Know Your Knob: all our penis health links

Free PDF of Size Isn't Everything - all penis FAQs answered

Is my penis too big?

Q . This is probably an unusual question but I want to know if my penis is to big. I am 9 inches when aroused and when I have sex my girlfreind she says I hurt her. I am 21 years old. Am I OK?

A.You are within the normal range but be gentle with your girlfriend. It is unlikely to grow any larger.

Penis not growing in puberty

Q . I am 14 and am going through puberty. My voice has broken and I have lots of public hair but my penis has not really grown.

A. As bad luck would have it, your penis is the last thing to respond to the changes in your testosterone levels, the male sex hormone. This is probably because it is the biggest job the body has to perform in a short time. Relax, wait, be patient and it will grow on you.

Various concerns about penis

Q . Hi, I am a male in my early twenties and have read through previous Q's and A's. I have a varicocele, and have had an unsuccessful embolization procedure and am due for another in the near future, although I would prefer to progress to the surgical procedure to be done with it, as I am reasonably hairy so the prospect of a scar does not concern me.

However, I am much more concerned about my penis size. Although it would appear that I fall into the smaller-medium end of the 'average size', I am still very unhappy. This has greatly affected my self confidence, and I find it hard to (attempt to) form relationships with women with the worry that they will be disappointed with my endowment, or lack of it!! For this very reason I have researched (through search engine) enlargement on the www and have found many sites, with many claims of success and benefits, including healthier prostate, urinary function and potency. Many of the sites use herbal remedies as well as exercises and nutritional changes. There also appear to be books available on this subject too!! However, I am hesitant to pay money for such amateur sites, and was wondering whether you could recommend details of any exercises (e.g. kerdel), remedies or other which might help my penis fitness/health.

Also when my varicocele is effectively treated, will there be any noticeable effects on my penis size (e.g. increased blood flow), and could drug abuse (including nicotine and alcohol) have affected the outcome of my initial embolization procedure?? I would be forever grateful if you could answer these many queries that have been bouncing around my head for a considerable period of time. Thanks. An inoperable womaniser.

A.You have asked for a great deal of information which you can get hold of on this site without me repeating it all. But let me reassure you on some important points.

Any surgery for a variocele (which do sometimes recur) will leave a very small scar. Any surgery performed for penile enlargement at the same time is extremely unlikely and most certainly would not be performed on the NHS. Before you start down the road of penile enhancement remember that men tend to compare themselves unfairly. Use a mirror sideways and not looking straight down. Don't look at men in urinals as they will always appear large for exactly this reason.

Most claims from commercial organisations are either overblown or inaccurate. Most important is to reduce the adverse effects of being overweight, drinking excessively or smoking.

Worried about penis size and growths

Q . One of my problems I am sure will be common enough on this site - the size thing. Whilst I know is shouldn't matter, it does. I am fine being with women, but I used to be very sporty but have become extremely unhealthy and unhappy - due entirely to the fact that I cannot bring myself to change in front of others. Is there any clinical way to increase my size? It is ruining my life.

The second point is that I have found two white, hard growths under the skin of my penis very close to the eye, which hurt when contact between the two is made. What are they and what do I do? Last chance saloon.

A. Well the drinks are on you 'cos I've only got good news. First us men measure ourselves in the wrong way. Always check for size sideways on in a mirror rather than looking down. More importantly never compare yourself with a man in the next urinal. You are giving him a massive advantage of perspective. Size does matter and there is a myth out there that women don't really care. At the same time ask any woman what they are looking for in a permanent relationship and penis size comes a lot further down than personality, thank God or some of us would really be in the willy stretching department.

Being healthy and 'sporty' helps as it accentuates your profile. Being overweight is the kiss of death for a big willy. Yes, you can have it enlarged by surgically cutting the ligaments which support the penis shaft within the pelvis. This releases about 30% of the hidden penis but produces a Lancaster bomber rather than the Harrier Jump Jet. In short, the angle of dangle drops considerably.

As for the white growths, without seeing them it is very difficult to give you a good diagnosis but they may be warts which can grow there just as in any other place on the body. See your local GUM clinic.

Worried about size of penis

Q . I was wondering why my penis is 5 inches. Is that the right size for my age? And it gets real tight at the head of my penis. Why is that?

A. Normally I would ask just exactly what is your age but as you have a penis size well within the average range it doesn't make much difference unless you are still in nappies.

Even if you are circumcised you may well feel a tightness at the head of the penis as an erection is formed from forcing blood into the penis under pressure and restricting its exit. This produces not only an erection but also the feeling of tightness.

Worried about small penis

Q . I am 20 years old and incredibly concerned about the development of my body and more specifically my penis. I have searched through many sites including this one,  and have not found any real explanation to my problem.

My penis when flaccid is approximately 1 inch in length and sometimes less. I am overweight and sometimes have the problem that the penis actually goes inside the fatty area. I can achieve erections which increase my penis to a length of 3 and a half inches with a similar girth.

I know this is below average and need to do something about it. It has always been a problem but has really begun to upset me lately as I no longer participate in sport and am too worried to go the next step with females. I am unable to talk to family or friends about it and to date have not even been able to confront my doctor, hence this email. I'm keeping it all inside and it's started to affect me mentally which people close to me are picking up on.

As I said I am an overweight person and I believe I have larger breasts than most overweight men, whether this has any relation I don't know. Please could you advise me in any way possible with any theories and options I have as I really am worried about it and don't really know what else to do.

Sorry for babbling on but please respond. Thank you.

A. You have given most of the answer to your problem yourself. As someone who is also - erm - a little short for my weight, I can sympathise with your dilemma. Being overweight, particularly if you are clinically obese, brings on a series of problems and risks not least doubling your chances of heart disease. It also leads to the production of oestrogen, the female hormone, from the fat cells. This can cause large breasts. This is all compounded if you drink too heavily or take steroids on a regular basis.

It should not have a direct effect on your penis size which is far from being way outside of the average. Being overweight itself however, as you correctly point out, means that a fair proportion of it is hidden. You have basically two options for action with regard to penile size:

Surgical enlargement. Not a good idea. Not all men are pleased with the result and their problems do not magically disappear as they expected. There are also problems with profile as the penis tends to lie flat rather than semi vertical. Even so, around 40% of the penile length is held within the pelvis and surgery can free it.

Lose weight. The best option as it is free, painless (or relatively so) and comes with a battery of other improvements along with increased effective penile size. If you are having a major problem with your weight you really should see your doctor or speak to the practice nurse.

Best of luck. Believe me, I know exactly how difficult it can be.

Penis enlargement and Powerstretch

Q . I have read about penis development/enlargement and natural exercises. Do any of these exercises work? My penis is of average size, but I feel if it was slightly bigger when flaccid it would give me so much more confidence and improve my life incredibly.

I have also read about vacuum pumps that have been approved by Dr. Dick Richards who is on the Consultant panel of the British Journal of Sexual Medicine. Dr Richards is also a specialist adviser for Dash publishing who supplies products for penis enlargement and development. There is a specific product that I am interested in. The product is called POWERstretch and can be found at http://www.sexual-potency.co.uk/

I would be very grateful if you could confirm Dr Richards's reputation in this field and advise me in anyway possible. Your thoughts on the POWERstretch would be greatly appreciated. I would be happy to pay for this valuable advice. I would like to thank you in advance for your help.

A. I regret that I have not heard of either of the two doctors mentioned, nor their product, and therefore cannot make any comments about the efficacy or otherwise of their treatments.

Do remember that:

- every man differs in terms of penis size

- flaccid penis size does not necessarily correlate with erect size

- the penile size of most men is more than adequate to allow normal sexual intercourse to occur and for this to be pleasurable for both partners.

Shrinking penis

Q . I am 53 years old and about 5 years ago experienced a curvature of my penis during erection. The condition became more noticeable but over the last 2 years seems to have eased. Now my penis has shrunk dramatically over that period. I can still gain an erection. There is no pain or discomfort the only problem is finding it when I go to the toilet! This is no joke.

A. This sounds like a typical case of Peyronie's Disease.

Peyronie, who first described the condition, was a French physician. The cause of the condition is not known although there is some evidence that minor trauma during intercourse may result in the condition later on. What happens is that the affected person develops some fibrous tissue in the corpora cavernosa of the penis - these are two blood filled chambers of the penis which enlarge during erection. These fibrous plaques can be painful, and are typically found on the upper side of the penis. The erection usually curves upwards but may also curve to one or either side. Sometimes it is possible to continue having intercourse, and sometimes not.

Over the course of 18 months or so the condition settles down. Usually the fibrous tissue becomes less painful during this time. Once the curvature of the erection stops getting worse on of three things may happen:

* The erection may go back to how it was before the condition started

* The erection may remain curved during intercourse, but intercourse is perfectly possible and not painful

* The erection may be too curved to allow intercourse to occur

In either the first or second situation it may be possible to continue as before without treatment. If the erection is too curved to allow treatment then a urologist may be able to perform an operation (known as Nesbitt procedure) to straighten the penis.

Given your continuing symptoms I suggest that you ask your GP to refer you to a local urologist for specialist advice.

Penis enlargement

Q . I am 29 years old, married, Indian national. Please help me to enlarge the penis through harmless medicine, not surgery. The length when erect is only 10 cm. I feel I am not satisfied in intercourse.

A. This is a controversial area. There is a wide variety in what is considered a normal size for the erect penis. Most specialists would consider 10cm erect length to be within what is considered normal.

Most surgeons do not consider operations for enlarging penis length because the results are largely unsatisfactory. I think the evidence for other treatments is probably dubious at best. Be wary of claims of advertisements in magazines.

I think the best way forward for you is to talk to your GP and perhaps arrange referral to a specialist - what kind of specialist would depend on what exactly are your problems, and why you feel you are not satisfied during intercourse.

Penile enlargement

Q . I have heard that surgeons can do penile enlarging operations. Are these effective and safe?

A. In recent years surgeons have developed several penis-enlarging techniques but these are available on the NHS only in very exceptional circumstances, such as where the man has serious psychological problems caused by a smaller than average penis. The operations are much more readily available privately but the man must ensure that the surgeon is properly trained and experienced in this type of surgery.

There are three common procedures. The first involves simply cutting the suspensory ligament of the penis. This is the sling of fibrous tissue which runs from the base of the penis to the pelvis and acts as a sort of anchor when the penis is erect. Cutting this ligament is said to add between 1.25 cm to 5cm to the length of penis. One problem with this type of operation is that the penis, when erect, may lose its stability making it a bit floppy around its base. This may make penetration difficult although this can be overcome by supporting the penis by hand during penetration.

The second procedure which is claimed by some surgeons to be more effective in lengthening the penis than the one just described involves dissecting out the base of the organ from the underside of the pelvis bones and relocating it further forward. In view of the fact that normally about 40% of the length of the penis is hidden under the pelvic bone, this procedure should add up to 7.5cm to the penis. It is a more extensive operation than the first one described and after the operation the man may have instability of the erect penis, again making penetration more difficult.

The third procedure increases the girth of the penis. The surgeon removes excess fat from the pubis by sucking it up through a needle. This fat is then injected into the shaft of the penis to make it thicker. Only the shaft, not the glans, of the penis can be treated in this way so that after surgery the penis may look odd. The increase in girth may not be permanent as the additional fat may be reabsorbed in to the body.

Length of penis

Q . My penis appears shorter than other men I have seen. What is the average length of the penis?

A. It is very common for a man to think that his penis is smaller than other men's penises. There are two main explanations for this. First, men see other men's penises from a different perspective than they see their own. Seen from above (as most men see their penises) a penis appears smaller than seen from the side (the usual view men get of other men, for example in the urinal). Secondly, a man may compare his on penis with men he sees in sexually explicit films or videos. It has to be remembered that men who take part in such videos are usually selected on the basis of having a larger than average penis.

There is a very rare condition in which the penis fails to grow from infancy giving rise to the condition known as micropenis. Men with this condition have exceptionally small penises.

The length of most penises when flaccid is within the range about 8.5cm to 13 cm, although lengths outside this range are not abnormal. When erect, penises range from about 12.5 to 18cm.

The length of a flaccid penis does not necessarily reflect its length when erect. Some men whose penis when flaccid is at the lower end of the range may have a very much larger erect penis than a man whose flaccid penis is large. Of course, penises usually shrink when cold or when the man is unduly anxious. In over weight men, the penis may appear shorter because a proportion of its length is hidden in the fat around its base.