A human's growth from an elbow-to-fingertip-length baby to a fully grown human being is a truly amazing thing, to say the least. However, it does take some time.

Parents of rapidly growing boys may constantly feel the need to ask, "At what age do boys stop growing?” not knowing that there are a number of factors that influence a boy's height. Many in-depth studies have looked into this, and the primary factors that affect growth tendencies in a boy are genetics and environmental conditions. To be specific, about 60%-80% of height is attributed to genetics, while around 20% is attributed to environmental conditions such as nutrition.

When Do Boys Stop Growing?

There's a strong connection between puberty and growth, and a boy's height depends on how long puberty lasts as well as other development factors. In general, puberty lasts two to five years in both boys and girls, starting a year or so later in boys than in girls.

1. Puberty and growth

In boys, puberty can start anywhere between eight and fourteen years of age, and the fastest rate of growth in boys is one to two years after the onset of puberty. Overall, it takes two to five years of puberty for a boy to mature into adulthood. So, the answer to the question, "When do boys stop growing?” is when they reach physical maturity as an adult between 16 and 18 years old.

2. The average height of boys

By the time he reaches full maturity around age 18, the average height of a boy is about 5'10” in the United States. Since genetics play a huge part in determining height, a good way to estimate the expected height of a boy is to add the parents' heights together, divide by two, and add 2.5 inches.

This isn't always accurate, but under normal circumstances, it is a good way to estimate how tall your male child may be once puberty is over.

3. Limiting factors

Under normal environmental and genetic conditions, you will experience normal height growth. However, development may be affected if you suffer from the following conditions:

• Late onset of puberty
• Medical conditions that affect the thyroid gland
• Insulin levels
• Down syndrome or other genetic disorders (such as the recessive height gene)
• Production of sex hormones

Lastly, obesity and malnutrition are also factors that could be limited to a boy's height.

When Do Girls Stop Growing?

Like boys, girls also go through some developmental changes after a certain age. This is again determined by genetics and environmental factors like nutrition.

1. Puberty and growth

In terms of height, girls typically grow for one to two years before menstruation starts, generally between the ages of 10 and 13. Girls usually grow about one to two inches after menstruation starts, and they reach their adult height soon after.

A prime difference between height growth in girls and boys is that boys tend to grow taller in height well into their late teens while girls attain their adult height around 14 to 15 years of age - this also the time when girls physically reach adulthood.

2. The average height of girls

On average, the height of a woman over 20 years is about 5'4” or less. However, just like height growth in boys, this can differ based on genetics (i.e. ethnicity) and nutrition.

A good way to estimate how tall a girl may wind up being is by adding the parents' heights together, divide by two, and subtract 2.5 inches from the total. In general, girls and boys undergo growth spurts in a slightly different manner. While girls experience a growth spurt in a short period of time, boys continue growing well into their late teens.

3. Limiting factors

There can be a number of factors affecting the growth and development of a female child, but medications and genetic conditions are the primary factors affecting growth. Genetic conditions like Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, and Noonan syndrome could be why a girl is shorter than the average height of other women in her family. Conversely, Marfan's syndrome can cause a girl to grow unusually taller.

Lastly, other factors like severe arthritis, lack of proper nutrition, hormonal imbalance, and even cancer can be limiting factors in a girl's height.

Tips for Growing Taller

• Nutrition

Nutrition obviously plays a major role in determining the height of a person and answering the question, "When do boys stop growing?”. Vitamins, calcium, and zinc should be included in your diet as much as possible. Zinc and calcium obviously strengthen your bones and help in stimulating growth. You should incorporate vegetables and fruit in your diet in order to get the vitamins which will help your body make better use of growth hormones.

• Enough sleep

Getting enough sleep each night is pretty important for the growth of your height as because HGH (Human Growth Hormone) is released when you're sleeping. Moreover, the body actually grows the most during sleep, so the more sleep a child gets, the more their height will increase.

• Morning stretches

Morning stretches can be helpful in growing taller as gravity affects your body throughout the day and causes it to slump with the passing of time. To ensure that your body actually starts at its tallest at the beginning of the day, morning stretching exercises can help. Your body will be at its tallest after sleep, and you can give it the head start it needs with stretching exercises each morning.

• Exercise

Exercise can have a profound effect on increasing height of children as growth hormones are released after each session of exercise. Encourage children to jog, run, swim, and ride a bicycle whenever possible and their height will grow as a result.

• Try a massage

When do boys stop growing? The answer is as soon as puberty ends, but with proper massaging, development can be rekindled a bit in order to help you grow taller. A good masseuse might be able to help you with height issues.

• Body posture matters

Good posture is necessary to ensure that your body stays straight and you look as tall as possible. If you hunch with your normal posture, it will have a detrimental effect on your spine curvature, so it's important that you maintain a posture that keeps your chin high, your hips directly over both feet, and your shoulders back. Incorporate this posture when you walk and while you're sitting down, and avoid slouching as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, when do boys stop growing in height is dependent on a number of factors. Essentially, height is influenced by genes, nutritional requirements, or even hormonal imbalances. Variations in those factors could slow down or speed up a growth spurt.

Our advice? If you're worried about the height growth of your male child, it may be worth getting a full medical checkup done so that no serious medical conditions are overlooked. Apart from that, follow our tips to reach full height potential.