How to Grow Taller as an Adult
Many people wish they could be taller, even just a little. But such wishes are never granted, especially for adults. Medical experts usually say that a person can no longer grow taller once they have reached adulthood.
There are good reasons to believe that a person cannot increase their after the age of 18. However, You may still be able to at least, express your height more fully as an adult.
Factors Determining how tall you will grow
Several factors come into play in determining how tall a person may become. The most prominent of these is genetics.
It is estimated that the genes you carry control your height by between 60 and 80 percent. There are numerous genes – several hundred – that are believed to be involved in this process.
Your genes are so important for height because of the influence they have on bone length. As you may already know, bone length is a key determinant of your final height.
What this means is that you are likely to be tall if one or both of your parents are tall. On the other hand, if they are short, there is a great likelihood that you will also be short.
Other factors that account for the remaining 20 percent of your height include:
- Nutrition – It has been extensively observed that most people who were well-fed as children tended to be taller than adults who were poorly fed as kids. Research shows that improved nutrition has led to increases in the average height of people over time.
- Exercise – Researchers have also found that a high level of activity may help you grow taller, especially during childhood. This promotes the release of human growth hormones. The substance acts on growth plates at the end of bones to lengthen them.
- Gender – Whether you are a male or female may affect your height. Men tend to be taller than women. The number of tall males is usually higher than that of tall females.
- Disorders – Some medical conditions may impact your final adult height. Among them are HGH deficiency, dwarfism, Down syndrome, and Marfan syndrome. These alter the growth pattern of a child, making him or her unable to attain his or her maximum height potential. Also, conditions that require the use of steroids for an extended period can stunt growth.
Can You Grow as an Adult?
The common argument is that a person cannot grow any taller once they have crossed into adulthood. This is because growth plates are usually closed by then which makes further growth impossible.
Conditions like gigantism and acromegaly cause abnormal growth beyond puberty due to hormonal imbalances, but these are rare medical disorders, not typical height-increasing factors.
In most cases, females are done growing around the age of 15 and males around 16 years.
In 99% of individuals, growth plates fuse completely by ages 18-21, making further natural height increase impossible. X-ray imaging is the only reliable way to determine if any growth plates remain open.
What You Can Do to Increase Height in Adulthood
Unfortunately, there is little if anything, you can do to grow taller the natural way once your growth plates fuse.
After growth plates close, no natural method can increase bone length. The only option is limb lengthening surgery, a costly and painful procedure that typically involves breaking and gradually extending the bones in the legs to add a few inches in height.
What is Limb Lengthening Surgery?
Limb-lengthening surgery is a procedure that is carried out to increase the length of the legs. This is why it is alternatively referred to as a leg-lengthening procedure by some people.
The cosmetic procedure is also known as bone-lengthening surgery. It works on the principle of distraction osteogenesis. This has to do with the ability of the human body to produce new tissues and bones when the right stress is applied.
Although the name might not point at it, the ultimate goal of this procedure is usually to increase height. At least, that appears to be what is driving its popularity nowadays. However, it was originally done to correct deformities in the limbs, such as a discrepancy in leg length.
Limb-lengthening surgery is sometimes called the Ilizarov procedure after Gavril Ilizarov. The Soviet physician used a type of device now used for this kind of surgery to experiment on patients returning from World War II.
Ilizarov’s new method gained significant popularity after it was successfully used to treat Soviet Olympic high jumper Valeriy Brumel.
Limb Lengthening Techniques
Gradual limb lengthening is now the most popular approach to these procedures. The use of the acute lengthening method in the past was often accompanied by serious issues, including nerve injury and implant failure.
The following are some of the common techniques involved in gradual limb lengthening.
Distraction osteogenesis
This technique or principle was what Ilizarov’s work mainly revolved around. The Soviet physician found that gradual distraction, or pulling apart, of bones, can help promote regeneration.
The slow, gradual pulling pressure stresses living tissues, thus stimulating them to regenerate and grow. This was described as the “law of tension stress.”
Epiphysiodesis
This involves the insertion of metal staples into a long bone’s growth plate. Epiphysiodesis isn’t a technique to help you grow taller. It is intended to correct situations where one leg is growing longer than the other.
The growth plate is restrained on both sides to prevent further development. With the growth in one leg restrained, the hope is that the shorter leg would, thus, be allowed enough time to grow and be equal to the longer one.
For angular corrections, a technique known as hemi-epiphysiodesis is used. Only one side of the growth plate is tethered in this case. Growth continues on one side while it is halted on the other.
Osteotomy
This describes surgical bone cutting. Osteotomy is a potentially painful and often inevitable part of limb lengthening.
After a cut to the bone, surgeons then fix the right devices in place, depending on the goal of the procedure.
A surgical cut performed within a joint is known as an intra-articular osteotomy. The one done outside the joint, on the bone, is called extra-articular osteotomy.
This technique can be performed regardless of whether lengthening is done or not. It is used for the correction of bone deformities that don’t require lengthening.
Devices Used in Limb-Lengthening Surgery
The main devices used for carrying out limb-lengthening procedures are known as fixators. They are of two types: external fixators and internal fixators.
External fixators
Grow taller With The Ilizarov Ring Fixator
Ilizarov used an external fixator for the procedures that he performed. He is credited with inventing this type of device.
An external fixator is a device that surgeons attach to the bone using wires and pins to extend and support the limb. It helps to pull apart bone segments mechanically, thus promoting lengthening.
There are different types of external fixators. They include the following:
Ilizarov ring fixator – This device comprises rings with varying diameters. Surgeons use cross K-wires to secure them. Ilizarov ring fixators are effective for gradual limb lengthening or deformity corrections. The main issue is that their use is typically accompanied by significant pain.
Tailor spatial frame – This circular device is a modification of the Ilizarov external fixator. The metal frame features two rings connecting with six telescopic struts. The use of computer software makes these devices perfect for performing complex corrections.
Monolateral fixator – Introduced by Dr. Heinz Wagner in 1978, this kind is used on the side of the bone. Monolateral external fixators are attached to the bone with the use of conical or tapered half-pins.
Internal fixators
Also known as an implantable lengthening nail or intramedullary nail, an internal fixator is a type of rod that surgeons place inside the bone for limb lengthening or deformity corrections.
The first kind to be used by most surgeons in the United States was called the Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor (ISKD). However, this internal lengthening nail is no longer as popular in the country due to the high incidence of irregular distraction.
PRECICE internal fixators appear to be more preferred by surgeons these days. These devices feature an expandable rod with a magnetic gear system on the inside. An external remote control relying on a magnet is used to lengthen the rod inside the bone.
Some procedures combine both internal and external fixation. For instance, a technique brings together osteotomy, an external fixator, and an intramedullary rod.
What is the Surgery Like?
A limb-lengthening surgery typically begins with an osteotomy. Your surgeon first makes an incision (a cut) in your skin. He then proceeds to surgically cut your bone.
That sounds painful and possibly unbearable already. General anesthesia is often needed so that a patient doesn’t feel pain while the procedure is on.
After cutting a bone, your surgeon separates it and fixes the appropriate fixation device in place. It is after this is done that the growth of new bone can commence.
Patients typically stay in the hospital for about a couple of days following the surgery. During this time, they are taught the right thing to do while the process is ongoing.
Bone lengthening starts days after the surgery. Your surgeon would ideally wait until callus, or new bone forms at the point of bone cutting before attempting to lengthen.
There are two phases in the lengthening process, namely: distraction and consolidation.
Distraction phase
This refers to the period in which the actual lengthening takes place. It is the time after bone cutting and fixation when your surgeon gradually adjusts the lengthening device.
The broken bone is separated by a length of about one millimeter a day. During this phase, you also need to do physical therapy every day.
Consolidation phase
After attaining the desired or ideal length, the fixator is left alone with no further adjustments made. This is the consolidation phase.
Your surgeon stops making further adjustments to allow the new bone formed to harden.
The amount of time a person spends in this phase is dependent on their age. Children typically spend less time per centimeter of lengthening, compared to adults.
How Much Can You Add to Your Height?
Most people who had successful limb-lengthening surgeries were able to add about 2-3 inches to their height. This falls in the range of what professionals would consider ideal and feasible.
However, there are reports of some people adding more than 2-3 inches to their height. It is not uncommon for surgeons in Korea to promise gains of up to 5 inches.
Limb-lengthening surgery is the only option that most medical professionals agree can make people grow taller after puberty.
How Much Does it Cost?
Apart from being a procedure not intended for the faint-hearted, leg-lengthening surgery is expensive. You can expect to part with thousands of dollars to have one.
In the United States, for instance, prices start from about $68,000 for bilateral femur lengthening. That doesn’t include certain other costs.
The actual amount you should be prepared to spend depends on what type of fixator would be used. The desired length and focal leg bones also influence costs.
One of the best centers offering this procedure currently charges $280,000 for increasing length by up to 16 cm! The surgery involves lengthening both the femur and tibia using Precise fixators.
Drugs aren’t always included in cost estimates. If you’d be traveling for the procedure, you need to have additional money for travel, accommodation, food, and other needs.
Insurance Coverage for Limb Lengthening Surgery
It is common for experts to describe this procedure as cosmetic. Sadly, what that means is that your insurer will not cover payment if you are willing to dare it.
This is a major factor that holds back most people desperate enough to undergo limb-lengthening surgery. You’d have to take care of every cost, including that of medication, out of pocket.
Traveling Abroad for Cheaper Procedure
Some people travel outside the U.S. to have this surgery in countries with cheaper rates. Syria, Thailand, Ukraine, China, India, and Russia are some of these other countries.
Prices seem to be especially low in India. There, you may be able to spend less than $4,000 to add about 2-3 inches to your limb length.
The procedure also appears to be cheaper in some places in Europe, compared to America.
However, caution is advised when looking to go overseas to have limb-lengthening surgery. It requires a certain level of expertise, which may not be existent in some countries offering cheaper rates.
Limb-lengthening surgery requires specialized expertise, and not all international centers meet the same safety and regulatory standards. Researching a surgeon’s credentials, facility accreditation, and complication rates is essential.
If you have no idea of where to look when traveling abroad for the surgery, you run the risk of being operated on by quacks. You may need to pay to correct complications from such a procedure as well.
Best Centers and Doctors
As stated in the previous section, it is vital to have an idea of the right place to go. This can be hard for some patients to know. We can help with some suggestions.
It appears one of the best places you can have limb-lengthening surgery in the U.S., and even in the entire world, is the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Professor Ilizarov was one of the key persons who trained the center’s medical director, Dr. Dror Paley. The internationally recognized expert in limb lengthening and reconstruction reportedly introduced the Ilizarov procedure to the U.S. and Canada in the 1980s.
The Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute says some patients do come to it for corrections of complications from limb lengthening surgery done elsewhere.
Some of the other notable centers for having the procedure include:
- AdventHealth Orthopedic Institute, Orlando
- LifeBridge International Center for Limb Lengthening (ICLL), Baltimore
- Mayo Clinic’s Limb Lengthening and Regeneration Clinic
- The Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Russia
- B. L. Kapur Memorial Hospital, India
- Beijing Institute of External Skeletal Fixation Technology, China
- Lengthening Deformity Center, Syria
- Vejthani Height Clinic, Thailand
- BONAMED Medical Center, Ukraine
Apart from Dr. Paley, the list of recommended surgeons who perform this procedure includes the following (countries, where they work, are in parenthesis):
- John Herzenberg (USA)
- Janet Conway (USA)
- J. Dean Coley (USA)
- Shabab Mahboubian (USA)
- Svetlana Ilizarov (USA)
- Vladimir Shevtsov (Russia)
- Alexander Baranov (Russia)
- Amar Sarin (India)
- Milind Chaudhary (India)
- Hetao Xia (China)
- Halong Bai (China)
- Maurizio Catagni (Italy)
- Arshak Mirzoyan (Armenia)
- Wagner Nogueira da Silva (Brazil)
What are the Risks Involved in Limb Lengthening Surgery?
Merely imagining this height-enhancing procedure is enough to know that it would come with some risks. So, what are the likely ones?
Pain is a significant concern, often requiring prolonged pain management. Studies indicate that up to 30% of limb-lengthening patients experience complications, including nonunion (failure of bone to heal), nerve damage, and chronic pain (Novikov et al., 2014).
As with other types of surgery, there is a risk of infections. This is more likely to be an issue when you sacrifice expertise and safety for cost savings.
There is a significant risk of complications from limb-lengthening surgery. You could suffer neurovascular injury. The damage could lead to permanent loss of limb function.
The procedure puts you at risk of issues such as acute limb compartment syndrome, deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot within a deep vein), and pulmonary embolism (blockage of arteries in your lungs).
Another discouraging thing is that you’d have to pay to correct complications. You may end up paying even more than what you paid for the original surgery to have this done.
Let’s say you are lucky not to experience any complications. You should still expect to be unable to stand on your feet for some time.
Patients must avoid putting weight on the newly formed bone for several months, which can significantly impact mobility and daily activities. Some individuals require additional corrective surgeries if complications arise.
Safer Options for Increasing Height
Limb-lengthening surgery is a highly invasive procedure that requires extensive recovery. Fortunately, there are non-surgical methods that can help individuals maximize their perceived height. While these options do not increase bone length after growth plates close, they carry significantly fewer risks and are more cost-effective
Maintain good posture
It is well known that some people suffer from pain as a result of poor body posture, such as slouching. This has the potential to cause your spine to curve, which can also adversely affect your height.
Endeavor to always keep your head vertically aligned with your body and your shoulders back when standing. Use your abdominal muscles to support and reduce pressure on your spine.
When sitting, keep your feet flat and your thighs parallel to the floor. Don’t cross your legs. Ensure there is a comfortable support for your back to rest on.
While good posture can prevent height loss and improve appearance, it does not contribute to actual height increase.
Good nutrition
A healthy, balanced diet is not only good for good health; it can also help you grow taller while you are still in the growing phase. You need the right amount of proteins, calcium, minerals, and carbohydrates to attain your maximum height potential.
A major way a good diet helps is through the production of human growth hormone (HGH).
Therefore, you may benefit from including foods such as milk, cheese, fish, beans, nuts, and seeds in your diet. Fruits and green vegetables are also important. Other helpful foods for height include those rich in vitamins A, B, and C as well as iron, zinc, and phosphorus.
Exercise often to maximize your height
Regular exercise can help you boost your growth hormone levels. Keep in mind though that HGH therapy is only effective for children with diagnosed growth hormone deficiency and does not increase height in adults with normal hormone levels.
Exercises that strengthen your abdominal muscles can also help you look taller. Your spine gets compressed and you become shorter when these are weak. Abdominal crunches and planks are two of the exercises that can help in this regard.
Aerobics can also be beneficial to your height. You could try swimming, running and sports that require a lot of jumping.
You should also do hanging and stretching exercises. They help to release the tension in your back which, if left unaddressed, can cause you to look shorter. Examples include cobra pose, pelvic shift, Pilates, and yoga.
You should, however, take care not to exercise for too long to the point of complete exhaustion. This may have a contrary effect on your growth. Exercising at high intensity for shorter periods is better.
Consider using an inversion table as it does help decompress the spine allowing you to grow taller temporarily.
Restful sleep
Good seven to nine hours of sleep every night can also make a difference to your height. This enables your body to refresh properly. More importantly, the release of growth hormone is believed to be highest when you are in deep sleep.
Some people also take HGH injections because of the hormone’s ability to enhance growth and height.
We need to mention that you are more likely to get the desired results with these safer options if your growth plates are still open. Otherwise, they might not help so much and limb-lengthening may appear the only solution.
Avoid alcohol and smoking
Alcohol consumption and smoking are two well-known habits capable of stunting growth. You may need to avoid them to improve your chance of reaching your maximum height.
It is especially advisable to avoid these before exercising or going to bed.
Conclusion
In the majority of cases, there is practically nothing an adult can do to grow taller.
Exercises, including stretching exercises, and proper nutrition may still be useful to people over 18 wanting to express their maximum height. Good posture and adequate, quality sleep can also help. It is equally important to avoid potentially growth-stunting habits, including alcohol consumption and smoking.
You should take note, however, that only people with open growth plates have a better chance of experiencing new growth. People who don’t may only succeed at better expressing their maximum height with the suggestions provided in this article.
References
MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Leg lengthening and shortening: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 31, 2023, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002965.htm
Soliman, A., De Sanctis, V., Elalaily, R., & Bedair, S. (2014). Advances in pubertal growth and factors influencing it: Can we increase pubertal growth? Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 18(Suppl 1), S53-S62. https://doi.org/10.4103/2230-8210.145075
Novikov, K. I., Subramanyam, K. N., Muradisinov, S. O., Novikova, O. S., & Kolesnikova, E. S. (2014). Cosmetic lower limb lengthening by Ilizarov apparatus: What are the risks? Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 472(11), 3549–3556. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-014-3782-8
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America. (n.d.). Limb lengthening techniques. https://posna.org/physician-education/study-guide/limb-lengthening-techniques
Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Limb lengthening surgery. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24316-limb-lengthening-surgery
