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.
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.
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?
im 29, i was 154cm when i started t - im now reaching the stars (lol?) at 171cm ^_^ - hurt like a b*tch though! :(
Yep only been on t for over 8 months and i have grown a inch taller.
Quote from: Geek on August 11, 2013, 01:41:32 AM
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!! ;D I hope I grow 6 inches too so I can be 6 foot :)
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").
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
This gives me hope... maybe once I start T, my little sis can finally stop bragging about her half-inch on me.
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.
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! :)
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. ::)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: Jack_M on August 18, 2013, 08:36:35 AM
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.
I see what you are saying, but I wasn't embarrassed about my chest for years and years--in fact, I liked the male attention, so I stood quite erect when I was younger. My partner measured me once or twice during that period--granted, I wasn't in a doctor's office, so I am reluctant to count the measurement as definitive--and I was still 5' 6", the same as when I had been living with my parents a year or two before.
I didn't start hunching over until I was at least thirty. So this extra height seems to have come from something else.
Quote from: Jack_M on August 18, 2013, 08:36:35 AM
We can't grow bone beyond the age of 14/15. The absolute maximum age is around 21 but that's extremely rare.
Yep, does happen though. At the age of 10 I was thought to have finished growing, now years later I just experienced a growth spurt and I'm not done yet. All depends on the fusion of the growth plates, which is affected by estrogen. So if your system wasn't exposed to overly high levels, there's always that chance that you have a little more space in your skeleton even in your early 20's. Combined with confidence/lack of moobs making guys slouch, there's a lot of potential to gain a few inches in there somewhere.
I've been on T for 4 months and I've grown about a half an inch since.
How does T make you grow? I thought both hormones were suppose to make you shorter. :3 lol
I guess it makes sense if estrogen is leaving.
Quote from: ~RoadToTrista~ on August 18, 2013, 03:34:46 PM
How does T make you grow?
I have no idea. I was thinking that maybe I had picked up a little more tissue between vertebrae, and it just added up.
Quote from: ~RoadToTrista~ on August 18, 2013, 03:34:46 PM
How does T make you grow? I thought both hormones were suppose to make you shorter. :3 lol
I guess it makes sense if estrogen is leaving.
Perhaps through the strengthening of spinal muscles, or if a person is young enough the prevention of estrogen completely rendering growth plates fused. To be honest, I'm not sure and would like to learn more on the subject matter.
When was the last time you were actually measured? I was hoping I had grown an inch; actually was hoping I had last measured myself but had grown since then, because how often do you measure once you're out of school? Unfortunately for me, I didn't grow at all, despite standing my tallest. Oh, well.
Quote from: sneakersjay on August 18, 2013, 04:33:32 PM
When was the last time you were actually measured?
See, this is the big question for me. I know that my old partner measured me when I was in my early twenties, but that's not the same as a doctor's office. And I'm not sure whether I was measured at any of my doctor's visits when I was in my twenties. If I was, I would have to know which office measured me, and I would have to hunt up those records (which would be exceedingly difficult).
That's why I think that my best reference is other people: the gay friend I was talking about, my therapist (who could well have started shrinking, since he is about seventy now), and especially my ex, who was always 5' 7" even and just a smidge taller than I. Honestly, there's no way to be sure in my case.
The last "official" measuring I had was in 2009, way pre-T at the age of 19 and done by the school nurse. Back then, I was 163,2cm (5,3543 ft, using a converter). I remember the exact result because I had thought I was at least 164cm for couple years and ended up being almost a centimeter shorter... :'D
Anywho, the latest measuring done at home with the help of my fiancé put me to 165cm (5,4134 ft). I had been on T for about seven months or so at that point, and age 23 so from the age perspective I really wouldn't be growing anymore.
But since it was done at home I'm not anywhere near 100% certain about it. Although I can't deny the fact my fiancé seems a tad bit shorter than before... :D
Once I've recovered more from the top surgery I'll definetly get my height checked by a nurse or something because I JUST WANT TO KNOW.
Can't really stand up straight properly at the moment...
My first adult measurement that I can recollect is when a friend measured me. He knew I was hoping to hear big numbers and told me I was 5'8. I suffered under that delusion for many years until several measurements later confirmed I was 5'7. It's only an inch but it was surprisingly painful to hear. I still feel cheated and kind of wish he'd just been honest with me.
My guess is the earlier measurements just weren't very accurate and whatever you're being told over and over again is probably done correctly.
Quote from: Mattfromengland on August 18, 2013, 12:49:09 PM
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.
I suspect that's it. In the same way, I think your shoulders might broaden a little from thicker muscle but the bones aren't changing. I wish they could!
Quote from: dalebert on August 19, 2013, 10:11:39 AM
My guess is the earlier measurements just weren't very accurate and whatever you're being told over and over again is probably done correctly.
Between the ages of about eighteen and twenty-two, I was separately measured by my parents, my then-boyfriend, myself, and a nice nurse at Student Health. I may have been measured in other doctor's offices as well, but I do not remember. However, I would have remembered if they'd said I was an inch taller than I'd been told before. Also, I was just a bit shorter than my ex, who was painfully honest about being 5' 7". He was in the Reserves and would likely have been accurately measured at least once, if not more. In addition, my mother was also 5' 6" (although I don't know who measured her), and we were the same height.
Lately, I've been measured by myself and one nurse, and, although we both come up with 5' 7" and a bit, our numbers do not even match. Don't you think it's more likely that, if there has been no actual growth, the original measurements are more accurate and I'm still only 5' 6"? That outcome would fit with what you said about being told over and over, but I'm reasonably sure that I'm taller now. I'm just not sure how much taller.
The reports in this thread are only anecdotal and are self-reported. It's possible that we are all incorrect or deluded. But the height issue is something that ought to be studied. The results could be interesting.
I should ask my buddy to be remeasured. He started out at 4' 11 1/2" and would love to get that extra half inch.
Quote from: dalebert on August 19, 2013, 10:13:18 AM
I suspect that's it. In the same way, I think your shoulders might broaden a little from thicker muscle but the bones aren't changing. I wish they could!
Mmm it sucks we all can't start hormones pre puberty so we all grow (or not, for mtf's) correctly.
I'm actually quite lucky as I know my shoulders are broader than my Dad's. He doesn't look like he's narrow either, so I'm hoping with the extra muscle I'll be ok with shoulders.
It still sucks that the average height difference between male and female is roughly 5 inches, so technically we should have grown that if we had T in time. I would have been around 6 foot. Grrrrrr
Still.....at least there's a lot of things we can be grateful for with medical science and all that. :)
Thank you for sharing this with us
This sure gives me hope to grow taller (if i ever will be able to come out to my parents and go on t)
So this thread just reminded me of something that happened yesterday.
I walked up to my mom yesterday morning, and we've always been about the same height, but as she turns to look at me I realize that she's actually a bit shorter. I thought I was seeing things, but then she mentioned it too!
I think I'll ask my dad to measure me today. Crossing my fingers that I grew a bit and that it's not just a fluke! :)
I just found out I'm actually an inch shorter than I thought I was, so if by some miracle T grows me a bit then I'll just be back where I thought I was, and still short.
This thread is so interesting, I thought I was the only one! I've grown at *least* an inch in the last year. I'm 22 and I had stopped growing by the time I was 13. I also had a severe eating disorder, which I know can damage your growth plates, and I'm several inches shorter than everyone else in my family, women and men :/
But hormones have definitely got me growing again which is so cool! And also totally weird! I've been with my partner for four years and we'd always been pretty much exactly the same height, but now I'm a good inch taller than her, and I'm definitely experiencing what you were talking about, arch, re: your perceptions of how tall or short other people are shifting.
I hope that some day there is more money sunk into research about transition (in general) because there are so many interesting things like this that I've heard of anecdotally but haven't found much explanation or evidence for.
I had completely forgotten about Student Health, so I have at least one confirmed measurement of 5' 6"ish when I was almost twenty. I'm really keen to see my ex again so I can see if our ratio has changed. We actually have some unfinished business, but I don't think I'll have time to deal with it before winter break.
Seems like an awful lot of guys are reporting growth spurts. Have you guys noticed WHERE the extra height seems to be? I still wear the same size Dockers as the ones I started buying a couple of years ago (my Levi's have always been too long), but I have been tugging my undershirts a lot lately, and I never used to do that. I need to go up a size. If I have gained height, it must be in the upper body.
i'm pretty sure i stopped growing at 13. a pregnancy of all things gained me a whole centimeter more a few years later. i thought that would have messed up my back and made me shorter, but apparently, hormones can do weird things to one's body.
still, now that i think about it.. might just have been because a chiropractor set my pelvis straight after i got horrible back pains during the pregnancy.
Quote from: Taka on September 07, 2013, 07:55:29 AM
i'm pretty sure i stopped growing at 13. a pregnancy of all things gained me a whole centimeter more a few years later.
Wow...that's amazing. Maybe we should put that in the "would you ever consider getting pregnant" thread. Might change a few minds, haha.
I grew a 1/2" to 6' 2 1/2" on E due to the straightening of the back. My younger brother in that time shrunk to 6' 0" from 6' 1" in the same time frame. However, with my neuropathy in my feet reduced my muscle mass I gained and I'm now back to 6' 2" over the past 10 months. The pain kept me in bed most of the time. Not good for muscle and bone mass as the ISS astronauts know. However my losses are not as much as theirs for a 10 months in space. The exercising astronauts losses parallel the test subjects lying in bed for months in the 1970's for the bone and muscle longevity test for going to Mars.
Joelene