Does Masturbation Increase Penis Size? Debunking the Myth

From banner ads to medical research, the girth, length and overall size of the penis isn’t just a topic of interest — confidence and comfort with penis size is actually a well-established element of sexual health. Does masturbation increase penis size? You’re not the first guy to wonder this.

Unfortunately, excessive masturbation isn’t a fast lane to a larger penis — there’s little scientific evidence suggesting that penis length has anything to do with self-pleasure. However, the topic gets a little more complicated when we talk about sexual desire.

Frequent masturbation may not be an alternative to penis enlargement surgery. Still, education on the realities of penis size may very well give your confidence (and perspective on your own size) a boost. Read on to understand why.

For most men, penis size is determined much earlier than masturbation starts. Genes and hormone exposure make many of the determinations before you’re even born.

Factors that affect the size of someone’s penis include:

• Genetics

• Androgen (male hormone) exposure

• Traumatic injury or malformation

Genetics is the most common and dominant factor. Research shows that certain biological markers can be predictors of penis size — but the important takeaway is that genetics determine the approximate size of your penis before you take your first breath of air.

As for testosterone? It’s a factor. While androgens and adolescent testosterone encourage penile growth during puberty, some research shows that prenatal testosterone (your mom’s testosterone levels when she was pregnant with you) accounts for some of the pre-destination.

Does masturbation increase your penis size or decrease it? You might be surprised to hear that the answer is neither.

Some modest studies suggest that “stretching” could be an effective way to make your penis longer (more on that later). But there’s basically zero evidence that masturbation can increase or decrease penile length.

Length, girth and most other measurements of your genitalia have little to do with how often you masturbate — or how often you ejaculate, sex with a partner included.

That said, there are some potential risks to masturbating too aggressively, squeezing too hard or injuring the penis. A serious injury could damage erectile tissues, which could make your erections curved, painful or both.

Sexual discovery can be an anxious time of increasing self-awareness. But we’re happy to report that no self-exploration during, before or after puberty caused any negative effects on your penis size.

Masturbation isn’t directly or indirectly a factor of penis size. It’s also not a factor in many of the myths and misconceptions you might have heard as a kid — or read while browsing the internet as an adult.

A few penile misconceptions and masturbation myths you may have heard:

• Myth: Masturbating can reduce testosterone levels. It’s a common misconception that masturbation weakens testosterone levels. While orgasm is associated with a temporary drop in testosterone, it’s something your body quickly recovers from — and it’s not a problem that gets worse with excessive masturbation.

• Myth: Masturbating will make your palms hairy. The only known cause of hairy palms is an extremely rare disorder with no connection to masturbation habits.

• Myth: Masturbating is always bad for you. Though there is such a thing as too much masturbation, most guys fit within the normal range of healthy solo sexual activity and won’t experience side effects.

• Myth: Most people are unsatisfied with the average man’s penis. A majority of men (65 percent, according to one study) think they’re inadequate for their partners, but 85 percent of women say they are satisfied by their partner’s size.

• Myth: The average penis is six inches. A 2013 study of 1,661 sexually active men measured erect length and size. The numbers suggested an average length of 5.6 inches and an average circumference of 4.8 inches.

The reality of “growing” from a small penis size can be complicated, expensive and risky for your health. And it may not work at all.

A 2020 systematic review looked at dozens of techniques, medications and surgeries for growing the size of your penis. It found very little high-quality evidence to suggest that any methods offered a safe, reliable and effective means of significantly altering penis size.

But you can increase the “visible size” of your penis in a few ways. This includes:

• Trimming your pubic hair. We could make landscaping jokes here, but the truth is, trimming back hair can expose and highlight your penis (and its size). It’s also the safest option involving blades we’d ever recommend unconditionally.

• Losing excess weight. Excess weight around the gut and public area can bury some of the length of a man’s penis. Losing weight could make your penis look bigger and more prominent.

• Using pumps and rings. Penis pumps, constrictive rings and other devices that can be worn during sex can do more than help you maintain an erection. They can also optimize the full erectile potential of your penis with minimal risks when worn safely.

If you want to increase your penis size, there are a limited number of potentially effective ways to do so. Still, we urge you to proceed with caution on that quest.

Surgeries, stretching techniques — like jelqing and Penuma surgery — and other “extreme” means of adding an inch or two carry substantial risks.

Before considering surgical interventions, it’s best to get medical advice from a healthcare provider.

Does masturbation increase penis size? Sorry, but no.

Does masturbation cause ED (erectile dysfunction)? Fortunately, this is also a no.

Masturbation is a healthy sexual behavior that — when done in moderation — can offer a number of benefits to your physical and mental health. However, increasing the size of your penis isn’t on that list.

Here’s what to keep in mind about penis size and masturbating:

• Masturbation doesn’t have an effect on penis size at any age. If you hear this from friends or read it online, you now know it’s a myth.

• Making your penis bigger is complicated and difficult — and most modern procedures haven’t been proven to offer significant increases for most men.

• What women prefer and what you feel like you need to impress them may be two entirely different sizes.

• You can’t manage your size, but you can manage your confidence. Feeling good about yourself means knowing where you actually fall in terms of size and that how big you are is rarely a major concern for prospective partners.

One aspect of men’s health you can manage effectively is sexual dysfunction — specifically ED. Erectile dysfunction medications like sildenafil (generic for Viagra^®) and tadalafil (generic Cialis^®) work to increase blood flow to the penis. This helps you get and maintain erections when aroused.

Learn more about erectile dysfunction treatment and management, or explore ED medications from Hims.