How to make your penis bigger: 10 penis enlargement methods

For many guys out there, penis size is a very common concern, and some may even have anxiety about the size of their penis. What many men don’t know is that besides having a perfectly normal penis, the size of their penis seems to matter more to them than anyone else: One large study showed that 85% of women are satisfied with their partner’s penis size. 

Still, you might wonder if it is possible to make your penis bigger. Well, here’s the hard truth: Besides undergoing surgery and using penis implants (but who wants to do that?!), there's nothing anyone can do to increase the size of their penis. While advertisements for pumps, pills, and weights claim to increase the length and width of your penis, there's very little scientific support for these nonsurgical methods to enlarge the penis. 

Here are the most common procedures or devices you may have heard about when it comes to penis enlargement—many of which come with some severe risks. Keep reading to learn more. 

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1. Increase penis length with surgery

With penis enlargement surgery, a surgeon cuts the ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone, increasing the perceived length of the penis. 

Is this procedure recommended? Not according to Seth Cohen, MD, a urologist with NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, who frequently sees patients expressing concern about their penis size and asking about penis enlargements.

"The suspensory ligament suspends the penis just like the suspension on a bridge. If you cut the suspensory posts on a bridge, the bridge will lag lower," says Cohen. "But I really don't recommend it, because your erection will never point north again."

The research backs up Cohen’s view on these surgeries—satisfaction rates aren’t high, and most surgeons will only recommend these procedures in the rare case of a true micropenis.

2. Increase penis girth with surgery

Some providers offer surgery to increase penis girth. There are two primary approaches used.  

One approach is for the patient's own fat to be injected into their penis, resulting in an increase in girth. These procedures aren’t generally recommended because they haven’t been shown to be very effective. 

Another approach is when a substance like AlloDerm—sterilized tissue harvested from cadavers—is wrapped under the skin of the penis like seaweed in a sushi roll, resulting in a girth increase. This is called "off-label use"— AlloDerm is approved for burn therapy and reconstructive surgery, not penis enlargement, though healthcare providers can use a medication or device for unapproved purposes if they believe it is in the best interest of the patient.  

There are reports in the medical literature of complications like infection and skin necrosis when AlloDerm is used for penis augmentation.

3. Penis injections

To enhance girth, some doctors inject temporary cosmetic fillers into the penis, similar to the fillers used on lips, brows, and smile lines to plump them up. 

"I've never done this, but I've seen them done a few times," says Cohen. "It really depends on the substances you use. Restylane and Juvederm are tried-and-true substances we use as fillers, on cheeks, chins and different areas in the body. They usually last around six months, and they get absorbed into the body. They're not really tried-and-true tested on the penis. We just don't have any data to say it works long-term."

There is a significant potential downside to shooting fillers into your penis. "The penis is a very vascular organ, full of smooth muscle and spaces that hold blood," says Cohen. "If you fill one area, it may look very blotchy in another area. So you get this sort of lumpy, bumpy effect that is probably not what people are looking for." 

4. Penis implants

Permanent penis implants placed under the skin of the penis have been available for decades for men with ED that doesn’t respond to the usual treatments. 

In 2004, the FDA approved a silicone sleeve called Penuma for cosmetic enhancement. It costs $13,000. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine looked at 400 men who had gotten Penuma implants; they experienced a 56.7% increase in girth, on average, and two years later, 81% of them reported "high" or "very high" satisfaction. A small study in three men with a “buried penis” also found an increase in self-confidence and self-esteem one year after the procedure.

A number of urologists now offer the procedure, but not every urologist will recommend a penis implant for enlargement. "Penile implants are appropriate in men who have erectile dysfunction that doesn’t respond to more conservative therapies," says Landon Trost, MD, a urologist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "The issue with penile fillers or implants is that they have many side effects. Fillers and Penuma are generally not recommended by the far majority of sexual medicine specialists." 

Side effects of implants can include sexual dysfunction, infection, penis deformities, and more. More research is needed on these procedures.

5. Penile extenders

Penis extenders are traction devices that you strap to your flaccid penis and wear for an extended time, usually several hours a day. This can result in penile lengthening, although it might take months to see results. 

"Nearly anything can be stretched in the body, including the penis, and that has been done for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years," says Trost, who developed a traction device called RestoreX to help men with Peyronie's Disease, a condition in which the penis becomes unnaturally bent.

In three randomized, controlled trials, nearly all men who used RestoreX experienced penile lengthening, says Trost. "Regarding penile girth, that is less well established," he says. "There are no known therapies which have consistently shown an ability to increase penile girth outside of penile injections (fillers) or surgery."

6. Jelqing or penis stretching 

There's plenty of info online about jelqing, or stretching exercises in which the flaccid penis is pulled and massaged with the fingers or a specially designed device. But results aren't permanent, and like penis weights jelqing comes with no small risk of injury, 

"I've had plenty of patients come to see me, post-jelqing, with neurological tears, so now they have a numb penis, or tearing and overstretching of the arteries and veins, so they have permanent ED," says Cohen. "If you tear the microvasculature or micro neurological input to the penis, no one can correct that." 

In short, jelqing is not recommended. 

7. Penis pumps

Penis pumps—vacuum devices that coax blood flow into the penis—will cause an erection, but they won't permanently make your penis bigger. 

In a study published in BJU International, 37 men used penis pumps for 20 minutes, three times a week, for six months. Researchers found that the participants' average penis length increased by only .3 cm (which was not statistically significant), the treatment was only 10% effective, and only 30% of the patients were satisfied. 

Trost doesn't even recommend penis pumps for ED treatment because they might cause the disorder they're being used to correct. "There is a question as to whether use of a vacuum device in younger men, who are trying to augment the penile girth, may result in some degree of erectile dysfunction," says Trost. "In general, men who try vacuum devices for ED use them a few times and then put them on the shelf." 

8. Male enhancement pills

No matter how sweet the siren song of those "male enhancement pills" behind the bodega counter or in Google ads, they won't make your penis bigger, according to the experts. "There are no supplements out there that are going to grow the size of your penis," says Cohen.

9. Losing weight

An easy way to make your penis look larger might be to lose weight—in men with excess body fat, fat in the pubic area can protrude over the penis, making the shaft of the penis look smaller. Extreme cases have earned the phenomenon a name: buried penis syndrome. 

See your healthcare provider to discuss whether losing weight, improving your diet, or getting more exercise can benefit your sexual health. All three have been associated with an improvement in erection quality and erectile dysfunction (ED). While losing weight can certainly help address obesity-related buried penis, it’s important to understand that some people are predisposed to excess fat around the pubic area. If that’s the case, your healthcare provider may recommend seeing if surgery is appropriate for you. 

10. Manscaping for a larger penis

An even easier way to make your penis look bigger is to trim your pubic hair. Cutting your pubes a bit closer to the base of the penis can make it appear to have more length. Naturally, you'll want to exercise caution in this area. There are several "body grooming" shavers on the market; they include guards and attachments that can help you get a more consistent result and avoid undesirable nicks and cuts in an extremely sensitive area. 

Can you make your penis bigger naturally?

As we’ve said earlier, there’s unfortunately no natural method to increase your penis size. You can manscape to help it appear bigger, but that’s as good as it gets. When talking about natural ways to make your penis bigger, there’s also no special diet or exercise regime that helps. However, if you’re interested in increasing your virility aside from making your penis bigger, there are some foods you can eat to help sexual performance. Maintaining a diet that supports a healthy heart and improves blood flow can bolster your erections. 

Do you have penis dysmorphia?

The penis-enlargement industry, such as it is, has sprung up and continues to grow—so to speak—largely because porn and pop culture have caused some men to develop unrealistic expectations and disordered thinking about wanting a bigger penis. The fact of the matter is that the average penis is 5.16 inches erect, and nearly 90% of guys have a penis between 4 and 6 inches. 

In a survey of 52,031 heterosexual men and women, researchers reported that 85% of women said they were satisfied with their partner's penis size, but only 55% of men were satisfied with the size of their penis. 

Psychologists term this "small penis anxiety" or "penis dysmorphic disorder" (PDD)—the irrational, unshakable belief that your size isn't satisfactory. This condition is related to body dysmorphic disorder. 

"This is something that gets stuck in our heads—you watch too much porn, and all the porn stars have these massive penises. But those are often also augmented or injected with different substances to give them an artificial erection," says Cohen. "So don't believe what you see on TV."

If you’re struggling with penis anxiety or penis dysmorphia, talk to your healthcare provider about getting a referral to a mental health professional who can help.

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Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Current version

April 25, 2023

Written by

Michael Martin

Fact checked by

Felix Gussone, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Felix Gussone, MD, Ro

Felix Gussone is a physician, health journalist and a Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.