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Your sex life, your way
All across the world, men are googling “how to make your dick larger” and “the best cock expansion surgeries” in their respective languages.
But here’s the thing about dick enhancement (aka penis enlargement) methods: They’re often unnecessary and carry more risks than benefits.
A more effective way to deal with concerns about how your penis looks isn’t spending big bucks on the latest dick enlargement product — it’s accepting that your penis size is fine as is.
Nevertheless, year after year, the male enhancement industry offers new “solutions.”
Treatments include everything from fillers and jelqing to traction devices and penis enlargement surgeries. But as you’re about to learn, most of them lack evidence and carry risks.
Keep reading to find out what penile enlargement options are available, if these methods work, and what alternatives you might consider if you want to enhance your sex life.
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Before we launch into the world of penis supplements, surgeries, and gimmicks, we should probably address the elephant in the room: penis size.
It’s important because, as one Harvard Medical School advice column addressed, penis size is a concern of men and boys alike, from adolescence on.
In the column, a father wrote about his son’s concerns about penis size as a result of having small feet. That link between shoe size and penis size, by the way, has been refuted, but the stigma stands.
Here’s the truth. The average penis size is probably smaller than you think, and self-measuring may be biased.
According to one 2014 review, the average erect penis length is about 5.2 inches, with a circumference of about 4.6 inches. The average flaccid penis size is around 3.6 inches from base to tip, with a circumference of around 3.7 inches.
But you shouldn’t jump to any conclusions about whether your penis measures above or below these figures. Chances are, your partner doesn’t care as much about your penis size as you do.
For example, according to one survey of 170 women, the majority (55 percent) found the length of the penis “unimportant” and 22 percent “totally unimportant.” Only 20 percent of women found the length of the penis important, and only one percent found it “very” important.
Nonetheless, if you still want to know how to increase the size of your genitals, keep reading to learn about the wonders and woes of penile augmentation.
There are a variety of penis enlargement procedures out there. Some focus on increasing penile length, and others promise more penile girth.
Some tactics men use to increase their penis size include:
Pills and lotions
Vacuum pumps (penis pumps)
Traction devices
Jelqing (penis stretching)
Fillers and injections
Penile enhancement surgery
Non-surgical options include pills and creams, which typically contain vitamins, minerals, herbs, or hormones that claim to enlarge the penis, but as per an FDA warning, you should be extremely careful when considering these types of enhancement drugs.
They’re often completely unregulated and generally lack support from the scientific community.
Other non-surgical options include vacuum devices (penis pumps). These devices use suction to increase blood flow into the penis, helping you to get and maintain an erection for sexual activity.
Though they have some short-term value in treating erectile dysfunction (ED), there’s little evidence they can offer long-term size gain.
Penis pump users should avoid overusing these devices, which can damage the tissue in the penis and eventually lead to weaker erections.
Similar to pumps are traction devices, or penis extenders, which stretch the flaccid penis. These devices hold the penis in a cradle and subject it to traction forces that can result in a longer and straighter penis.
These devices are most effective when treating patients with Peyronie’s disease (penile curvature). Like penis pumps, they also carry risks of side effects, though they’re usually mild and temporary. They include pain, bruising, skin irritation, and swelling.
Jelquing is a stretching method in which you pull or massage the tissue of your penis with light and consistent pressure for up to 20 minutes. The goal is to create micro-tears in the penis (ouch) which are meant to increase penile length when the tears heal.
If you’re wondering why there are no pamphlets in your urology office about jelqing, that’s because no reputable urologist would claim that jelqing works. There’s no scientific evidence backing this technique.
Fillers may seem like a typical plastic surgery procedure you reserve for your face while chasing the fountain of youth. But apparently, you can put them in your penis, too.
During a filler procedure, a provider may inject silicone, hyaluronic acid, or collagen into your penis to increase girth. Or, you can opt for fat injections, in which they inject fat cells into your penis from another site on your body.
Another type of injection is penis growth hormone, but these are typically given to children with testosterone deficiencies and micropenis. There is no evidence that human growth hormone or testosterone injections can effectively increase penis size in adults.
Side effects of fillers and girth injections include infection, swelling, hypersensitivity, redness, and even penile disfigurement.
Surgical procedures for penis enlargement are varied — and have varying success.
One type of procedure involves cutting a ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone to increase length. But studies show it doesn’t lengthen the penis more than an inch.
Some men turn to penis prosthetics (an inflatable device) or implants (like Penuma®). A Penuma implant is made of silicone and inserted below the skin to create extra girth.
Liposuction is another type of procedure in which fat is removed from around the abdomen, giving the appearance of more penis. This can be helpful for men with buried penis, where the abdomen protrudes over the penis, creating the illusion that it’s not there.
So, is any of this stuff worth it? Probably not.
In 2020, the journal Sexual Medicine Reviews published a systematic review of both surgical and nonsurgical treatments for penile enhancement, and it’s generous to say that the review was damning. The article stated in no uncertain terms that evidence is “lacking” and many “non-evidence-based” solutions are available.
Of the 21 types of tactics assessed and the over 1,100 men screened, they found very little evidence of success for these treatments and found the quality of these studies to be poor.
It gets worse when you see the details.
According to the review, non-surgical extenders increased flaccid length (but by less than 2cm). Injectables increased girth but were associated with a high complication rate. And vacuum devices didn’t increase penile size at all.
When it came to surgeries like suspensory ligament incision, tissue grafting, and penile disassembly, some men reported a size increase, but complications were common.
Even more, the study authors concluded that when it was provided, counseling changed minds. The majority of men accepted that their penis was normal and were unwilling to undergo any further treatment after simply talking with a healthcare provider.
In other words, this review highlights that counseling made most men realize the treatment was unnecessary for their happiness.
Whether you have a micropenis or just think you do, the main takeaway from this study is that you should try counseling first. Leave injectables and surgery as a last resort.
We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: penis enlargement is, by and large, an overwhelmingly unnecessary and (in many cases) dangerous undertaking. Remember:
The average penis size is probably smaller than you think. And some research shows that your partner cares less about your penis size than you do.
There are many penis enhancement options, but not enough evidence that they improve sexual function. Options include pills, lotions, traction devices, vacuum pumps, fillers, and surgery.
Penis enhancement methods are either a waste of time or way too risky. A more effective way to deal with penis size issues is to get some counseling and work on raising your self-esteem.
Here’s the thing: Worrying about your penis size can carry some steep consequences. Feelings of inadequacy often lead to performance anxiety, which can be a trigger for an issue that does require medical attention: erectile dysfunction.
If you have ED, there are treatments that can help. They include therapy, healthy lifestyle changes, and prescription medication.
Instead of focusing on enhancing the way your penis looks, pivot to enhancing your sexual health. Schedule an ED consultation online with a healthcare provider to get started.
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Dr. Kelly Brown is a board certified Urologist and fellowship trained in Andrology. She is an accomplished men’s health expert with a robust background in healthcare innovation, clinical medicine, and academic research. Dr. Brown was previously Medical Director of a male fertility startup where she lead strategy and design of their digital health platform, an innovative education and telehealth model for delivering expert male fertility care.
She completed her undergraduate studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Heels!) with a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Science and a Minor in Chemistry. She took a position at University of California Los Angeles as a radiologic technologist in the department of Interventional Cardiology, further solidifying her passion for medicine. She also pursued the unique opportunity to lead departmental design and operational development at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, sparking her passion for the business of healthcare.
Dr. Brown then went on to obtain her doctorate in medicine from the prestigious Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine and Masters in Business Administration from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, with a concentration in Healthcare Management. During her surgical residency in Urology at University of California San Francisco, she utilized her research year to focus on innovations in telemedicine and then served as chief resident with significant contributions to clinical quality improvement. Dr. Brown then completed her Andrology Fellowship at Medical College of Wisconsin, furthering her expertise in male fertility, microsurgery, and sexual function.
Her dedication to caring for patients with compassion, understanding, as well as a unique ability to make guys instantly comfortable discussing anything from sex to sperm makes her a renowned clinician. In addition, her passion for innovation in healthcare combined with her business acumen makes her a formidable leader in the field of men’s health.
Dr. Brown is an avid adventurer; summiting Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (twice!) and hiking the incredible Torres del Paine Trek in Patagonia, Chile. She deeply appreciates new challenges and diverse cultures on her travels. She lives in Denver with her husband, two children, and beloved Bernese Mountain Dog. You can find Dr. Brown on LinkedIn for more information.
Education & Training
Andrology Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin
Urology Residency, University of California San Francisco
M.D. Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineB.S. in Radiologic Science, Chemistry Minor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Published as Kelly Walker
Cowan, B, Walker, K., Rodgers, K., Agyemang, J. (2023). Hormonal Management Improves Semen Analysis Parameters in Men with Abnormal Concentration, Motility, and/or Morphology. Fertility and Sterility, Volume 118, Issue 5, e4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/fertility-and-sterility/vol/120/issue/1/suppl/S
Walker, K., Gogoj, A., Honig, S., Sandlow, J. (2021). What’s New in Male Contraception? AUA Update Series, Volume 40. https://auau.auanet.org/content/update-series-2021-lesson-27-what%E2%80%99s-new-male-contraception
Walker, K., Shindel, A. (2019). AUA Erectile Dysfunction Guideline. AUA Update Series, Volume 38. https://auau.auanet.org/content/course-307
Walker, K., Ramstein, J., & Smith, J. (2019). Regret Regarding Fertility Preservation Decisions Among Male Cancer Patients. The Journal of Urology, 201(Supplement 4), e680-e681. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/01.JU.0000556300.18991.8e
Walker, K., & Smith, J. (2019). Feasibility Study of Video Telehealth Clinic Visits in Urology. The Journal of Urology, 201(Supplement 4), e545-e545. https://www.auajournals.org/doi/10.1097/01.JU.0000556071.60611.37