Many people want to be taller and have well-balanced bodies. Keeping fit is easier than getting taller. You may hear different advice on how to get taller, but these tips don’t work for everyone. This is mostly because of something in our bodies called growth plates. These plates help us grow taller, but they stop working after puberty, usually when we’re between 18 and 21 years old. At this point, the question that people are most curious about can be “How to get taller after 18?”
With this age range in mind, it’s no longer possible for our bodies to grow naturally, and our diet or exercise routines have no contribution to increasing our height. Growing taller is only possible before puberty ends. That’s why, when people ask how to grow taller after puberty or after they’re 18, there’s only one answer: a surgery called limb lengthening surgery. In this article, we’ll explain more about this surgery.
When Does Height Growth Stop?
The growth plates in our body work actively until the end of our puberty, allowing our height to increase naturally. A common observation in society is the rapid height growth of children, especially during their high school years, and then it stops. With the end of puberty and the closure of the growth plates, the body’s growth also stops, and nothing individuals do can further increase their height. If you have completed puberty and are looking for a solution because you are short, the only effective method at this point is limb lengthening surgery.
The X-ray pictures here display how the growth plates in a teenage boy’s hips have changed over time. You can see from these images that the bones have stopped growing because the growth plates have turned into solid bone. To find out if your growth plates are still open or if they’ve closed, you can schedule a visit with an endocrinologist and have an X-ray taken.
Does Nutrition Make You Taller?
Having a healthy diet and consuming foods that can help with height growth are certainly factors that contribute to increasing height. However, it’s important to note that these foods should be consumed before the end of puberty and as part of a regular lifestyle routine. But even then, you shouldn’t expect significant differences in height. The main factors that affect the height growth is genetic factors.
Can Growth Hormone Injections Make You Taller?
Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions regarding hormone injections. The first one is the belief that everyone can grow taller with hormone injections. It’s important to clarify that hormone injections are not a suitable method for adults; moreover, this growth hormone is a treatment method. Therefore, using it purely for aesthetic reasons to address short stature is not appropriate. So, what exactly is a hormone injection?
Also known as human growth hormone, this method is prescribed only by doctors for children who are short due to conditions like Turner syndrome or chronic kidney failure. Uncontrolled use of this treatment can lead to numerous side effects and health risks. Therefore, it’s crucial to remember that this hormone treatment is not suitable for adults and should only be administered to children under a doctor’s supervision.
Limb Lengthening Surgery
Limb lengthening surgery, especially in recent years, has become a widely chosen surgical operation around the world for increasing height. This operation is performed on individuals who have completed puberty, following thorough medical examinations and approval by a doctor.
Through this surgery, patients can achieve height increase ranging from 5cm to 13cm (two surgeries may be required for increases of 8cm or more). However, the exact amount by which you can grow taller will be determined by your doctor based on examinations and tests. There are currently two methods used in this surgery, and patients often want to have a general understanding of both methods while doing their research.
- LON method from the femur or tibia (Most preferred method)
- Precice 2 method from the femur or tibia (Most comfortable method)
Cosmetic limb lengthening is a surgery where the main bones in your legs, the femur or the tibia, are cut. After that, metal devices are put onto the legs. These devices help the bones grow a bit more each day. The bones usually grow about 1 mm daily. Using this technique, you can increase your height by up to 7-8 cm (around 3 inches) if the femur is lengthened, or by up to 6-7 cm (around 2 inches) if the tibia is lengthened. These are the maximum safe heights you can gain in one surgery. The doctor will also check if the patient’s body, bone health, and mental state are suitable for this procedure. If you want detailed information about the methods used in limb lengthening surgery, you can check out our article “Methods of Limb Lengthening Surgery.”
