The onset of menarche, the first menstrual period, represents a significant milestone in female pubertal development. A common misconception is the belief that linear growth ceases the moment menstruation begins. This article clarifies the science behind pubertal growth, detailing how much growth remains after menarche and the underlying biological mechanisms that signal the end of the growth period.
Remaining Growth After Menarche
Linear growth does not stop abruptly with the first period, but the rate of increase slows compared to the preceding years. The greatest increase in height, known as the peak height velocity, typically occurs in the year or two leading up to menarche. After the first period, most girls achieve an average of about 7 centimeters (3 inches) of additional height before reaching their final adult stature.
The remaining growth period generally lasts for approximately one to two years following menarche, though this varies significantly between individuals. Most individuals reach their final adult height by age 14 or 15, depending on the timing of their pubertal onset. The amount of remaining growth is inversely related to the age of menarche.
Girls who experience menarche early, around age 10, may gain up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) afterward. Conversely, those who begin menstruating later may gain less, sometimes only 5 centimeters (2 inches) or less. This pattern confirms that menarche is a biological marker of skeletal maturity, not the mechanism that halts growth.
The Role of Hormones in Skeletal Maturity
The slowing of height growth after menarche is directly linked to changing concentrations of sex hormones during puberty. Estrogen, which triggers menarche, is also the primary signal for the gradual end of linear growth. As estrogen levels increase throughout puberty, they affect the long bones in the body.
Estrogen acts directly on the epiphyseal plates, commonly called growth plates, which are specialized areas of cartilage near the ends of long bones. These plates generate new bone tissue, a process that lengthens the bones and increases height. Rising estrogen levels accelerate the programmed aging, or senescence, of the growth plate cartilage cells.
This hormonal acceleration causes the proliferative potential of the cartilage cells, known as chondrocytes, to become exhausted quickly. Once the chondrocytes stop multiplying, the growth plate hardens and fuses with the rest of the bone. This process, called epiphyseal fusion, means no further linear growth in height is possible.
Other Influences on Final Adult Height
While hormonal changes dictate the timing of growth cessation, the final adult height is determined by a complex interplay of other factors. Genetic inheritance is the strongest predictor of height potential, accounting for approximately 60 to 80 percent of the variation in adult height. Potential height is often estimated based on the average heights of both parents.
The overall timing of puberty also influences the final outcome. Individuals who start puberty later, sometimes referred to as “late bloomers,” have a longer period of childhood growth before the growth plates begin to fuse. Conversely, those who start puberty early have a shorter growth window, though their overall height potential remains similar to their genetic blueprint.
Environmental factors, such as nutrition and general health, contribute the remaining 20 to 40 percent of height determination. Adequate caloric intake, particularly sufficient protein, calcium, and vitamin D, is necessary to maximize genetically predetermined height. Chronic health conditions or periods of malnutrition during the growth years can negatively impact achieving full potential height.