Does Your Penis Shrink With Age?

You may expect to lose a few inches in height as you get older, but what about other parts of your body — does your penis shrink with age?

For most guys, yes. Penis shrinkage, or penile atrophy, is associated with a number of medical conditions that become more common as you grow older. Atherosclerosis (narrowed arteries) and low testosterone, for instance, can impede blood flow to the penis and contribute to a smaller penis. Poor blood flow can also lead to sexual health problems like erectile dysfunction (ED).

If you’re asking yourself, “Why is my penis shrinking?” you’ve come to the right place. We’ll explain why you may notice a shorter penis length, what you can do to prevent shrinkage from happening, and what other changes you might see as you embrace your Clooney era.

It’s not unusual to worry about your penis size. For as long as they’ve had them, men have seemingly compared their parts; pop culture and beauty standards have also emphasized the importance of penis size. Real life tells a much different story.

We’ll get to why your penis shrinks with age and how much it might shrink, but you should know that the average penis size is probably smaller than you think it is. The average-sized erect penis is around 5.2 inches, and the average flaccid penis size is 3.6 inches.

Before you start worrying about being average or below average or congratulating yourself for being above average, know this: Your partner probably doesn’t care, especially if you’re heterosexual. Studies show men care more about their penis size than women do.

While your penis will change over time (like the rest of your body!), maybe the way you think about your penis size should change, too.

Your penis may shrink a little over time as a result of poor blood flow and medical conditions like atherosclerosis, low testosterone, and obesity.

In an interview with VICE, Philadelphia-based urologist Irwin Goldstein says that by the time a man reaches his 60s or 70s, his penis may shrink by a half-inch or more.

But these changes can start sometime in your 30s or 40s, right around the time your testosterone levels start to decline. As you’ll read in the next section, low testosterone is just one reason why penile length may shorten over time.

How can your penis shrink? Well, the same way that ears get bigger — age.

But your penis shrinkage has less to do with how many birthday candles you have on your cake and more to do with the health conditions that become more prevalent as you get older. These include plaque buildup in your arteries, weight gain, prostate surgery, low testosterone, and Peyronie’s disease.

Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that causes your arteries to narrow over time due to a buildup of plaque (fatty deposits). This typically causes your blood vessels to become thick and hard.

Clogged arteries can make it difficult for blood to reach your penis, contributing to a loss of smooth muscle cells, as shown in this study. Less blood, along with a reduction in penile collagen, may contribute to penile tissue shrinkage and erectile dysfunction.

We can’t say that atherosclerosis and ED directly cause penile shrinkage, but there does seem to be a correlation. One study that compared men with and without ED showed that those with erectile dysfunction tended to have shorter penises.

Weight gain and obesity

Weight gain becomes more common as you age and your metabolism slows down.

In this Italian study from 2021, researchers found a link between a high body mass index (BMI) and a reduction in erect penile length. They also found that weight gain can shorten the length of a flaccid penis. Even more, patients who smoke were more likely to have a below-average penis circumference (girth).

While extra weight may, in fact, cause your penis to shrink, there are also cases where your penis looks smaller in relation to the rest of your body due to weight gain. This is especially true if you gain weight around your lower abdomen, where the extra fat can start to fold over your penis. This is a condition called buried penis, and it’s more common in men with obesity.

Prostate Surgery

Prostate surgery is typically performed to treat prostate cancer or an enlarged prostate, conditions that both become more common with age. While prostate surgery has many pros — reducing urinary problems, improving your quality of life, and prolonging your life to name a few — it may also cause your penis to slightly shrink.

In a study of 105 patients who were treated for prostate cancer with radical prostatectomy, their penises shrunk by an average of one centimeter one year after surgery. However, there’s a happy ending: Most men recovered their original size in two to three years.

Low Testosterone

We already mentioned that your testosterone levels may start to decline in your 30s or 40s. How does this dip lead to a shrinking penis?

From a young age, testosterone plays a role in the development of all secondary male characteristics, including penis size.

Studies show that as you get older and your testosterone levels go down, you may experience penile fibrosis and ED. Penile fibrosis is a condition that can lead to a loss of smooth muscles in the penile tissue and less elasticity. Other research has shown that penile fibrosis can reduce the size of an erection by up to six centimeters.

Peyronie’s Disease

Peyronie's disease (PD) is a condition where scar tissue forms under the skin of the penis. According to this study, this scar tissue formation can cause a loss of elasticity, make the penis become curved, and decrease penile length. PD can also contribute to erectile dysfunction.

According to this 2016 study, one of the side effects of surgery to repair penile curvature is an even shorter penis length, making a case for non-surgical therapies. Researchers note that men who experience a subjective penile length reduction of more than two and a half centimeters because of PD are more likely to say they're less satisfied with their sexual performance.

Most penile enlargement surgeries and penile stretching techniques are experimental and come with a risk of side effects like scar tissue formation, bruising, and painful erections.

The best course of action to take for a shrinking penis is to address the medical conditions mentioned above. If you suspect your loss of length is due to atherosclerosis, low testosterone, Peyronie’s disease, or another health condition, your provider can design a treatment plan that may potentially improve the appearance of your penis while also improving your overall health.

Speaking of overall health, making healthy lifestyle changes, like following a nutritious diet and exercising, may help reverse the shrinkage caused by weight gain.

Along with leading a healthy lifestyle, there have been cases where men were able to prevent penis shrinkage that was expected to occur.

For instance, according to this study of prostate surgery patients, using the ED medication sildenafil (the active ingredient in Viagra®) preserved their penile length due to the medication’s “protective effect.”

PDE5 inhibitors are drugs that widen blood vessels, helping to increase blood flow to the penis and improve erectile function. They also include drugs like tadalafil (the active ingredient in Cialis®) and avanafil (Stendra®).

While it’s a stretch (pun a little bit intended) to say ED drugs may help lengthen your penis or prevent shrinking altogether, they can help those struggling to get and keep erections. Just as penis shrinkage becomes more prevalent as you age, so too does erectile dysfunction.

A shorter penis is just one change you might see down there as you age; it’s far from being the only one. A higher risk of ED, changes in color, sensitivity issues, and sagging all come with the territory of growing older and wiser.

Higher Risk of ED

By the time a man reaches his 40s, he has a 40 percent chance of developing some form of erectile dysfunction, and this risk increases by 10 percent with each additional decade.

If you’re struggling to get hard, schedule a call with a healthcare provider to get help and access to ED medication. You may be surprised by the variety of treatment options available, including chewable ED mints that contain the same active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis.

Changes in Color

You may notice your pubic hair turning gray, just like the hair on top of your head. But that’s not the only thing changing color.

The reduced blood flow causing your penis to shrink and your erections to become softer may also lead to your penis becoming lighter.

Decreased Sensitivity

In the same way that your taste buds may become less sensitive to aged whisky, your penis may become less sensitive to sex.

According to this research, it becomes more difficult for men to reach orgasm after age 50 because the nerves in the penis become less sensitive.

Sagging Testicles

We’re talking about changes to your penis, but you may also notice your scrotum (the sac that contains your testicles) hanging a little lower. This sagging is due to a loss of collagen and elasticity, and plain old gravity. It’s entirely normal.

The penis does shrink with age for most people, but usually not by much. What should concern you more than the (slightly) smaller size of your penis is the health conditions that may be driving these changes. Remember:

• Your penis may shrink a little over time. Penis shrinkage is typically the result of poor blood flow and medical conditions like atherosclerosis, low testosterone, and obesity.

• Most penis enlargement surgeries are risky and experimental. Your best plan of action is to make healthy lifestyle changes and seek medical attention to address health conditions that may be driving these changes.

• Penis shrinkage is just one change you may see as you get older. Other changes you may see include a higher risk of ED, penis color changes, less penile sensitivity, and sagging testicles.

A slightly smaller penis doesn’t have to negatively impact your sex life. Remember, most men worry about their penis size more than their sexual partners do. To learn more about the changes you can expect to see as you grow older, check read this guide to Senior Sex: Tips for Older Men and check out 18 Surprising Penis Facts.