Can You Still Grow Taller After 19? A Late Bloomer’s Guide

Puberty affects each individual differently

However, the time when puberty begins and ends isn’t etched in stone.

It varies from individual to individual depending mainly on factors like nutrition and economic development though genes also play a part.[ 1 ]

Puberty begins earlier for Children who are well nourished right from the time of birth and those living in high income countries.

Hence, after 18 years,   the body is done  growing but this isn’t necessarily the case for everyone and here’s why.

A. The  Late Bloomer Factor also known as  Constitutional Growth Delay

You may notice certain professional athletes particularly in basketball who seem to  grow out of nowhere  after age 19 or 20.

This is rarely a medical disorder and more often a case of constitutional growth delay.

What’s is constitutional growth delay?

Constitutional Growth Delay  often referred to as being a “late bloomer” is a temporary delay in skeletal development.

It is not a disease or a permanent growth deficiency; rather, it is a variation of normal development where a person’s  internal clock  runs slower than their peers. [2 ]

Constitutional growth delay is highly hereditary.

If one or both of your parents were  late bloomers  for example, if your father grew 3 inches in college or your mother didn’t reach her full height until 19 there is a high probability you carry the same genetic timer.

If you have been diagnosed with or suspect constitutional delay, you are in a unique position because your growth plates could  still be open at 19 or even after.

Your body is still responsive to external factors like exercise.

B. The Phenomenon of Delayed Bone Age

One of the  reasons why some people can grow taller after 19  can be  attributed to a discrepancy between their  chronological age and bone age.

Take an example  a documented report of two men  who were diagnosed with hypopituitarism—a condition where the pituitary gland fails to produce sufficient growth hormone (GH).

At ages 22.7 and 24.3, these men had a bone age of only 13 to 14 years.

Effectively, their skeletons were still in early puberty despite their chronological adulthood.

After starting GH treatment, they grew an additional 8 and 9 inches respectively by the time they reached age 29.

[ 3 ]

Their bodies simply waited for the hormonal signal to complete a growth spurt that was “paused” for over  a decade.

But how can you tell if your bone age is delayed?

The best way to tell if your bone age is delayed is by taking a visit to the hospital for an
xray scan.

But before taking that visit, there are some telltale signs that your bone age may be delayed. These include:

Visible signs of delayed bone age

1. You have been consistently short throughout childhood.

2.  Your arms appear relatively long compared to your body.

3.  Your legs are shorter compared to your torso.

4.  Your body has a narrow, linear shape

5. Your facial features look younger than your actual age.

These signs aren’t guarantees, but they are worth paying attention to.

What is the reliable way to know your bone age?

The only reliable way to know  your bone age  is through a hand and wrist X-ray.

This simple scan allows a radiologist to measure your bone age. To read more on how bone age is measured, visit What is bone age article

If your bone age is delayed, your body still has the physical capacity to grow   regardless of what your birth certificate says.

If you suspect your bone age is delayed, Below are the steps to take to increase your height after 18, 19 or 20.

1. Aim to optimize the secretion of  Growth Hormone (GH)  

G.h plays a number of roles when it comes to body growth which can’t be exhausted here  including but not limited to ;

• Stimulating the growth plate cells to multiply and later become bone thereby contributing to bone growth in length.

•   signaling the liver and other tissues to produce IGF-1, which then Stimulates cartilage growth.

• Increases bone formation and Promotes cell division in many tissues.

• Finally, G.h  directly promotes   Cartilage  production and Growth which  is important in many parts of the body such as the joints and the  intervertebral discs in the spine  there by greatly contributing to overall body growth.

The different ways to naturally increase G.h release can be found on how to Increase human growth hormone during and after puberty page.

2. Exercise Regularly.

Physical activity stimulates bone growth   in a number of ways.

First, exercising triggers the release of a number of growth related hormones including   testosterone, estrogen, Insulin‑like Growth Factor 1,  and of course Growth Hormone.

These hormones Stimulate the growth plates,  increase protein synthesis in bone and muscle, and Accelerate skeletal development.

Second, When you run, jump, or play sports, your bones experience   loading.

This force slightly bends the bone and stimulates bone-forming cells called osteoblasts to repair and add bone tissue to regions that require reinforcement to with stand the force from ground impact.

In the process,  bone density  is increased and thereby   improving structural alignment.

Finally,  When muscles contract during exercise, they pull on the bones through tendons.

This pulling force is actually one of the strongest stimuli for bone growth.

Sports that create strong muscle contractions (like sprinting or climbing) stimulate bones even more.