How To Grow 8 Inches Taller (Most People Can’t)

Looking for a guide on how to grow 8 inches taller? Well, I’m sorry to break it to you, but you won’t find such nonsense here.

While there’s always somebody willing to sell you a new height-increasing product or program, the truth is that growing 8 inches taller is almost impossible unless you’re in the early stages of puberty.

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How can you grow 8 inches taller?

A boy and girl standing back to back in order to measure their heights

As mentioned, the only way to grow 8 inches taller is to be in an early phase of pubertal development, when you still have plenty of growing left to do.

The reason for this is that the growth plates at the ends of your long bones (e.g., fibula, tibia, and femur) fuse at the end of puberty, meaning that additional height increase is no longer possible. ^[1]

Of course, we all grow at different rates. There are certainly rare cases of people growing after their teens and sometimes by a substantial amount.

But it’s safe to say that, for the majority of people, an 8 inch height increase is only possible during puberty.

Now, presuming that somebody is in puberty, the precise amount of growth mainly comes down to their genetics.

But their lifestyle and the overall health of their body, including their diet quality, exercise routine, and sleeping habits, can also affect their rate of physical development. ^[2]

How quickly can you grow 8 inches taller?

A calendar showing the days of the month

On average, it will take a developing boy 5 years to grow 8 inches taller during puberty.

Indeed, presuming that he starts to physically mature at age 12 and stops growing in height at age 17, he will typically grow around 8 inches taller within that period of time.

Of course, some children have the genetics to achieve a more substantial height increase, whereas others might not grow as tall as this.

Similarly, some individuals may achieve the same final height and experience the same 8 inch height increase but at a faster (or slower) rate.

Still, the above real-life example shows that puberty is the only real time when a person can get 8 inches taller naturally.

Why do some people want to get 8 inches taller?

A businessman holding his hand above his head

Many people like the idea of being tall and towering over those that they meet. It’s commonly believed that tall people command more respect and have more success in both their personal and professional lives.

Of course, for many people who’ve been tall their whole lives, the novelty likely wore off a while ago, and many of them may not care all that much about their impressive stature.

Still, it seems that some people want what they can’t have, and so they dream and fantasize about what their life would be like if they could add 8 inches to their height.

Well, you likely can’t get 8 inches taller. But if you’re determined to look taller, then you can always wear shoes with a bigger heel and/or height-increasing insoles.

Related: 8 inch height difference

In summary

As we’ve hopefully established by now, it’s not possible for an adult to grow 8 inches taller because once the growth plates have closed, you can’t increase your height by any meaningful amount.

Now, if you feel that you’re too short and desperately want to be tall, you can elevate yourself with certain shoes and insoles. This won’t get you an 8-inch boost, but it will make you a fair bit taller, albeit temporarily.

References

Ruzbarsky, J. J., Goodbody, C., & Dodwell, E. (2017). Closing the growth plate: a review of indications and surgical options. Current opinion in pediatrics, 29(1), 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOP.0000000000000438
Perkins, J. M., Subramanian, S. V., Davey Smith, G., & Özaltin, E. (2016). Adult height, nutrition, and population health. Nutrition reviews, 74(3), 149–165. https://doi.org/10.1093/nutrit/nuv105