Penis Enlargement
How penis enlargement works
"It is possible to increase your penis size with plastic surgery. However, according to a study conducted in 2006, only 35% of men who underwent penis enlargement surgery were happy with the results."
Dr Zenon Andreou
Penis enlargement is using devices, medication, or other techniques to attempt to increase the length or girth of your penis. There are no proven ways to reliably increase the size of your penis other than surgery, and some methods can actually cause permanent damage.
Around 45% of men aren’t satisfied with the size of their penis, but that doesn’t mean that they are unable to satisfy their partners. One study showed that 85% of women were happy with their partner’s size, even if their partner wasn’t.
Find out about the methods people use to get a bigger penis, and whether any of these actually work.
Last reviewed: 09/12/2020 by Dr Babak Ashrafi
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Contents
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What is penis enlargement?
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Penis enlargement surgery
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Penis enlargement devices
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Penis enlargement exercises
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Penis enlargement pills
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Penis enlargement creams
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Natural remedies or supplements
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What is penis enlargement?
Penis enlargement usually refers to any method that is meant to increase the maximum penis or erection size.
But – many people get confused between methods that are meant to increase maximum penis or erection size, and methods that are meant to help you reach maximum erection size if you are not able to.
| Increases maximum penis or erection size |
Helps reach maximum erection size |
Not proven to work |
|
|
- Pills like Viagra
- Creams like Vitaros
- Penis pumps
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Penile implant surgery
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- Jelqing
- Natural remedies or supplements
|
Penis size
According to the NHS:
- The average penis size in the UK is around 9cm (3.5 inches) when soft, and 13cm (5.1 inches) erect.
- A micropenis is a penis that is 7cm (2.7 inches) or lower when soft.
- 45% of men are not satisfied with their penis size.
- Men with an average sized penis are more likely to be dissatisfied with their size than men with smaller than average penises
Penis size can be a source of anxiety and discomfort for men, even if their penis size is considered to be “normal”. If you need support with your mental health because of your penis size, it’s a good idea to talk to a sex therapist.
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Penis enlargement surgery
There’s 2 main types of penis enlargement surgery, penis lengthening and penis widening.
Penis lengthening surgery – this type of surgery makes the penis longer while it’s not erect (flaccid). To increase the length of the penis, a surgeon would cut one of the ligaments (suspensory ligament) which attach the penis to the hip bone (pelvis or pubic bone). This drops the angle of the penis, which makes it longer when it’s flaccid.
On average, successful penis lengthening surgery increases the length of the flaccid penis by 0.65-1.8cm. But, there’s no change to the length of the penis when it’s completely erect.
Penis widening surgery – to widen the penis, a surgeon can take fat from other parts of the body and transplant it into the penis. Or, they can put implants into the penis to make it wider. On average, this type of surgery can increase the girth (circumference) of the penis by 1.5 to 3.35cm when flaccid or 1.2 to 2.75cm when erect.
There are some drawbacks to this type of surgery. If you opt for a transplant of fat, over time the body can reabsorb 30% of the fat that’s been injected into the penis in the first 2 months. This can make the girth of the penis smaller again. Some men also experience scarring or changes in the shape of their penis.
There is also penile implant surgery but this is not for increasing maximum penis size and is only meant to help men improve erections when other erectile dysfunction treatments haven’t worked.
Can I get penis enlargement surgery in the UK?
Private – most people getting penis enlargement surgery will have to pay privately for their procedure. There are a number of doctors who can give consultations for penis enlargement, and clinics that specialise in these surgeries in the UK. To find specialists and clinics, search online or see these links:
- Top Doctors list of penis enlargement medical specialists
- Consulting Room list of penis enlargement clinics
Please note that Superdrug does not endorse, or have any affiliation with, any of these specialists or clinics.
NHS – you can only get penis enlargement surgery on the NHS if you’ve got a micropenis (less than 7cm) which would usually be diagnosed shortly after birth. So, very few men can get penis enlargement on the NHS.
How much does penis enlargement surgery cost?
Penis enlargement surgery is an expensive option, but it can be hard to find out exactly how much it will cost as many clinics do not make their prices available before having a consultation. These clinics will typically charge a £100 - £250 consultation fee.
The cost of penis enlargement surgery varies depending on the clinic, the type of surgery, and the intended results.
Where prices were available:
- Penis Enlargement Injections: £1,000 - £2,500
- Girth Enlargement Surgery: £2,500 - £6,000+
- Length Enlargement Surgery: £2,5000 - £6,000+
Surgeries to increase both length and girth can cost significantly more, but these prices were not typically available without a consultation.
Do penis enlargement pills really work?
Many brands of penis enlargement pills (or “male enhancement pills”) are on the market, claiming they can give you a bigger penis. They can’t. A pill can’t alter the anatomical features responsible for penis size, and the only way to get a bigger penis is through potentially risky surgical procedures. But you likely don’t need a bigger penis anyway.
DISCLAIMER
If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
You’ve heard it before: So much of sex is mental. That’s particularly true for one of the biggest anxieties guys have about it—am I big enough? We can almost guarantee that this particular concern is all in your head.
A 2015 study of more than 15,000 men found that the average size of an erect penis is 5.16 inches (13.12 cm). The average girth (circumference) is 3.66 inches (9.31 cm) (Veale, 2015). However, porn and pop culture have conspired to fluff up the numbers and managed to do a real number on the male psyche in the process.
Simply put, many men’s idea of where they fall on the spectrum of penis size is all out of whack. Consequently, to some men, anything bigger than what they’ve got is better and worth trying to achieve. One of the ways they go about it is with so-called penis enlargement pills.
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What are penis enlargement pills?
Penis enlargement pills are supplements that claim or suggest that taking them will give you a larger penis. They’re sold under a variety of brand names online and in supplement stores promising “male enhancement” or just straight-up penis enlargement.
They’re usually composed of a motley brew of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and supplements. There’s no scientific evidence that they work. “There are no supplements out there that are going to grow the size of your penis,” says Seth Cohen, MD, a urologist with NYU Langone Health in New York City.
Here’s why: The penis contains two tubes of spongy tissue called the corpus cavernosum. During an erection, this tissue fills with blood and stiffens, then reverts to its previous size and appearance after orgasm (or the erection just peaces out on its own). The amount and consistency of spongy tissue in your penis are, uh, firmly set post-puberty. That’s what determines the size of your erection, and there’s nothing a pill can do to change it.
Some alleged penis enlargement pills contain ingredients that may help you get an erection faster or achieve one that’s a bit firmer than usual. Still, they can’t enlarge the corpus cavernosum, and therefore they aren’t going to make you permanently bigger.
“Surgery is thus far the only proven scientific method for penile enlargement,” declared researchers who published their findings in the Journal of Sexual and Marital Therapy (Nugteren, 2010). That is still largely true, with one potential exception (and that isn’t pills).
Side effects of male enhancement pills
Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. So you can’t be absolutely sure what’s in them or that the ingredients are pure. Some “male enhancement” pills may contain traces of PDE5 inhibitors (medications like Viagra, see Important Safety Information; and Cialis, see Important Safety Information). While that may sound like a good thing for your sexual prowess, it can be dangerous if these pills contain too much of these substances or if you have a health condition that precludes you from taking those drugs.
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Additional penis enlargement methods
While penis enlargement pills won’t do the trick, there are some other options that could make your penis larger. These are not without their risks, so remember: You probably don’t need to make your penis bigger to begin with. If you have a true micropenis, speak with your healthcare provider about your options.
Traction devices
Penile extenders are traction devices that you strap to your flaccid penis and wear for an extended time, usually several hours a day. This may result in an increase in the length of the penis, although it might take months to see results, and any gains you make would be in length only, not in girth (Nikoobakht, 2010).
One device, in particular, was developed to treat a rare condition called Peyronie’s disease, which causes scarring and sometimes bending and pain in the penis. The device, known as RestoreX, is a medical device registered with the FDA that has been shown in clinical trials to straighten bent penises (Joseph, 2020). If you don’t have a bend in your penis, it probably won’t be of much use.
Vacuum pumps
Penis pumps (vacuum devices that encourage blood flow into the penis) will help give you an erection—and they’re sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction—but they won’t permanently make your penis bigger.
In a small study published in 2006, 37 men used penis pumps for 20 minutes, three times a week, over the course of six months. Researchers found that the participants’ average penis length increased by only 0.3 cm but couldn’t say for sure that even that meager increase was the result of the device they were testing. The treatment was only 10% effective, and only 30% of the patients said they were satisfied (Aghamir, 2006).
Lotions
A number of lotions are sold online under poetic monikers like Plump, XPanse, and Mega Penis. Just like penis enlargement pills, they contain various vitamins, herbs, and supplements that claim to increase penis size. Just like penis enlargement pills, there’s no evidence they work, they’re not regulated by the FDA, and they could make your junk look like junk.
Penis enlargement surgery
Surgeons offer a variety of surgical procedures to enlarge the penis, from injecting it with fat or fillers to cutting the suspensory ligament, which runs from your lower abdomen to your penis, essentially letting the penis hang lower and seem longer. They can even insert a flexible or inflatable implant.
These procedures are expensive and potentially dangerous—so much so that a May 2019 study published in the journal Sexual Medicine Reviews advised men that penis surgery or penile augmentation is “ineffective and risky” and could put patients in the hands of “charlatans” (Marra, 2020).
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Alternatives to penis enlargement pills
The penis enlargement industry, such as it is, exists because male insecurity about size is age-old, and the Monster Dong demolition derby that is modern porn (which is seemingly everywhere) has done nothing to help men establish a more realistic, accepting attitude toward their penises and sex.
In some cases, guys are so freaked out about their perceived inadequate size that they develop what psychologists call “small penis anxiety” or “penis dysmorphic disorder” (PDD)—the irrational belief that you can’t measure up (Veale, 2015).
The reality is, you can, and you very likely do. But if feelings about your body image are holding you back in the bedroom, you could be developing body dysmorphia. It’s a good idea to check in with a mental health professional who can help you work on those issues. That’ll give you more confidence, a better sex life, and a happier life overall.
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