Growing Taller

[Arch]

I had a doctor's appointment today, and the nurse weighed me and casually asked me how tall I am. I stammered that I wasn't sure, since I seem to have grown since starting T. So she decided to measure me.

Before T, as far as I know, I was 5' 6 1/4" or maybe 5' 6 3/8". I self-measured several months ago (several times, just in case) and appeared to be a little over 5' 7". I was pretty happy about that, but I know that it's hard to measure oneself accurately.

Now the nurse tells me that I'm 5' 7 3/4". I was blown away but (predictably) lamented that I wasn't measured right after I had woken up, since my spine would have been stretched out a little bit more. I might have made it to 5' 8".

But this seems extraordinary to me. I seem to have grown an inch and a half on T, and I started taking it when I was forty-six. No wonder one of my six-foot buddies was saying, "You don't SEEM five foot six." I noticed that he was right, I wasn't all that much shorter than he was. Certainly not half a foot shorter.

I honestly can't remember the last time I was measured as an adult. I'm pretty sure that I was measured once or twice during my twenties, but I'm not positive. The only way I can truly be certain that I have grown is to visit my ex and see how I stack up against him. I recently discovered some unfinished business between us, so maybe that will happen. I'm very curious.

After all I've read--that we don't grow taller once our bones have fused--I'm trying to figure out how this happened. I've heard anecdotal evidence from other trans men, but a scientific study would be nice. Still, how many of you grew taller or are pretty sure that you did? I'm not talking about picking up extra height after top surgery ("Hey--I don't have to slouch anymore!"); I mean a real measurable gain. And how old were you? Also, if you've been on T for a year or more and clearly haven't gotten taller, please report in.

[Jamie D]

Yeah, if your growth plates have fused, the you can gain a little height with straightening the curvature of the spines, or adding muscle to the bottoms of your feet.

[Crow]

I've been on T for a little over a year, and last time I went to the doctor, I measured in at 5' 3/4", which would mean I gained roughly half an inch since starting T (maybe 3/4 of an inch-- I've fluctuated between 5' and 5' 1/4" for years and am uncertain which was correct). I'm 22 and stopped growing about a decade ago, so I was so surprised that I made the nurse measure me again to be sure! I dunno if it's a result of T or not, but whatever the cause, I do seem to be a tiny bit taller than I was before?

[geek]

im 29, i was 154cm when i started t - im now reaching the stars (lol?) at 171cm ^_^ - hurt like a b*tch though!

[rexyrex]

Yep only been on t for over 8 months and i have grown a inch taller.

[harlee]

im 29, i was 154cm when i started t - im now reaching the stars (lol?) at 171cm ^_^ - hurt like a b*tch though!

Thats awesome!!  I hope I grow 6 inches too so I can be 6 foot

[Simon]

This thread is going to make me measure myself at some point today. My gf was just remarking the other day I look taller and we were just about eye to eye (she is 5'10").

[GnomeKid]

I've definitely grown a little taller (at least at inch), but I doubt my growth plates were closed upon starting T though.

It'd be an interesting study to do though.  Probably would teach us a lot about hormones, growth, and growth plates in general.  Maybe they're not as fused as we think?  not knowing much about the subject at all I can only widely speculate, but its interesting to think about.

[spacerace]

Oh wow. This possibility is fantastic. Even another half inch would be great. Add to that the gains from posture improvement after top surgery - could be enough to propel me towards the 5'6" - 5'7" range.

[shadowcat]

Being 5' 2"ish and over 25, this gives me hope. I always wanted to be taller than my mother at least and never made it. Hope I'm one of the lucky ones when I finally start T.

[Arch]

After thinking about all of this, I realize that my perception of other people's height has changed. I keep thinking that people aren't as tall as they are--folks who are taller than I just don't seem as big to me. For example, I was at a party, talking to a guy who was six feet even, and I didn't believe he was that tall because he wasn't that much taller than I was. And I kept wondering why my therapist seemed so short to me, much shorter than when I started seeing him. He's only seventyish, so it's not like he's old enough to be seriously losing height. My own growth would explain why he seems so small.

I'm still curious to measure up against my ex, though.

[Aido]

Same here, four months on T and have grown and inch in height, and I'm 24. Hope to keep going, another inch or two would be nice

[CursedFireDean]

This gives me hope... maybe once I start T, my little sis can finally stop bragging about her half-inch on me.

[randomroads]

I've been 69 inches for 15 years. If T will help me grow a bit more, then I'd be ecstatic to leave that dreaded number behind.

[Dante]

Wow, this thread has given me some hope! I'm exactly 5'5" (I used to be 5'6", but somehow I shrunk an inch. I feel like I should remeasure again now). I've been having tons of height dysphoria lately, because when I was a kid I was always taller than everyone else and losing that one advantage has taken its toll.

I always wanted to be about the same height as my dad, that is, around 5'10", and I'm excited by the possibility that I might get to grow a bit more when I finally start T! 

[Arch]

I remember being puzzled a couple of years ago when I realized that my tall friend did not seem so tall to me--that perception suggests that I had grown on T--but I keep thinking that there's been a mistake. Maybe the nurse saw 5' 7 1/4" and misread it as 5' 7 3/4". I measured myself at home today, and I still came up with 5' 7 1/4". I got the same measurement with two different tape measures. That's still about an inch over where I used to be, but it's a half inch different from what the nurse reported. Of course, it's notoriously difficult to measure oneself, and maybe I tilt my head weirdly when I measure myself. Also, I was standing on a carpeted surface.

I suppose it's silly to obsess over all of this, but a lot of FTMs obsess over height.

[SI3]

I am 21 years old and started T shortly after turning 20. I was 5'5 before T and when measured at 6 months (2 months ago) I was 5'6. I attribute this mostly to posture as I was extremely skinny pre-t and had very weak back muscles and slouched a lot where as now I don't slouch.

[Arch]

I've always been sensitive about my height (as a child, I always wanted to be at least 5' 9"), so I have never slouched when being measured. In fact, I have always had to resist the urge to stand on tiptoe.

Seems to me that most people will straighten up when being measured, even if they are FTMs who usually slouch because of their chest baggage.

[Jack_M]

It's not that you slouch when being measured, it's that your slouching in every day life affects your posture so no matter how straight you think you are when being measured, it's not your true height. That's where the slouching aspect comes in. That's why many appear to grow post top surgery. We can't grow bone beyond the age of 14/15. The absolute maximum age is around 21 but that's extremely rare. But after top surgery, many guys stop slouching and as a result their posture improves which improves the muscles in the back supporting the spinal column which allow the spine to straighten out to where they should be and then you get your true height. The same happens to a degree on T alone just with new confidence allowing the individual the ability to stand taller with their being happy with themselves.

[Mattfromengland]

Wow, this is an interesting topic. Would be great to grow a little, even if just half an inch or an inch.

Anybody had the same thing with feet. When I first started looking online I saw people saying you don't grow taller if you're older however your feet do grow. Then I started hearing people saying they were told their fee won't grow but that they did.

Anyone had had any foot growth?

I'm wondering if it's more a case of our feet filling out and so we'd need larger shoes. A bit like how an innersole doesn't make our feet bigger, but means you're able to wear a larger shoe.