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Tom Ford underwear is one way to show off your manhood. Some men will try anything to make theirs larger.

Penis enlargement: it’s on the rise – but the end result will leave many men feeling deflated

  • Penis stretching devices, penis extenders, pumps, dermal fillers, surgery – with all its attendant risks – the penis enhancement sector is booming
  • It’s not penis size that matters most, though, but sexual technique, say therapists
David Wilson

Just as breast augmentation surgery has grown routine, the penis enhancement sector is booming, says Dr Jayson Oates, the primary cosmetic surgeon and medical director of Academy Face and Body in Perth, Australia.

“What we have found, certainly in the UK and Australia, is that the uptake of penis enlargement is rapidly increasing. The numbers we do now are considerably more than we were doing a year ago, and even two or three years ago,” Oates says. He ascribes the increase in part to “locker room angst”.

Penis size: the long and the short of it 

“Nobody needs to do anything cosmetic, but it’s incredibly common,” he says.

The best enlargement method, it seems, is the simplest, with stretching working for most men and hundreds of stretching devices available. “If somebody is careful, if they are persistent, and this means probably a minimum of three hours a day every day for three to six months, then, yes, they’ll probably gain length,” Oates says.

The Penilizer Penis Enlargement Massager is one product currently on the market. The place in Asia most afflicted by penis insecurity is Singapore, followed by Hong Kong, psychotherapist Shane Warren says.

According to the surgeon, the benefit of stretching has been proved by medical studies – an Italian study found a penis extender increased flaccid length by almost a third. Anecdotal evidence strengthens the case for stretching.

A surgical alternative is a “suspensory ligament division”, which separates the penis’ natural binding, allowing its foundations to advance and potentially making it longer.

“However, that surgery only works if you use a stretching device for a minimum of three hours a day, seven days a week for three to six months,” Oates says. This begs the question: is it the surgery that is making the increase in length, or is it just the stretching device?

The surgeon says committed clients spend a fortune on the surgical procedure, then wear the stretching device and get the gain they may have obtained anyway without surgery. Worse still, a potential surgical complication is that the penis will contract back into the scar.

Men can seek surgery to increase the length and/or girth of their penis, but clinical procedures should be a last resort, a surgeon says.

This raises the issue of risk acceptance. Those considering surgery must ask themselves what level of risk they want to assume, because the more invasive a procedure, the greater the risk, Oates explains.

Surgery to increase the organ’s girth can be tricky. Often the surgeon takes a strip of skin and fat from the lower abdomen, wraps it around the penis and stitches it under the skin. The technique can permanently increase girth, but there can be complications, such as nerve damage and infections.

He sees more good in hyaluronic acid, a temporary dermal filler used in women’s lips and cheeks. Fillers have existed for 20 years; surgeons have been injecting filler into penises for five years, Oates says. “It’s a walk-in, walk-out procedure. It takes about half an hour.”

The upshot, he says, is an instant increase in the penis’ circumference, and therefore its weight. “So, flaccid, we’re getting routinely an inch increase, and erect penis about half an inch of increase. And yes it is a lot: it’s certainly enough,” Oates says.

The main no-nos, the surgeon says, are pills, potions and creams. And do not take rhino horn or tiger penis for the purpose. “I don't believe any of that makes any difference whatsoever,” he says.

Surgeon Dr Jayson Oates.

 

Don’t have backyard injections, he also advises. In countries such as the Philippines, a dubious technique is used in which Vaseline is injected through a syringe into the penis, which can yield permanent augmentation. “But, usually, it creates lumps and bumps, infections, and it has the potential for the whole penis to drop off. That’s not a great option, and infections in the penis are something really bad,” Oates says.

Clinical sexologist Paul Nelson, a patient educator in penile rehabilitation at Mount Sinai Hospital Men's Health Centre in New York, sees little worth in penis enlargement procedures. Nelson believes that, for most men, they are ineffective.

“Pills do not work,” says Nelson, who mostly works with Western patients but says penis insecurity cuts across all cultures. “Surgery is awful. It is just cutting the ligament holding the penis. Exercises are dangerous and put a lot of stress on the penis. Hanging is equally dangerous,” he says, referring to the practice of suspending weights from the organ.

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Jelqing – a massage technique that stretches the penis and improves blood flow – is dangerous, too, he says. Nor are pumps any good, it seems.

“Pump results do not last. They can increase diameter, but not really do much for length. If you stop using the pump, things revert,” says Nelson.

The only method he approves is traction exercises, using penis extenders. “It takes a long time – six months to a year to see results, but it is low-stress and much safer,” he says, adding that the device must be worn for between four and six hours a day.

Penis extenders are the best way to add length to your organ, sexologist Paul Nelson says.

For him, the issue of penis size is mental. When it comes to sex, men are totally wrapped up in their penis. “This is because men don’t understand what sex is, or how to have it. Everything they know is from teenage friends and porn,” he says.

“Most women are just not that into penises or intercourse. Some are, most aren’t. I hear it all the time from women that men are way too focused on genitals and screwing. Most women would much rather have a total body erotic massage than get screwed for 30 minutes.”

Most men fixated on penis size have an anxiety disorder, he says. They need a doctor and therapist to tackle the worry.

Think carefully, and be brave enough to perhaps explore a psychological path developing a better mindset around your penis
Shane Warren, a certified clinical supervisor and psychotherapist

“This is a problem that is not based in reality. If men have a penis less than two inches [5cm] long, then we can talk. Otherwise, learn how to have sex. Don’t confuse sex with intercourse.”

Shane Warren – a certified clinical supervisor and psychotherapist who runs consulting rooms in Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Australia and Singapore – is also sceptical and keen to demystify the field, which is dominated by Asian patients. From his clinic’s perspective, the place most afflicted by penis insecurity is Singapore. Then comes Hong Kong, followed by the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.

He found that many clients placed their faith in surgery but were unimpressed by the gains. In his experience surgery to increase the penis’ girth works, but from a cost-benefit perspective, he is unconvinced. He has yet to see any consistent results from surgery to increase penis length. His challenge to people considering surgery is to appreciate it brings risk.

Clinical sexologist Paul Nelson.

“Think carefully, and be brave enough to perhaps explore a psychological path developing a better mindset around your penis,” he says. As a shrink, he says, he advises only pursuing surgery as the last resort.

First, he suggests, undergo sex coaching on how to use what you have to your full advantage. Second, try hypnosis focused on size acceptance – this actually works, he says. Third, do stretching exercises – persevere with the jelqing method. Only then should you consider surgery.

South Korean men having plastic surgery to get ‘pretty boy’ looks

It is better for men to develop a positive dialogue with their penis through the other methods, he says.

And no matter how much improvement surgery achieves, someone with penis envy will overlook the improvement. “It really is more about confidence,” he concludes.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: The long and short of the penis enhancement industry
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