What is penis enlargement?

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For many men, penis size – length and girth – signifies masculinity and virility.

On average, a penis measures between 3 and 4 inches (7.5 and 10 cm) when flaccid and between 4 and 6 inches (10 and 15.25 cm) when stretched or erect.

Men may consider penile enlargement (sometimes called penis augmentation) procedures for several reasons.

Sometimes the penis does not function properly because of injury or birth defects. Surgery may help restore function and appearance.

For other men, the decision is cosmetic. They may feel that their penis in inadequate or worry that they cannot satisfy a partner. Men with poor body image often feel like their penis is small compared to others, even if they have a normal-sized penis.

Penile enlargement procedures may include the following:

Grafting tissue from another part of the body.
Attaching tissue flaps in the pubic area.
Injecting fat into the penis.
Injecting silicone, hyaluronic acid, or other “filler” materials into the penis.
Reducing fat at the base of the penis so that it looks longer (liposuction)
Cutting a ligament that keeps the penis close to the pubic bone to make the penis look longer (ligament release).

Some men try pills, creams, lotions, and weights to increase penis size, but these methods are not recommended.

Men should know that penile augmentation procedures can have complications, such as scarring, swelling, infections, abscesses, and gangrene.

Other possible complications include the following:

Sexual problems. Damage to blood vessels or nerves during surgery might result in poor penile sensation or erectile dysfunction (ED). Also, having a larger penis can make sex difficult for partners. For example, a longer penis can hit a woman’s cervix, causing pain.
Penile deformity and altered appearance. Scarring and fatty deposits may change the appearance of the penis in an undesired way. Filler materials can move form their intended location, leaving an uneven, lumpy effect. Fat is often reabsorbed by the body, bringing the penis back to its original size. In such cases, men may need additional treatments.

Corrective surgery is possible but might not restore the penis to the way it was before augmentation.

Penis enlargement should always be undertaken with a doctor’s guidance. The process may be successful, but men should know that there are significant risks, too.

If a man has a normal-sized penis, he might consider counseling before an augmentation procedure. A therapist can help him understand the typical range of penis sizes and work through the reasons he would like a larger penis.

Only men with a flaccid length of less than 1.6 inches (4 centimeters), or an erect or stretched length of less than 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) should be considered candidates for penile augmentation.

Resources

The Journal of Sexual Medicine

Furr, James, MD, et al.

“Complications of Genital Enlargement Surgery”

(Full-text. November 13, 2018)

https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(18)31256-6/fulltext

Medscape

Harris, Siobhan

“The Popularity of Penis Fillers – and When Things Go Wrong”

(November 26, 2018)

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/905058

SexHealthMatters