Can You Stop Growing as a Girl?

When you were young, you may have wondered, “when do you stop growing?” But males and females differ as to when they stop growing.

How old your daughter was when her first period came determines when she stops growing in height.  Doctors employ various methods to estimate a patient’s size, as described by the experts.

This biological difference isn’t apparent until after the age of 10, but it’s well-known that girls mature faster than boys.

After 11 to 14 years, most children enter the pubertal stage, characterized by a smooth, constant growth curve for both boys and girls.

Puberty begins earlier for women and ends earlier for men, and they often reach their height potential well before high school graduation. 

It may take some boys well into their college years to get their ideal height. Girls can begin pubertal growth at the early end at age 8, while boys may be as young as 9 or 10.

What Age Do Girls Cease Growing?

To answer the question “when do girls cease growing in height?” puberty is critical. When she reaches adulthood, a girl’s height is determined by when she first had her period.

In the early stages of female puberty, such as breast development, body hair growth, and discharge, your daughter may begin to grow taller than she has previously. 

Based on the American Academy of Pediatrics report, girls going through puberty often undergo a growth spurt following the development of their breasts, followed two to three years later by their first menstruation.

After the first menstrual cycle, girls stop growing taller and achieve their full adult height in two to a half years.

Predicting A Girl’s Height

Pediatricians use two popular approaches for females to forecast how tall they will be when they reach adulthood.

It’s common for doctors to use a “mid-parental height calculation“ to estimate a person’s height; however, this method is still wrong. 

As a starting point for this computation, take the height of the girl’s father, subtract 5 inches, then multiply that amount by 2. There is a variation of 3.35 inches between the girl’s anticipated height and the actual measurement.

Determine how tall their child will be by subtracting 5’10” from 5’5″ and then add it to mom’s height, which is 5’5″—that’s a guesstimate of 5’5″, minus or plus 3 inches.

Finding a child’s height percentile on a growth chart and following the related curve is recommended for a child already going through puberty.

A ten-year-old girl standing at the height of 54 inches (4’6″), according to the CDC‘s females growth chart, is in the 50th percentile for her age. By the time she is 18, she should have grown to a height of just over 5’4″ based on her current rate of growth.

Why See a Physician?

If you see that your daughter’s physical growth is significantly different from that of her peers, it may be time to consult with her pediatrician.

A delay in puberty is defined as a delay in the onset of breast development by 13 and the beginning of menstruation by 15 or 16.  Girls who begin to exhibit signs of puberty at the age of 6 or 7 are said to be going through early puberty.

There could be medical or endocrine (hormonal) issues causing early or delayed puberty, so have her pediatrician check it. 

A bone age X-ray performed in-office by a pediatrician can help predict whether or not your daughter will reach the average adult height.

Helpful related articles: Puberty and Boys, It’s All About Puberty, Late-onset of Puberty