Yes, some girls can grow slightly after 18, though major height gains usually stop by then as growth plates in bones fuse; some individuals experience a late growth spurt, growing a small amount into their early 20s, while rare medical conditions or delayed puberty can also cause growth beyond 18.
Yes -- growing between ages 18 and 21 is common enough that many people report it. Below is a concise summary of why it happens, typical patterns, and illustrative examples compiled from clinical knowledge and common reports. Growth depends on whether the growth plates (epiphyseal plates) in long bones remain open.
Most girls will reach their adult height by the age of 14 or 15. However, this age can be younger depending on when the girl first starts menstruating. If a girl is 15 but has not started menstruating, parents should take her to see a pediatrician for specific advice about delayed puberty.
During puberty, your growth plates mature, and at the end of puberty, they fuse and stop growing. Although a few people may continue growing even in their early 20s, most adults cannot increase their height after age 21 if their growth plates close.
Girls begin puberty at different ages. It can start as early as age 9. By age 15, most girls have fully developed.
When puberty ends at around the age of 15, your teen will have reached full physical maturity. Females' breasts usually settle into their adult size and shape, and periods start to regulate. The reproductive organs and genitals will fully develop, while the hips, thighs and buttocks fill out in shape.
At what age does second puberty in women typically occur? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but second puberty often surfaces in a woman's late 20s, 30s, or 40s. Lifestyle, genetics, and overall health can all play a role in when (and how) it shows up.
Although most adults will not grow taller after the age of 18 to 20, there are exceptions to this rule. Firstly, the closing of growth plates can be delayed in some individuals. If the growth plates remain open during the ages of 18 to 20, which is uncommon, height can continue to increase.
"Most girls grow another one to two inches after getting their period, but increased height beyond that is less common," says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Opens a new window Girls typically stop growing earlier than boys because they start puberty earlier than boys.
How to Reopen Growth Plates Naturally
2. Micronutrients Supporting Height Growth in Children
Five signs you've stopped growing in height as a female include slowed or no height gain for a year, fully developed secondary sexual characteristics (breasts, pubic/underarm hair), a loss of "baby fat" and more adult-like facial features, reaching full breast and hip development, and having your menstruation stabilize a couple of years after starting, indicating growth plates are closing.
Myth: menarche means the end of growth is near
Follow-up data from the Fels Longitudinal Study show that girls who start menstruating at age 10 grow, on average, 10 cm (4 inches), while those in whom menarche is delayed until age 15 grow, on average, 5 cm (2 inches).
“A growth spurt is very unlikely to happen past age 18,” Dr. Coleman notes. A man stops growing when his growth plates have fused, or closed. “Your growth plates are areas of cartilage near the ends of bones,” he explains.
Scientists estimate that about 80 percent of an individual's height is determined by the DNA sequence variations they have inherited, but which genes these changes are in and what they do to affect height are only partially understood.
Human growth hormone increases vertical growth in children. However, once your growth plates have fused, HGH cannot make you taller. Instead, after you've reached your final height, HGH helps maintain your body's structure and has other important effects on your metabolism.
Science doesn't show a direct correlation between sleep quality and height. However, sleep is an essential factor in your growth since that's the time of day when the growth hormone is released. So, while sleep doesn't directly increase height, it's still an integral part of your child's development.
Does pubic hair cease growing once it's reached a certain length? All hair grows at a contstant rate, but eventually falls out. With body hair, which typically does not grow as long as head hair, the rate at which it falls out is greater. This results in hair that appears to reach a certain length then stops growing.
An adult cannot increase their height after the growth plates close. However, there are plenty of ways a person can improve their posture to look taller. A person can also take preventive measures against height loss as they age.
As expected, the CDC growth chart shows a plateau in height between 15 and 16 years, reflecting the fact that most girls stop growing around age 15 while others will continue to get taller up to and beyond the age of 16 but not generally past the age of 18.
But over the long term, a person's growth may be affected by not getting enough sleep. That's because growth hormone is normally released during sleep. If someone consistently gets too little sleep (known as "sleep deprivation"), growth hormone is suppressed. Lack of sleep also can affect other hormones.
Aging is a natural part of life. Your body continues to change in your 20s, and well into your 30s (though maybe not as dramatically as before). And in your 40s? Your body will change even more than in the last ten years — possibly at a faster pace.
For girls, puberty typically ends around age 15 to 17 years. For boys, it tends to end around age 16 to 17 years. Again, every child is different, so these ages can vary.
No, puberty typically ends well before 25. However, the brain continues to develop into your mid-to late-20s.