WSHD 2023 – Can You Make Your Penis Bigger?

 

Monday the 4th of September is World Sexual Health Day! Join us as we look at a variety of sexual health topics in the lead up to the 4th!

Many men are sensitive about the size of their penis. As many as 45% of men think they don’t measure up; the average penis size is around 5.1 inches long, meaning that a significant number of those men are either average or even above average!

There is an entire market in pills, potions, and procedures that claim to increase the size of your penis. Today, we are going to investigate which remedies are bogus, which are potentially dangerous, and which, if any, work effectively!

Reasons for Penis Augmentation

There are any number of reasons someone might wish to increase the size of their penis. From psychological issues through to urinary or fertility issues, these are all legitimate reasons to seek such a treatment. No judgments here!

 

 

Physical Reasons

A “micropenis” is defined as a flaccid penis that is stretched without causing discomfort and measures less than three inches. This condition may cause difficulties urinating and having sexual intercourse. It can also cause issues with fertility, with semen being deposited too low in the vagina to allow for proper conception.

Aside from the mechanical issues of a micropenis, this condition is often accompanied by reduced testosterone levels, as well as low sperm counts due to these hormonal issues.

Other conditions associated with reduced penis size include:

• Buried Penis – this is a term used when a penis is covered with excess pelvic fat. This condition is seen in obese males pre-puberty; often, these people have otherwise normal penises and will outgrow the condition, particularly if they lose weight.
• Microphallus – this is an abnormally small penis with an associated congenital defect called hypospadias, where the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis.
• Payronie’s Disease – this is a condition whereby the penis will develop a bend as a result of deposits of scar tissue inside the penis. This may make erections painful and can cause erectile dysfunction.
• Prostate Cancer Surgery – if a radical removal of the prostate is required, this will involve the removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissue. This causes up to 16% reduction in the size of the penis as internal scarring causes the penis to retract.

 

 

Psychological Reasons

As stated above, a significant number of men believe their penis is smaller than average, despite evidence to the contrary. This can be due to a number of factors, ranging from actual medical conditions to societal pressure and the influence of pornography on young men.

Some men who are above average sized penises may believe themselves to be smaller than average. This may be as a result of penile dysmorphic disorder – a form of body dysmorphia. If this belief begins to interfere with a person’s quality of life, it is more likely that psychological counselling with a healthcare professional will be of more help than a penis enlargement procedure.

Lifestyle and Home Remedies for Penis Enhancement

Whilst there are thousands of ‘small penis’ remedies out there on the internet, don’t believe the hype. In many cases, these products are scams designed to use an embarrassing condition to prevent people from chasing them up when results don’t come (assuming the product even gets delivered!)

It would make much more sense to chat to a sexual medicine professional; they can give you an unbiased view, diagnose any issues, as well as advising against experimenting with the large variety of penis enlargement methods which are out there.

The three self-help procedures that are recommended are:

• Get Fit – building a muscular and well-toned physique will do a great deal to improve levels of confidence in general.
• Weight Loss – again, this can help build self-esteem. Being overweight can make your penis appear smaller; ridding yourself of some belly fat and the fat around the pubic area, and your penis will appear larger.
• Pubic Hair – tidy up your pubic hair, particularly around the base of the penis. This prevents the penis from being “buried” in hair, and so will appear longer.

Over the Counter Therapies

There are many claims that supplements can increase the size of a penis; these do not work. Consider a pill that could make your penis larger – every pharmaceutical company would have already patented and sold it, if it existed.

Some supplements, such as L-arginine or L-citrulline, are said to increase nitric acid levels in the penis. This can increase circulation of blood to the penis; as the penis fills with blood during an erection, increased circulation may cause the penis to appear bigger. Whilst it is possible that these supplements may help to improve erections, there is no evidence that they measurably increase penis size.

There are also topical treatments available; lotions, oils, and creams that claim they contain hormones, vasodilating products, and essential oils that will make your penis bigger. There is no evidence that any of these potions work, but be aware that they may cause skin irritation.

Nonsurgical Options

There are a number of ‘devices’ and non-surgical procedures that make claims about improving penis size.

Vacuum devices, otherwise known as penis pumps, are tubes placed over the penis, designed to create a vacuum. This vacuum causes blood to flow into the penis, making it swell past its ordinary size. Once the vacuum seal is broken, however, the penis will return to its ordinary size. There is some evidence to show that these devices can be useful in the short term for erectile dysfunction. However, overuse can cause damage to the tissue of the penis, which can cause erections to be weaker in the long term.

Penis extenders involve placing a weight, extending frame or traction device onto your flaccid penis in order to stretch it. In the case of weights, there is little evidence to show that they work – if anything, they may in fact damage the tissue of the penis.

However, there is some evidence that traction devices can, to some extent, be helpful to men who actually have a smaller-sized penis. There have been reports from some patients who have used the device for 6 months that they have seen increases of 1 – 2 cm. It is important to say however that this sort of device should be used under medical supervision.

Jelqing is a mechanical exercise, repeatedly pulling the flaccid penis with the thumb and index finger. The belief is that pulling the penis regularly will increase the capacity of the penis in terms of how much blood it can accommodate. It is believed that this will, in turn, increase the length and girth of the penis. There is no evidence to suggest that this is the case.

Surgical Options

Penis Girth Surgery

There are techniques to increase the girth of the penis – injecting fat taken from another part of the body into the penis itself. There have been studies that have reported an increase in circumference between 1.4 and 4 cm.

When these procedures have been followed up, however, there have been reports of lumpiness, scarring, disfiguration, and even infection. Also, in time, the fat will be absorbed into the body and the penis will return to its original size.

There is another procedure to increase penis girth that is considered to be more effective, but is still in its experimental phases. This method involves pulling the skin of the penis back to wrap a tube-like biodegradable frame filled with tissue cells around the shaft.

Penis Length Surgery

The suspensory ligament of the penis attaches it to the pubic bone, anchoring the muscles around it. In this procedure, the ligament is cut and a skin graft is performed at the base of the penis. This allows for more length. This procedure will provide a 2 cm gain in length to the flaccid penis, but will not improve the length of the erect penis. In addition, the penis will not point as high because of the cut ligament which can no longer provide support.

Liposuction

Finally, liposuction may be considered if a man has a generous amount of fat in the lower abdominal areas. Removing the fat will make it easier to see the penis but once this procedure is carried out then it must be maintained by improving diet and regular exercise

Conclusion

So you think your penis is too small? Before embarking on any of these methods of increasing the size of your penis, please be aware that they vary from being totally ineffective to being risky at best and some, if carried out by the wrong person, can be very dangerous.

If you have issues with your penis size, talk to a healthcare professional who can advise you on how to avoid the pitfalls of this massive industry that preys on the vulnerable.