Why your penis might shrink as doctor reveals age it stops growing
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, News
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, News
There comes a point when your penis will stop growing — but it doesn't mean that it will stay that size forever.
While it's true that your ears continue to grow over the course of your life, the same can't be said for your manhood.
Of course, your appendage won't be the same size it was when you were a child (can you imagine?), but it will typically stop growing when the rest of your body does.
Urologist and sexual wellness expert Dr Jamin Brahmbhatt said: "Most penile growth happens during puberty when testosterone goes up.
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"By about 18 - the end of high school for most boys - length and girth are essentially set."
In the years that follow your penis reaching its 'set' size, it may start to shrink; but fear not, it will only be an inch or so, says Healthline.
As to why it shrinks, there are a few reasons, with age being the most common one.
According to Ochsner Health, blood flow to the penis decreases as you get older, which then weakens the muscle cells of the erectile tissues.
"A decline in regular erections is another contributor," the website adds. "Erections, even spontaneous or nocturnal ones, help maintain elasticity in the erectile tissue. Without them, the elastic fibers lose their stretchiness, which affects the penis’s ability to expand during an erection."
Obesity may also play a part in causing your penis to shrink in a way, particularly if your weight gain is around your abdomen.
While being overweight doesn't actually cause your penis to shrink, it will make it appear smaller.
"Excess fat around the lower abdomen can obscure part of the penile shaft, making it look shorter in proportion to the body," explains Ochsner Health.
Smoking has a negative effect on penile health too. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the penis. This is crucial for keeping erections and reducing shrinkages, so you may want to ditch the fags.
Prostate surgery can impact the size of someone's penis as well. Some men may have their prostate gland removed, known as radical prostatectomy, to treat prostate cancer. This is something that affects around one in eight men in their lifetime, per the American Cancer Society.
The shrinkage is thought only to be temporary, however. A 2012 study found that erectile function after surgery helped restore penile length.