First of all, we have to define what small really means and what statistics apart from any personal impressions and taste actually say: The flaccid size is irrelevant, some men have a rather small penis growing to enormous size when erect, on the other hand there are men with a rather impressive flaccid penis that just erects itself when aroused and doesn’t grow much in girth or length. Flaccid and erect size don’t correlate.
Even in reputable studies, the statistical average varies, US median is about 5.5 inch according to the biggest study (1661 sexually active men) I could find by the well known Journal of Sexual Medicine. Most men have an erect size between 5 and 6 inch, so below 5 inch can be considered small. This data matches my own long term experiences as an andrologist. Don’t be fooled by the penis sizes you often see in adult movies, all actors are selected individuals far above the average size. These movies certainly don’t depict any statistical average and also use visual tricks to make the manhood of the male actors appear even larger. Nevertheless, many men ask themselves and often me how to get a bigger penis the natural way, without any unnecessary risks and dangers.
Does penis size matter for women or not?
The question most men probably care for most. While many woman claim that penis size isn’t important for them and it’s all about the right technique and a loving partner treating them well, that’s only half the truth. In totally anonymous surveys, the number of women claiming that penis size is important for them, at least from a aesthetic viewpoint, is significantly higher than in face to face surveys. My wife is no exception. This fact doesn’t mean a smaller penis can’t satisfy a women, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a perfect sex life with a small penis, but the harsh truth is: Size matters, at least for some women. No need to panic if you have a small penis, according to a combined study of several research institutes since 1942, 85% of all women are happy with the penis size of their partner, while only 55% of all men are happy with their own penis. So, the perceived problem is bigger than the real one.
Good news: Too big isn’t good, if you are hung like a horse chances are high that intercourse isn’t possible in some positions since it hurts. While being very stretchable, the average vagina is only about 4.5 inch deep. So, average or a little below average can have advantages as well, especially if you prefer practices like anal sex.
Is penis size determined by genetics or other factors?
Definitely yes, if you have a big or small penis is mostly defined by your genes. Sons of men with a large penis often have a large penis. Sons of men with a small penis often have a smaller penis. There are certainly exceptions, but in general genes are very dominant when it comes to erect penis size. From my own experience and research, genetics are the most dominant factor in size, environmental factors or lifestyle only have very limited to no effects.
What is the exact definition of penis enlargement?
Penis enlargement is defined as all means and methods used to temporarily or permanently increase the size of the erect penis and its erectile tissue. Often the word is used in conjunction with a surgical penis enlargement, but it is not limited to surgical means and also includes manual training like jelqing, certain foods and supplements, devices and pumps to stretch the penis.
How to grow your penis? Growth is the wrong expression here, since it implies natural growth without doing something. This approach won’t work, that’s one of the reasons there is no magic pill.
Can food or supplements help my penis grow or not?
Neither food nor any supplements influence penis growth or size. If I or any other medical professional would know a formula, we would be billionaires, it would be one of the most significant medical discoveries of the century. That’s the reason why all the so called penis pills offered on the internet simply don’t work at all, don’t believe all the fake promises. All those pills increase the blood flow only, which may cause a harder erection, but the effect instantly stops once you stop taking those pills. I examined and tested dozens of different pills over several years. None of them was able to deliver permanent results.
My own tests included Xtrasize, Powerhorse Growthxx, VigRX (Plus), Sizegenix, Male Extra, Rexa Var, Pro Solution, ExtenZe, Penirium, Xtremesize, PeniMax, Penilarge, King Cobra, Vimax, Me Big Dick, so pretty much every well known supplement on the market today. They all have promising names, but none of them worked, without exception, all failed without any noticable long term or longer term effect. They are random herb mixtures with purely anecdotal effect.
All penis supplements are wasted money for non-permanent effect. It’s tempting, the sellers of those pills will show you doctors smiling from their websites, pseudo scientific studies from India they paid for, raving testimonials from famous pornstars but it’s just a huge scam scheme. It’s an extremely profitable business, selling cheap herbs for astronomical prices, combined with often shady long term recurring billing that’s hard to cancel. Bottom line: Penis pills are pure “snake oil” often made of cheap ingredients importet from China, overpriced and even potentially harmful for you health. Especially the contamination with heavy metals and carcinogenic colorings is a possible problem. Some sellers claim their products are manufactured in FDA approved laboratories, but this doesn’t mean the product itself is controlled by the FDA, like prescription drugs.
Even worse, many of these pills contain undeclared substances to make buyer believe the product works. There are hundreds of different so called penis enalrgement pills on the FDAs official “Tainted Sexual Health Products” warning list, including some very well known and popular pill brands. The hidden drug ingredients are often Sildenafil (Viagra), Tadalafil (Cialis) or Vardenafil, subtances used to treat erection problems, short ED (erectile dysfunction). While these prescription only drugs can help patients suffering from ED, they can also have dangerous side effects and interactions, especially for people taking certain cardiac drugs. Don’t take this lightly. In the worst case, they can cause heart attacks, there are several verified actual deaths related to dubious penis pills. Don’t risk your life and stay away from enhancement pills, no matter how tempting the advertsing or fake reviews sound. My advice: Go for effective natural training instead, you save money and don’t take absolutely unnecessary risks.
Can surgery permanently increase flaccid and erect penis size?
Yes, it can, but surgery is always associated with risks, including anesthesia, wound healing deficits, pain from scars, worst case even a deformed penis or permanent erectile problems. It’s effective without a doubt from my experience, but the last resort in my opinion. For men with a real micropenis (smaller than 2.75 inch) it’s often the only solution and covered by health insurance, but only about 0.5% of all men worldwide suffer from this condition. If you are just a bit below average, the risk versus reward calculation is negative for surgical penis enlargement. Especially one problem that arises from cutting the ligaments, the erection pointing slightly downwards instead of straight forward, can become a real problem according to professor Kevan Wylie from the NHS, he said “It can make sex quite uncomfortable. You’ve got to do a lot more manoeuvring with your partner. The advantage of a 2cm (0,8 inch) gain in flaccid length is far outweighed by the loss of angle of erection.” I can only second this opinion, it’s a last resort and not a good one.
Apart from the risks, penoplasty (surgical penile lengthening and girth enhancement, often by releasing the penile suspensory ligaments, so just an optical improvement) is the most expensive way for penile enhancement. According to About Health it ranges from $4000 up to $17000. If you are interested in surgical enhancement, I recommend reading the in-depth article on Medscape about possible surgical techniques and results. There is a less risky new method, the FDA-cleared Penuma implant developed by my colleague Dr. Elist (James Elist, MD) for flacid size enlargement, but the erect size lengthening is minimal and the cost is in the low five digits, too. So, I personally admire his creativity, but wouldn’t recommend going for this option.
This doesn’t mean penis surgery isn’t a viable solution for various medical indications like e.g. a penile prosthesis in case of complete impotence (erectile dysfunction), circumcision in case of serious foreskin constriction (phimosis) but for enlagement only, there are less risky ways with good rewards as well. Responsible plastic surgeons only offer surgical penis enlargement for patients suffering from a very small penis or micro penis. Saying this, I personally know colleagues who put money over medical concerns if a patient insists on surgery. In addition, there are only very few surgeons who have the skills and knowledge to safely perform this very special type of medical intervention. In my opinion, it should be the last resort if other conventional methods are not a promising option or failed.
Please note that there are no official surgical guidelines for penoplasty, so every surgeon has a slightly different approach with a different risk profile. I want to explicitly warn about cheap offers in countries like the Phillipines or Turkey.
As far as other surgical/invasive methods are concerned, e.g. fat injections or the relatively new platelet-rich plasma injections: They just make the penis look a bit bigger, but don’t increase the length of the erectile tissue, there is the risk of embolism and research about long term effect isn’t available. Stay away!
Can extender or pumps make a small penis bigger naturally and safely?
Streching devices and penis pumps are increasingly popular, often selling for hundreds of US dollars. I recommend staying away from these devices, because using them can lead to permanent damage of the cavernous body and blood vessels of your penis. In worst case, the usage of penis extenders can result in erectile dysfunction, the inability to get and maintain an erection. Although many surgeons, including my advisory team, keep warning about them, these warnings are unheard and ignored by many men. Reconstructive surgery for a penis damaged by excessive and wrong use of streching devices is very expensive and rarely results in full recovery.
Some of the world’s top penis enlargement surgeons from the well-known German Urology Center (Ph.D. Christoph Jethon et al.) even say that they are not interested in patients suffering from these kinds of injuries, because fixing these damages is extremely difficult. So, quickly forget about all this “Stud Quick Extender Mark III Pro Power Solution Super Size” crap! Don’t let the companies offering them fool you with claims like certifications as a medical device, doctor approvals, paid testimonials, photoshopped before and after pictures or similar. No medical expert with responsible awareness would recommend these devices or even allow a company publish any recommendation in her or his name.
Especially strechers are aggressively marketed because manufacturing costs are only about $20 in China and they sell to consumers from $150 up to almost $500. Don’t believe it? Check chinese websites/marketplaces like Alibaba for wholesale prices. A profit margin of up to 2500% is something even many drug lords are envious of, so the companies selling extenders build shiny websites, pay medical personnel for fake testimonials or raving reviews of these useless and dangerous devices.
Please note that there are no FDA approved devices on the market, although some companies advertise an FDA approval. The FDA regularily sends warning letters to manufacturers using this type of false and misleading advertising.
Can training and exercises make my small penis bigger?
Penis exercises, often referred to as jelqing, were already used in ancient Egypt as a method for penis enlargement. Since these origins they have constantly been improved and optimized for effectivity and safety. While the multi billion dollar pills and expander industry that’s trying to sell you their overpriced herbs or pulling devices claims these methods don’t work well, they actually do. Reputable training programs helped thousands of men to increase their penis size.
Do not expect miracles, but adding about 2 inches to your erect size after a few weeks of training isn’t an exception and can be possible if you stick to the routine. Like all workouts, results won’t magically show after a few days, but with the right exercise plan, you’ll recognize a slow but steady growth.
The advantages: You won’t harm your health by trying. It’s inexpensive, most penis enlargement programs for a small penis cost about $50, one time investment, no hidden recurring charges. That’s less than half the money a one month supply of ineffective penis pills would cost you.
Important: Especially young men often feel insecure about their penis, while it is still growing. Penis exercises are only suitable for adults, when natural penis growth is finished, that’s in the early twenties. Starting earlier is not recommended.
How long does penis enlargement take on average?
For the best results, my research shows that you have to calculate three to six months for significant results. The success of penis exercises varies, some guys are really lucky and see a measurable growth in just a few weeks, for some guys it takes a little longer. Don’t give up if you don’t get fast results, every penis is a little different, but jelqing already worked in ancient egypt, so it will work for you, too.
Todays medically reviewed techniques and exercises are a lot more sophisticated than in the beginning, tested by thousands of men who successfully enlarged their penis this way, so it’s really only a matter of time. It works for everybody, without exceptions. It’s no easy way to make your dick a bit bigger, like training in the gym: Cheating yourself, skipping exercises or being lazy and neglecting your training means it will take longer till you notice results. Do it!
Are there any ways to make my penis look bigger?
Great news, even without a real increase in size, you can make your penis look bigger, in erect and flaccid state. The easiest one is to shave or trim your public hair, if this extra inch hidden in the jungle is suddenly visible, it already makes you manhood look a bit more impressive. In case you have a few extra pounds, losing lower belly fat can optically enhance your penis, too. Unfortunately, this is a purely optical enlargement, but an easy and instant way to present your penis in a particularly advantageous possible way.
Another option for an “emergency” short term size increase is simply having a warm bath, a shower, wrapping your penis with a wet and warm towel or simply pulling it by hand. The blood flow increases and the flaccid size increases, too. The effect only lasts for minutes, but there are situations this may become handy, especially if you were in a cold environment before and your penis size has “shrunk” to even smaller than usual.
Even technology is offering some help, let’s call it digital male enhancement, although some people may qualify it as cheating: An android app is offering retouching services for your face and body and explicitly includes an option to virtually get a bigger dick. Sample photos only include dressed men with a big bulge in their pants, a bit silly in my opinion, but judge yourself. Use at your own risk and always remember, making promises you can’t keep on Tinder, Instagram or your favourite dating site may result in disappointed women and that’s not what real enlargement is about.
What is the small penis syndrome (SPS)?
In contrast to common believe, the small penis syndrome is a mental disorder, subsumed under body dismorphic disorders (BDDs) and/or anxiety disorders. Basically, it’s a wrong perception of the own body, Men affected by it believe their penis is way too small, are almost obsessed by this thought, although their manhood has a normal length and girth. While the symtoms are very severe, including depression, anxiety and isolation, it’s a very rare psycological disorder. It’s often triggered by very negative personal experiences, e.g. rejection by a woman and other sexual problems. In case you think your penis is tiny, but has normal measurements, seeking professional help is recommended.
There is also a very detailed article by clinical psychologist Dr. Mark Dombeck on MentalHelp I recommend for more details about SPS, characteristics and treatment. He points out: “It appears to us that some men have perfectly adequate penises, based on the measurements they’ve communicated. These penises are not going to break any world records, but they are probably just fine, however, these men are firmly convinced that they are hopelessly inadequately small.”
Is there a correlation between penis size and premature ejaculation?
A small penis isn’t more sensitive than a larger one, but surprisingly there is some correlation, many men with a relatively small penis report that they ejaculate prematurely. From the purely medical point of view, this could be coincidence, but not from the psychological. No matter how important or unimportant penis size is for the female partner, men with a smaller penis often feel unsecure, at least subconsciously. Insecurity leads to stress and bodily tension, which encourages coming too fast. This subjective failure causes even more stress the next time, a cycle that’s hard to break. That’s the main reason why penis enlargement often assists in lasting longer in bed, too.
Please note that the exercises and training used to increase penis size are different from the usual Kegel exercises to train the pelvic floor muscles. While this kind of exercise is helpful for lasting longer in bed und boosting self-confidence, there is no correlation or causation in terms of getting a larger penis.
Small penis size or girth and self confidence
Last but not least, the biggest problem of a small penis isn’t the penis itself, but guy attached to it. Every penis is different and unique, you can have a wonderful and sexually fulfilled life even if your size is below average. Always keep in mind that the majority of sexual stimulation a woman feels during intercourse comes from her clit, not her vagina. Additionally, there is much more about being a man than the size of what you are carrying around between your legs. That’s probably the most important and valuable advice I can give: Try to relax yourself, a large penis doesn’t automatically or magically make you happier or more adorable for women. Don’t let your penis size control your self-esteem.
Where do I get additional help and support for a bigger penis?
Doing exercises and staying on track can sometimes be tedious and requires motivation. If you tend to procrastinate things, it can be helpful to have someone coaching you, someone who knows how penis enlargement works, someone who already helped thousands of guys to get a bigger penis, more stamina and overall better sex. The most famous male enhancement coach in my experience, who was even featured on CNN, MSNBC and sites like Men’s Health, is AJ Alfaro, also called “Big Al”. He is one of the few real male enhancement experts worldwide who offers 1 on 1 coaching, helping you to get exactly the penis you want, no matter if your problem is length, girth or a curvature. This personal coaching called “MeCoach” costs a little more than a normal at home training program without additional support, but is inexpensive anyway, starting at about $25 a month depending on the package you choose (1 month, 3 month or 3 month with additional weekly calls by phone and direct access to your coach via Skype). So, if you are insecure if you can exercise correctly with a guide or you need additional information, some extra motivation and documentation of your progress, this program is what you are looking for and what I recommend. Absolute discretion is guaranteed.
Major updates, news, new studies and data
Update 09/15/2019: In order to improve a barrier-free accessibility, I added a full audio stream of this page above. You can listen to an audio steam/podcast of this page. Due to the length of all the information presented, this hopefully adds some comfort for most of our users/readers. Feedback is highly appreciated.
Update 10/20/2019: A new metastudy done by scientists from Italy and the UK reviewed several non-surgical and surgical approaches to increase penis size and evaluated their risks. The results are fully in line with out own and support the statement that penis surgery and almost all of the devices and pumps sold for enlargement present a high risk and very limited results.
Update 05/23/2021: A new study from Japan finds a strong correlation between nose size and size of the male genitalia (SPL, stretched penis length). As a conclusion, this may mean penile length is already determined before birth. So, the old myth that you can tell the size of a man’s penis by looking at his nose may be all the more true, than scientists assumed so far.
About the author and medical disclaimer
My website contains general medical information. It is information and not advice and should not be treated as such. You must not rely on the information on my website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter, you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition, you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medical treatment because of information on my website.
All content on this website is exclusively written and copyright by myself, medical expert Ph.D. Dr. Frank Webby, an andrologist who graduated in California (UCB) 1998. I wrote my dissertation about male fertility and influencing environment factors. All content is additionally verified by my editorial team to ensure maximum accuracy and steady updates when new research on penis enlargement is available or new studies with scientific quality are published. Nevertheless I can’t guarantee all medical information presented on this website is 100% correct, it is provided without any representations or warranty, express or implied. It should not be relied upon as being comprehensive or error-free. The information posted on this website not intended as medical consultation, advice or diagnosis.