Shrinking Penile: 5 Tips To Minimize or Avoid Penis Shrinkage

Is it possible for men to shrink? Is there a cure for shrinkage?

In certain cases, your penis will decrease by a few inches for different reasons. The change of size in the penis generally varies between 1/2 and 1 inch. A slightly smaller penis will not hinder you from a happy, active sexual life.

Find out about the symptoms associated with penis shrinkages by reading this informative article. Typically, a penis loses its length in several ways.

If you want to know the details about penis shrinkage or penile shortening, why it happens and how to deal with it, then you are just on the right page.

I will discuss how one’s penis size could change, including the factors that cause it and some professional medical advice related to the subject.

What Is Penis Shrinkage?

Penis shrinkage is a decrease of the penile length which could be due to treatable health conditions or lifestyle habits.

It could include weight gain, surgical procedures, and medications, to name a few.

However, neither race nor ethnicity has something to do with the penis size, per Medical News Today.

But is penile shortening really a thing? Does the penis really shrink as one age?

Dr. Ajay Nangia, a professor and vice-chair in the Department of Urology at the University of Kansas Medical Center, told Esquire that normally penis shouldn’t change. However, one’s erectile function declines based on their lifestyle (smoking, diet) or health (hypertension, diabetes, etc.) it could affect the penis length.

“The penis can lose about a centimeter of length from your rock-solid thirties to when you’re in your about-to-retire sixties,” added Jamin Brahmbhatt, MD, a Florida-based urologist (via Fatherly). “The difference, honestly, is minute, and many men may not even notice it.”

Here are three things about it.

• Men experience testicles and penile shrinkage as they age
• Many men said they noticed their penis was shorter after gaining weight
• Men who are not satisfied with their penis size may look for ways to increase its length (using sexual medicine, penis enlargement products, or getting penile enlargement surgery)

According to Mary Samplaski, MD, urologist and the director of male infertility at the University of Southern California, there is no medical tool for measuring shrinkage. However, she confirmed that smoking and age could cause a decline in testosterone production that affects erection and penile length.


What Is A Small Penile Size?

Many might think that their size is above average or their penis is too small when they have the normal penis size.

To know if you should be alarmed with your penis length or not, check out below if you are above average, below average, or just average as most men do.

• Average length of a flaccid penis: 9.16 centimeters (about 3.6 inches)
• Average length of a flaccid stretched penis: 13.24 cm (about 5.3 inches)
• Average length of an erect penis: 13.12 cm (about 5.2 inches)
• Average circumference of a flaccid penis: 9.31cm (about 3.7 inches)
• Average circumference of an erect penis: 11.66 cm (about 4.6 inches)

Now that you are aware of the average penis size, will penis shrinkage bother you or not?

Well-endowed men might not mind because, in most cases, the shrinkage is minute and almost unnoticeable.

However, for those whose penis size is below average and are experiencing penis shrinkage and want to understand their condition more, continue reading!

At What Age Do You Start Shrinking?

As mentioned in the previous article, penis shrinkage is common among men as they age. So, at what age does penis shrinkage start?

Penile shrinkage starts at around the age of 40. The decrease in size is simply how the penis appears. Also, as men age, they produce less testosterone, which results in reduced penis size and libido.


What Are The Causes Of Penile Shrinkage?

Penis shrinkage is common among men as they age. But aside from aging, one may experience penile shrinkage due to obesity, prostate surgery, Peyronie’s disease, and alcohol intake. Let’s discuss these things in detail below.

1. Aging

As men age, fatty deposits build up in the arteries causing reduced blood flow to the penis.

As a result, the muscle cells in the erectile tubes inside the penis become weaker and you will not achieve a strong erection which may affect your penis size.

The erectile tubes produce erections when engorged with blood.

Another factor would be the build-up of scar tissue over the years due to injuries from sports or sexual activity.

When the scar tissue accumulates, the spongy erectile tissues of the penis may cause penis shrinkage or limit the size of your erection.

2. Weight Gain

Many men notice that when they gain, their stomach bulges and their penis shrinks. According to Medical News Today, weight gain doesn’t necessarily cause shrinkage — one’s penis may look smaller because it is attached to the abdominal wall and when the belly expands, it pulls the penis inward.

Yes, a thick pad of fat envelopes the penis; that’s why when men gain weight, they feel that their penis shrinks.

In extremely obese men, fat can enclose most of the penis and make it look so small. According to Dr. Nangia, they also called it a “buried penis.”

“That happens over time to a large proportion of people, since we have such a high obesity rate in this country.

That gives people the perception of shortening. It can also be real shortening, without adequate blood flow [from narrowed arteries] due to obesity,” he told Esquire.

3. Prostate Surgery

Due to some health conditions, some men are forced to get prostatectomy. Men turn to this minimally invasive procedure due to prostate cancer, enlarged prostate, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The procedure involves the removal of a part of the prostate gland.

Prostate surgery works, according to those who underwent it. However, it also comes with major possible side effects like urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and penile shrinkage.

According to Healthline, the experts couldn’t explain why some men experience penis shrinkage after prostatectomy. However, one possible reason is abnormal muscle contractions in a man’s groin that pull the penis farther into the body.

One may also struggle with getting an erection after the surgery because the erectile tissue is starved with oxygen, which shrinks the muscle cells in the spongy erectile tissues.

Shrinkage after a radical prostatectomy ranges between 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch when the penis is stretched out while flaccid or not erect. Fortunately, this side-effect does not happen to all men.

4. Peyronie’s Disease

A man’s penis is normally straight, but some men experience penile curvature, also known as Peyronie’s disease. A curved erection could affect your sex life because extreme curvature makes intercourse painful or impossible. It can also make a penis shrink.

Surgery is needed in removing scar tissue that causes the disease. However, it can also cause your size to shrink.

5. Unhealthy Lifestyle (Smoking)

Experts from the Boston University of Medicine examined the erect penises of 200 men, and they observed that smokers have shorter penis length than those who don’t smoke. The 1998 study concluded that smoking inhibits the blood flow to the penis and stops it from stretching, which makes it shrink, The Sun reported.

Samplaski confirmed that smoking damages the blood vessels and disrupts the blood flow to the penis, preventing it from reaching its peak hardness.

6. Medications

Certain health conditions can cause penis shrinkage and just like that — particular medications cause penis shrinkage.

According to a 2012 study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the male study subjects taking finasteride to treat enlarged prostate reported smaller penis size and reduced sensation.

Another study published two years later in the journal Urology found that 41 percent of men taking dutasteride to treat prostate enlargement experienced some form of sexual dysfunction.
If you feel that you are experiencing penile shortening, then check if you are taking any of the medications below, according to Very Well Health.

• Adderall, typically prescribed for attention deficit hypersensitivity disorder (ADHD)
• Antidepressants and antihypertensives
• Avodart (dutasteride), used to treat an enlarged prostate
• Proscar (finasteride), used to treat both an enlarged prostate and hair loss

Also, Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) which is widely used as a form of therapy for cancer can suppress testosterone levels and result in significant penile atrophy and shrinkage of erectile tissue.

7. Low Testosterone

It is extremely important for men to maintain high testosterone levels all the time. Low testosterone can lead to penile atrophy and penis shrinkage. Penile atrophy occurs then the lasting and smooth muscle shrinks which result in a loss of length and girth and at worst lack of response to erectile dysfunction treatments.

Unfortunately, testosterone level drops with age, a condition called andropause. Testosterone levels start to dip past 30 and drop by an estimated one percent each year.

Low testosterone level decreases libido, makes morning erection less frequent, and increase erectile dysfunction. All of these conditions contribute to penis shrinkage.


How Can I Get Hard After Prostatectomy?

If you struggle to get an erection after the surgery, you can still enjoy your sex life. Johns Hopkins urologist Trinity Bivalacqua, M.D., Ph.D., gave a few suggestions on achieving an erection after a prostatectomy.

“You use prescription erection pills. If they don’t work, you move to injectable medications. If they don’t work, you get a penile prosthesis. Also, having a loving and understanding partner always helps,” he said (via Prostate Cancer Foundation).

She cited one of her patients who left the hospital after radical prostatectomy with a prescription for Viagra. He doesn’t take it like a vitamin, and it will take a few attempts until it works.

“I tell men that it often takes three or four attempts with Viagra to have a true response that will allow penetrative sex,” she explained. “But usually men see the most meaningful recovery around 9 to 12 months after surgery.”

Aside from prescription medications, one can use a vacuum erection device (VED). According to Bivalacqua, VED can play a critical role in surgical recovery, penile rehabilitation.

Also, you can use penile size increase pumps which works to boost blood flow to the penis. They have lower risks than other methods. They are also cheaper and non-invasive because they don’t require surgery, penile injection, or inserting any medication at the tip of your penis. And you can use it alongside other penis treatments. Most importantly, it works.

“No matter what is specifically causing the erection, the vacuum causes the vessels in the penis to fill with blood, just as they would during a normal erection,” Bivalacqua added.

Injection therapy is another option, and it has a success rate between 70 and 80 percent. For this, the medication is injected into the base of the penis with a small hypodermic syringe. It works quickly, within five to 20 minutes, with the erection lasting between 30 and 90 minutes.


How Do You Avoid Shrinking As You Get Older Or Stop Penis Shrinkage?

Although shrinkage is inevitable, especially because it is common among men as they age, there is still hope to minimize, if not completely avoid it. The potential solutions usually combat each of the causes of the problem.

1. Lose Weight

Many feel that their penis shrinks when they gain weight. The penile length remains intact, but as the belly grows, the penis cannot extend farther from the body.

According to Private Gym, experts estimate a one-inch loss in length for every 35 pounds of weight gain.

Yes, obesity is a culprit for your penis size and overall health. Fat contains an enzyme that converts testicular into estrogen, which can cause erectile tissues and testicular shrinkage.

So what can you do?

Lose weight! Stay in shape by maintaining a healthy diet and keeping yourself active. Pretty sure you already know that a clean diet and an active lifestyle are essential — this time, you have another reason why you should aim for it.

2. Be Sexually Active

How’s your sex life? How about your sexual function? Your penis is just like any other part of your body. It has to be exercised or used regularly. Yes, you read that right — you should use your penis.

Masturbate or have sex because these activities boost blood flow to the penis, which is beneficial to your penile and sexual health. Your package is designed to be engorged with blood and erect. Going too long without an erection will deteriorate the erectile tissue and result in penile shrinkage.

Maintaining the erectile function is important because it fills the penis with oxygen-rich blood that helps prevent penis shrinkage. So, fill your erectile tissues with blood and get your penis erect!

3. ​​Look Out For Your Penis’ Health

I understand that when sex is too good, you tend to forget and just continue thrusting. However, you should not forget about your penile health.

If you want to continue enjoying sex, your penis should be in good condition, so take good care of it.

Suppose you notice a painful lump of erectile tissue or scar tissue, a bend, deformity, or shortening. Peyronie’s disease is treatable once the acute phase is over and the scarring stabilizes.

If ever you encounter a penile fracture — marked by an audible pop, acute pain, swelling, and bruising do not hesitate to seek help. Head to the emergency room immediately.

4. Live A Healthy Lifestyle

Aim for a healthy lifestyle for your penis health! If you need to shed the extra pounds, then lose weight. If you do not need it, then continue to eat healthily and be active by exercising regularly.

“Exercise is a natural means of achieving a rise in a man’s testosterone. Testosterone is important for the health and well-being of the male functional organs,” says Leslie Deane, MD, associate professor of urology at Rush University Medical Center.

Part of living a healthy lifestyle is also staying away from unhealthy habits. Quit cigarette smoking, limit your alcohol consumption and maintain a healthy weight. You need to be fit to keep your package down there as healthy.

Also, drink plenty of water. It’s very important to get yourself hydrated. And avoid tight underwear pants because they constrict the flow of blood down there which can reduce penis size.

5. Keep Your Testosterone Level Check

As mentioned above, testosterone is very important for men because low testosterone could lead to shrinkage. So, it’s important to always check if you have the right amount.

If you are suffering from andropause, you can try Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). You can opt for a hormone shot every two weeks or use the hormone patch onto the skin daily.

Another option is the testosterone-infused gel that can be applied on the upper back and arms or inert hormone pellets under the skin every two months.


Wrap Up

Penis shrinkage can be attributed to several factors — age, health condition, lifestyle, medication, and more. Normally, your penis should not shrink, but as you age, your testosterone level drops, and erectile function declines, which eventually leads to penile shortening.

Good thing, you can at least minimize the penile shrinkage by living a healthy lifestyle and keeping your testosterone level high. If all else fails and you feel like you can’t do something about it, don’t worry — the shrinkage will be minute and unnoticeable.

If you want to learn more about penis health and other products that can help you increase your penis size, check out our homepage.

 

References

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