Testosterone gets most of the credit for the summer a teenage boy suddenly outgrows every pair of jeans he owns. So does testosterone make you taller? Partly, and only for a while. Rising testosterone helps power the growth spurt of puberty, but it doesn't raise the height you'll end up at as an adult. Part of the testosterone a boy makes is converted into estrogen, and that estrogen is what eventually closes the growth plates. That's also why testosterone taken from outside the body, especially before or during the growth spurt, can leave a teen shorter than he otherwise would have been.
Key Takeaways
- Testosterone helps speed up growth during puberty, but it doesn't increase final adult height.
- Some testosterone is converted into estrogen, and estrogen is the signal that closes growth plates and ends growth, in boys as well as girls.
- A man whose body couldn't respond to estrogen was still growing at 28 and reached 6'8", even though his testosterone levels were normal.
- Anabolic steroids, which are synthetic versions of testosterone, can end growth early and leave teens permanently shorter.
- Once growth plates close, testosterone therapy can't add height. Genetics remains the biggest single factor in how tall you'll be.
Does Testosterone Make You Taller? The Short Answer
It makes you grow faster, for a limited time. During puberty, testosterone acts like a gas pedal: growth speeds up sharply, which is why boys can gain inches in a single year. But the same process also moves the finish line closer. As puberty goes on, hormones derived from testosterone tell the growth plates to harden and close, and when they do, growth in height stops for good.
So testosterone shapes when you grow and how fast, while your genes do most of the work of deciding how tall you end up. Scientists estimate that about 80% of a person's height is determined by the DNA variations they inherit [1].
How Testosterone Drives the Teen Growth Spurt
In boys, the pubertal growth spurt lines up closely with the steep rise in testosterone. A classic study that measured hundreds of children and teens found that the spurt coincided with the jump in testosterone, and that boys with delayed puberty didn't show that spurt while their testosterone stayed low [2].
The effect starts early. In a study of healthy boys followed through puberty, even the modest testosterone levels of early to mid puberty were linked to about a 50% increase in growth speed compared with childhood [3]. Testosterone likely works in two ways: it acts on the growth plates directly, and it raises growth hormone levels, though that second effect runs mostly through estrogen made from testosterone.
The Twist: Estrogen Is What Ends Growth, Even in Boys
Boys make estrogen too. An enzyme called aromatase converts part of their testosterone into estradiol, a form of estrogen. Early in puberty, that estrogen helps drive the growth spurt. Later, it does the opposite: it's the main signal that tells growth plates to fuse. Put simply, testosterone, through its conversion to estrogen, is what normally stops the long bones from growing after puberty [6].
How testosterone both drives growth and ends it
- 1 Testosterone rises The testes make much more of it once puberty starts.
- 2 Some becomes estrogen The enzyme aromatase converts part of it into estradiol.
- 3 Growth speeds up Early in puberty, both hormones fuel the growth spurt.
- 4 Plates start to fuse Later, estrogen signals the growth plates to harden into bone.
- 5 Growth stops Once the plates close, adult height is set.
Simplified overview based on references 3 and 6. The same estrogen signal ends growth in girls.
The Man Who Kept Growing at 28
The clearest proof came from a 1994 case report. Doctors evaluated a 28-year-old man whose estrogen receptors didn't work because of a rare genetic mutation. His testosterone levels and pubertal development were normal, yet his growth plates had never closed. He stood 6'8" (204 cm) and was still slowly growing into adulthood [4]. With plenty of testosterone but no working estrogen signal, his body never received the message to stop.
Why Low Testosterone Can Mean Longer Legs
A more common example points the same way. Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic condition in which the testes make less testosterone than usual. People with it are typically taller than average, often 2 to 3 inches taller than would be expected for their family [5]. Genes on the extra X chromosome play a part, and so does hormone timing: with less testosterone available to become estrogen, the long bones of the legs tend to keep growing for longer.
Neither case means low testosterone is a route to height, since both involve medical conditions with real health effects. What they show is that more testosterone doesn't translate into more height. What matters is the timing of puberty and the window of growth before the plates close.
Can Extra Testosterone Make a Teen Taller?
No, and it can do the opposite. Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances based on testosterone. In teens, they can cause premature skeletal maturation and accelerated puberty, which leads to stunted growth [7]. Because the growth plates close earlier than they should, a teen who uses them before or during the growth spurt can end up permanently shorter. Our article on whether steroids make you grow taller covers anabolic steroids and corticosteroids in more detail.
There is one legitimate medical use worth knowing about. Some boys go through puberty much later than their peers, a common pattern known as constitutional delay of growth and puberty. For boys who are distressed by it, endocrinologists sometimes prescribe a short course of low-dose testosterone. In one small study of 23 boys, those who were treated grew faster in the first year, but their predicted adult height was no different from boys who went through puberty on their own [8]. The treatment changes the timing of growth, not the final number.
Does Testosterone Affect Girls' Height?
Girls produce small amounts of testosterone, but their growth spurt is driven mainly by estrogen. Estrogen has a similar effect on growth in boys and girls: it helps fuel the pubertal growth spurt and later brings growth to an end [3]. Girls usually start puberty earlier, which is one reason their growth plates tend to close earlier too, typically around ages 13 to 15, compared with about 15 to 17 for boys [9].
Can Adults Grow Taller With Testosterone?
No. Once growth plates harden into solid bone, the bones can't grow any longer [9]. Testosterone replacement therapy is prescribed to adults with diagnosed low testosterone to treat its symptoms. It won't add height at any dose, and taking testosterone without a prescription carries real health risks.
| Stage | What testosterone does | Effect on height |
|---|---|---|
| Childhood | Levels stay low | Little role |
| Early to mid puberty | Rises sharply and speeds up growth, partly by boosting growth hormone | Faster growth |
| Late puberty | Converted to estrogen, which closes the growth plates | Growth ends |
| Teen steroid use | Pushes skeletal maturation ahead of schedule | Can mean shorter |
| Delayed puberty treatment | Starts the growth spurt sooner under medical supervision | Same final height |
| Adulthood | Supports muscle, bone density, and sex drive | No height gain |
What Actually Shapes How Tall You'll Be
Your parents' heights are the best single clue. For more on how that inheritance works, see whether height comes from mom or dad. Beyond genetics, good nutrition, enough sleep, regular activity, and overall health during childhood and the teen years help a young person reach the height their genes allow.
Timing matters as well. A boy who starts puberty later than his friends will often be shorter for a few years and then largely catch up, while an early starter may be tall at 12 and finish growing sooner. If a boy shows no signs of puberty by around 14, or a child's growth seems to have slowed, a pediatrician can check growth over time and, if needed, order a bone age X-ray or refer to a pediatric endocrinologist. For a rough idea of where a child's height may be heading, our height predictor calculator gives an estimate based on both parents' heights.
Final Thoughts
So, does testosterone make you taller? It makes you grow faster for a few years, and that's where its influence on height ends. Testosterone is one of the engines of the teenage growth spurt, but it isn't a height booster. The hormone that speeds growth up is also, through estrogen, the one that brings it to a stop, so adding more of it, especially early, mostly makes the race end sooner. The healthiest path to a tall adult height is the unglamorous one: let puberty happen on its own schedule, support it with good food and sleep, and talk to a doctor if growth or puberty seems off track.
References
1. MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Is height determined by genetics? medlineplus.gov
2. Krabbe, S., Christiansen, C., Rødbro, P., & Transbøl, I. (1979). Effect of puberty on rates of bone growth and mineralisation: With observations in male delayed puberty. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 54(12), 950–953. adc.bmj.com
3. Pubertal growth and serum testosterone and estradiol levels in boys. (2013). Hormone Research in Paediatrics, 80(2), 100–110. karger.com
4. Smith, E. P., Boyd, J., Frank, G. R., et al. (1994). Estrogen resistance caused by a mutation in the estrogen-receptor gene in a man. New England Journal of Medicine, 331(16), 1056–1061. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199410203311604 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
5. MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Klinefelter syndrome. medlineplus.gov
6. Society for Endocrinology, You and Your Hormones. Klinefelter's syndrome. yourhormones.info
7. National Institute on Drug Abuse. Questions and answers about anabolic steroids. nida.nih.gov
8. Giri, D., et al. (2017). Testosterone therapy improves the first year height velocity in adolescent boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism. brieflands.com
9. Nemours KidsHealth. Growth plates. kidshealth.org
