Increasing your height after 18 is not possible, even through nutrition and exercise, because the growth plates stop growing.
There is no way at this point of time to reverse the plates ossification process. Surgery - cosmetic LL surgery can add inches to our height by using the distraction osteogenesis method. Usually height increase is 2–4inches based on surgeon, method and body healing factor.
Through the growing years, a layer of cartilage (the growth plate) separates each epiphyses from the bone shaft. Between 17 and 25 years, normal growth stops. The development and union of separate bone parts is complete.
Normally, the average age of growth plate ossification is 20 years old. So height will usually stop growing when you turn 20. There are still a few cases where it is possible to grow taller after this age. However, the growth rate as well as the ability to grow in the period after the age of 20 is very low.
On an x-ray, growth plates look like dark lines at the ends of the bones. At the end of growth, when the cartilage completely hardens into bone, the dark line will no longer be visible on an x-ray. At that point growth plates are considered closed.
Good sleeping habits, such as getting enough sleep and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, can also promote growth by allowing the body to release growth hormones during the night.
A growth plate that has completely hardened into solid bone is a closed growth plate. After a growth plate closes, the bones are no longer growing.
Growth plate fractures often are caused by a fall or a blow to the limb, as might occur in: A car accident. Competitive sports, such as football, basketball, running, dancing or gymnastics. Recreational activities, such as biking, sledding, skiing or skateboarding.
Once a growth plate hardens into solid bone it closes forever – meaning the child's growth is complete. Typically, that happens around age 14 for girls and age 16 for boys, although it can vary widely.
The growth plates in the knees generally close at about the same time as the ones in the wrist. The usual progression of fusion of growth plates is elbow first, then foot and ankle, then hand and wrist, then knee, then hip and pelvis, and last the shoulder and clavicle.
Most females reach their full adult height aged 14–16 years. Most males reach their full height by the age of 16–18 years. It is very unusual for a person to grow after the age of 18 years.
Staying physically active is even more essential from childhood to grow and improve overall health. But taking it up even in adulthood can help you add a few inches to your height. Strength-building exercises, yoga, jumping rope, and biking all can help to increase your flexibility and grow a few inches taller.
Other regulators include parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), a member of the parathyroid hormone family that supports chondrocytes and maintains the width of the growth plate.
Medicines called GnRH agonists can shut down puberty at the brain level. Other medicines can stop the growth plates from closing too early. When we find an underlying cause, such as a problem in the brain, we can treat that condition to delay puberty. Treatment for delayed puberty also depends on the cause.
6 Signs Your Kid is Having a Growth Spurt | Abbott Nutrition
And while it's difficult to say just how much your child will grow during this time, you can count on most of it happening, for girls, between 10 and 14 years, and, for boys, between 12 and 16 years.
Boys tend to show the first physical changes of puberty between the ages of 10 and 16. They tend to grow most quickly between ages 12 and 15. The growth spurt of boys is, on average, about 2 years later than that of girls. By age 16, most boys have stopped growing, but their muscles will continue to develop.
Jesse Feder, Clinical Dietitian at the Memorial Regional Hospital, says, “It is possible to grow 6 inches after the age of 18. However, this is extremely rare and most likely due to a medical condition.”
Menstruation has started within the last one to two years for girls. Other signs that you may have stopped growing include slowed development over the last one to two years, completion of pubic and underarm hair growth, stable shoe size, and for girls, the onset of menstruation within the last one to two years ( 12 ).
There is no evidence that stretching makes you taller. However, there are a number of factors that can influence your height, including genetics, sex, and nutrition. While you cannot change your height, you can ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you need for growth by eating a balanced diet.
In males, there are typically two major growth spurts that occur during childhood and adolescence: Childhood Growth Spurt: This growth spurt occurs between the ages of two to three years and ten to twelve years. During this time, boys typically grow at a steady rate of about two to three inches per year.