a few players grow 3 or 4 inches and gain 50-75 pounds while in college, although his press kit numbers don’t change. On the bright side, you may also be late in developing high blood pressure, male pattern baldness, gray hair, and prostate troubles. And, um, death. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/6 "2005-06-06T21:27:03Z")
I’m 20 years old and 5"2. I am pleased to learn there is still a chance I may grow! ---
**Author:** ![Crescent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e99b99/32.png) [@Crescent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescent)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/7 "2005-06-07T00:15:37Z")
I stopped growing when I was 14 and grew another two inches when I was 22. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/8 "2005-06-07T00:23:41Z")
I am female and achieved (?) menarche at 12. I was 5’4". Upon graduating from HS, 5 years later–I was 5’61/2". My kid’s pediatrician says that’s impossible–epiphyseal plates seal within one year of menarche in girls etc. Ha, I say. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/9 "2005-06-07T00:26:52Z")
I did most of my growing in two separate bursts. The first was when I was about 13-14. Then I seemed to stall for about 3 years and I shot up again to my present height (175 cm) when I was about 16-17. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/10 "2005-06-07T00:45:13Z")
I grew fairly steadily until about the age of 21. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/11 "2005-06-07T01:02:44Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I’m 20 years old and 5"2. I am pleased to learn there is still a chance I may grow! \*Pat’s \*_Gemma’s \*\* head_ You just don’t worry your pretty little head about it! :: ducks & runs :: ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/12 "2005-06-07T01:22:01Z")
2 feet between 11 and 13. then nothing. at 22 i was 5’, by 25 i had hit 5’ 2" . i’m glad i haven’t started shrinking yet. i’m hoping that chocolate consumption will keep the shrinking at bay. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/13 "2005-06-07T01:58:06Z")
Yeppers. When I was 20-21 years old, I had a growth spurt of two inches - from 5’6" and change to nearly 5’9". I only figured it out when a classmate mentioned that all my pants seemed to have become high waters. My parents ended up taking me to a doc to make sure it wasn’t any weird hormonal disorder. Nope. I was fine. Just taller. And tickled pink about the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/14 "2005-06-07T10:21:59Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > \*Pat’s \*_Gemma’s \*\* head_ > You just don’t worry your pretty little head about it! > > :: ducks & runs :: If I was taller I might have been able to catch you up. 😃 My fiance does the patronising patting thing to me. He’s only 5"5! ---
**Author:** ![Dinaroozie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Dinaroozie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinaroozie)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/15 "2005-06-07T12:40:16Z")
Well, it apparently runs in my family to stop growing at around nineteen, then grow a few more inches around twenty-two-ish. It’s happened with a few cousins of mine. I guess that implies that it’s partly genetic, at least some of the time. Hasn’t happened to me… yet. ~ Isaac ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/16 "2005-06-07T15:04:28Z")
> [@rocking chair](#): > > 2 feet between 11 and 13. then nothing. at 22 i was 5’, by 25 i had hit 5’ 2" . Am I understanding this right — you were three feet tall (or less) at age 11? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/17 "2005-06-07T15:31:55Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > If I was taller I might have been able to catch you up. 😃 > > My fiance does the patronising patting thing to me. He’s only 5"5! So does mine…I think they all do. And he’s 5’11" and I’m 5’5". Grrr…I’m \*not \* short. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/18 "2005-06-07T16:26:13Z")
Well, no height, but I gained a full shoe size in my late twenties or thereafter. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2005, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-anyone-else-grow-in-height-at-a-later-age/307141/19 "2005-06-08T00:14:56Z")
yep, 3’ tall; going into kindergarten and leaving 6th grade. i was in size 6x for all those years. i even wore the same outfit for the first day of school k-6. i remember waking up in the morning going downstairs and getting breakfast telling my mom i grew some overnight. the counter was a bit shorter. you get very comfortable with things being a certain height, when they are off by a quarter inch or so you notice it. my feet kept growning though. i would go through shoe sizes during k-6.