Can HGH Injections Make You Taller After 25?

Synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) administered through hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one of the most popular and effective supplements among both professional athletes and everyday people for facilitating muscle gain.

Human growth hormone (HGH) is one of the body’s most essential chemical messengers. During childhood and puberty, HGH promotes growth throughout the body, including bones and muscles. In adulthood, HGH still stimulates the regeneration of new cells, but by age 25, the body has most likely stopped growing.

Why do we stop growing?

The answer is simple – once the growth plates at the end of the bones close, we cannot grow anymore.

This report looks at this topic more deeply, including the influence HGH injections can have on your height after age 25.

What Factors Influence Your Height?

Genetics plays a leading role in influencing your height. If both parents are short, chances are you will also be. The same applies if both mother and father are tall. According to scientists, approximately 60 to 80% of your height is influenced by your DNA or genetic makeup.

The first nine months of life are one of the fastest-growing times for humans. Growth slows until puberty when a surge in the production of human growth hormone, testosterone, and estrogen fuel the growth spurts of the teenage years. By age 18, many people will reach their full adult height. For some, the process can continue until age 25.

The factors that influence height the most are:

• Genetics – your DNA is the most influential factor in how tall you will be
• Gender – males grow for a more extended period than females and are generally taller (girls tend to have their growth spurt earlier than boys, which accounts for the height discrepancy in middle school and the first years of high school)
• Hormones – HGH, testosterone, estrogen, and thyroid hormones influence growth
• Nutrition – foods that are high in protein and calcium are essential for the health and growth of bones
• Exercise – regular exercise, including running and playing sports, can help make the bones stronger and denser
• Sleep – growth hormone production occurs in pulsatile bursts every few hours during the day, with the most significant release at night while you sleep to help promote growth

While genetics play a leading role in height, heritability can vary considerably among ethnic populations. A 2004 study in China estimated height heritability of 65% compared to studies showing 75 – 80% in Finland, the US, and Australia.

Can HGH Therapy Help You Get Taller?

HGH therapy has many benefits for an adult body deficient in this hormone. However, increasing height is not one of them.

Why do some people “appear” taller after using HGH as an adult?

HGH continues to help the body maintain lean muscle mass and bone mineral density throughout life. Many adults with HGH deficiency report joint pains, muscle stiffness, weakness, and fatigue. These issues can prevent a person from standing tall and erect. With hormone replacement therapy (HRT), stronger bones and muscles can help you feel better and stand taller.

Other significant benefits of HGH for adults include:

• Improving sleep duration and quality – to help stimulate hormone release and usage
• Stimulating metabolism to help with weight loss (reduces stress on the bones and muscles)
• Supporting the production of other vital hormones, including testosterone and insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1 mediates HGH effects in the body)
• Improving brain and heart health and functions
• Promoting healthy sexual functions
• Supporting the immune system

Maintaining healthy HGH levels as you age is crucial to your physical health, immune system, cell regeneration, mood, and overall well-being.

Can You Grow After Growth Plates Close?

Growth plates (epiphyseal plates) are cartilage zones at the end of the body’s long bones that contribute to the formation of new bone. The body’s growth plates close at different times, and when they do, no further growth in those affected bones can occur.

Females typically cease growing between 13 and 15, and males end between 15 and 17. Some people continue to grow after these times, especially if their growth has been affected by medical conditions.

Bone growth plates close in a predictable order:

• Elbows
• Feet and ankles
• Hand and wrist
• Knee
• Hip and pelvis
• Shoulder and clavicle

When the knee, hip, and pelvis growth plates close, full adult height is reached.

How to check if your growth plates are still open?

X-ray imaging will show if the growth plates have fused shut. Once they do, there is no additional bone growth in that area. Growth plates appear as dark lines on an x-ray.

Because growth plates close at different times, only an x-ray of the legs can provide a final answer as to whether growth has stopped. The small bones of the wrist may be closed, while growth plates in the legs may still be open.

A wrist and hand x-ray is the standard for testing as the growth plates in the knee typically close around the same time.

Conclusion

Once your body finishes growing, your growth plates close, and no further increases are possible. While you cannot increase your height after age 25, HRT can help with many other issues if you are deficient in this hormone. Human growth hormone improves bone mineral content for stronger bones, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

For those who need it, HGH therapy can help strengthen the bones and muscles, immunity, heart health, and cognitive functions. HGH can significantly improve your quality of life and well-being.