20M interested in maximizing development via growth pathways

[The_Nail]

My first major experience with lookism came from my stature/development and resulted in my interest and personal experience with pharmacology. I grew up very small, hovering below 5th percentile for height and weight during middle school. As I went into high school, I was not developing normally. Long story short, at 15 I was given testosterone by my endocrinologist; I weighed around 85 lbs and was just under 5 feet tall. I had CDGP. Analysis of my growth plates showed a 3 year delay at that time. The testosterone worked and I began developing normally (still delayed). However, for "social wellbeing" my parents we able to put me on omnitrope (HGH) at 16 for 6 months. I did not have a GH deficiency so this short duration did not result in any major advantage. Another x-ray after HGH treatment showed my bone age was now 3.5 years behind (I was 17.5 chronologically and plates were 14.0). I received no further treatment. Given this x-ray and my height and height velocity, I was predicted to be 6'1.25. In the summer of 2025, I developed a case of gyno (that was at least partially prolactin related). That summer, when I turned 19, I was exactly 5'11.5. From August 2025 to May 2026 I did not get any taller (pubertal gyno obviously coincided w plates closing earlier than expected).

I was very upset given that I was expected to growth longer and taller; going from tiny to somewhat tall also had become part of my identity so I felt something was taken from me. I had long been causally interested in pharmacology and often watched MPMD but never took part on my own. When I learned I probably would not grow taller I was upset but this also made me determined to maximize the growth windows I may have left.

In May 2026, I began injecting 350 mg of testosterone weekly and taking arimidex. I completely wrote off growing taller but wanted to maximize my remaining facial development and maybe help my frame get wider. I felt cautiously optimistic given I had never (and still never) had coarse facial hair and look young. Over the last 3 months, I have gone from somewhere around 135 lbs to ~165 lbs. Over this time I have drank a gallon of whole milk a day and consumed at least 3k calories every single day. I am also shocked and happy to report that I legitimately grew to 5'11.75 meaning I grew a quarter inch in 3 months of just taking test + Ai.

Going forward, I am hoping to squeak out another quarter inch but primarily maximize clavicular width and bone apposition along the periosteum. Happy to share my personal experience and gain knowledge!

 

[Br4va]

That’s definitely an interesting experience, especially given how significant the delayed development was for you. I can understand why the change from being extremely small to nearly 6’0” became such a major part of your identity.


That said, I’d be careful about attributing the additional 0.25” specifically to the testosterone + AI. With growth at that stage being highly dependent on skeletal maturity and measurement variability, it’s difficult to establish causation from a three-month change. I’d also be cautious about assuming that higher androgen exposure will necessarily maximize clavicular growth or facial development.


Your experience is still interesting from a developmental perspective, though, particularly because of the unusually delayed bone age and CDGP history.

 

[The_Nail]

That’s definitely an interesting experience, especially given how significant the delayed development was for you. I can understand why the change from being extremely small to nearly 6’0” became such a major part of your identity.


That said, I’d be careful about attributing the additional 0.25” specifically to the testosterone + AI. With growth at that stage being highly dependent on skeletal maturity and measurement variability, it’s difficult to establish causation from a three-month change. I’d also be cautious about assuming that higher androgen exposure will necessarily maximize clavicular growth or facial development.


Your experience is still interesting from a developmental perspective, though, particularly because of the unusually delayed bone age and CDGP history.

Thanks for responding!

Absolutely, it would be irresponsible and ignorant to confidently and conclusively attribute the surprise height to test + AI. That said, I can say with moderate certainty that the height growth is not a measuring error. I measured fully expecting to have grown 0 and have remeasured a few times with little ego at play.

The cause of the height growth cannot be determined for sure, but it is likely that the anabolic environment from an AAS like test aided in the height growth.

I am not incredibly smart or a chemist, but I would like to learn more about the warning about androgen exposure. I have heard that ridiculous androgen levels can have negative impacts on growth plates independent of estrogen, but I have not personally read any studies about this. I do know AAS (especially non-aromatizing androgens) seem to increase height velocity without harming plates at least using reasonable doses.

I would love to learn more and wonder what you would suggest I look into taking!