Viral ‘heightmaxxing’ trend has teen boys taking cancer drugs to grow taller, doctors warn of risks
Medical experts are warning of a dangerous new social media trend known as "heightmaxxing," amid reports that teenagers are taking black-market cancer medications in an effort to grow taller.
Key points
- Once growth plates close near the end of puberty, medications cannot reopen them, meaning older adolescents taking the compound are incurring catastrophic health hazards without any chance of gaining height, she said.
- CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES The trend has also raised concerns about the influence of social media on teenagers' decisions about their health.
- "We’re talking about young people potentially obtaining prescription cancer medications and experimenting with them outside of medical supervision.
DOCTORS WARN OF ‘LOOKSMAXXING’ DANGERS AFTER INFLUENCER’S LIVESTREAM EMERGENCY "It’s extremely concerning that teenagers are experimenting with powerful cancer medications in an attempt to grow taller," Dr.
Additional details
- A 2024 study published in Hormone Research in Paediatrics described accelerated growth in two pediatric patients, while a separate case report documented a teenager who grew more than 5 inches during treatment but developed serious skeletal complications.
- "One of the biggest concerns is that these medications can cause serious side effects, including potentially permanent vision damage, elevated phosphate levels and other metabolic abnormalities," Widmer said.
- Jessica Gray, a family physician in Lubbock, Texas, warned that forced, rapid growth can trigger dangerous structural problems, including premature growth plate damage and bone fractures.
- Widmer noted that online discussions about physical appearance and self-improvement can expose young men to potentially unsafe practices that lack medical evidence.
- Teenagers are reportedly experimenting with the prescription medication after encountering online discussions suggesting it could increase height.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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