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Men's health is a growing field. Dr. Sheldon Marks shares advice and information on men's health issues, from prostate problems to hair loss, as well as fitness and nutrition.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Penis Enlargement: Myths and Facts
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Results in seconds. Wow.

I don't know about you but I am fast growing tired of the dozens of spam e-mails I get every day about the magic new penis enlargement pill, cream or device. But it is not limited to these anonymous e-mails. Now I have to watch or listen to these same scams on major prime time TV shows and radio. What amazes me most is that these advertisements must be making money, or they wouldn't still be on the air week after week, month after month.

Here's the kicker - there is no truth or science behind any one of them. They are all pure and simple scams, designed to separate out the foolish from their money. Nothing more than snake oil salesmen, and sadly as educated as we are, we still remain gullible. Hey, if I could find a way to feel comfortable stealing money from people I might too jump in and offer "Sheldon's secret penile enlargement formula- but don't' wait, because organized medicine wants to shut me down, so order before midnight tonight and we'll throw in a free spray-on window tinter". And here is how they promote an age-old gimmick - now they call it male enhancement - kind of like a used car is now called pre-owned so they can charge more. If I sell my own secret formula, then I can lie but it is a new lie so it will take a few years for it to catch up to me and maybe by then I will have my millions hidden away in an off-shore Caribbean island. But my ethics gets in the way.

So many times people ask "why doesn't the government step in an stop these quacks from making outright lies and false claims?" The reason is simple - the supplement industry has worked very hard to keep the FDA out of the supplement market. This way, they can sell anything to anyone and they don't have to prove that it is effective, that it is even helpful or that it is even safe. So anyone with some money can create a fake treatment and sell it, making wild and extreme claims.

And what better way to trick people than playing to the secret wish of many men - to have a bigger penis? Because, after all, we know that men with bigger penises must be happier, more successful and have happier wives. And who will complain that his penis enlargement pill didn't work? I would guess very few men.

But what is a normal sized penis? This is a subject that guys never seem to understand. First of all, the size of a non-erect penis has no relevance to an erect penis. Some guys who have small penises can get quite large and other guys who are large don't change much, and everything in between. Somewhere about 4 to 6 inches erect is what a normal penis is supposed to be.

Let me explain this as simply as I can. The penis you have is the one you are genetically designed to have. It is because of the DNA you inherited from your mother and father. It is also the reason you are as tall or short as you are as well as the color of your eyes.

After spending more than 20 plus years in urology, it is clear that no pill or cream or vacuum contraption will change your penis size. It is not like the penis is elastic and can be enlarged. It is what it is. If you have extra weight, then you can lose a few pounds and your penis will seem bigger. You could opt for disfiguring surgery to cut the ligament that will let your penis fall down, and give you the appearance of maybe 1/2 inch more for a lucky few, but that is about it. And so you know, most men who have penile enlargement surgery regret doing so. It must be something about all the scarring and pain.

So here is what it comes down to. You can spend lots of money trying to change something that can't be changed, or you can learn what is really important, be satisfied and save a few bucks.

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Posted by: Sheldon Marks, MD at 3:36 PM

34 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

my friend haas type1 diabeties and has a problem getting his little guy to work. I told him that we can try many things and creams first before he goes to his urologist to get checked out. I want to be intimate with him but he is afraid that it might scare me off if he cant get an arection. i told him it wouldn't i would still be by his side.. what can i do to convince him that im not going to leave him

Apr 10, 2008 6:46:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To anonymous: Most men think that intimacy is tied to getting an erection and having intercourse. Does he check his sugar often during the day? Too high blood sugar can cause problems, as well as some medications for the diabetes. Talk to him and let him know that you would be just as satisfied by him stimulating you in other ways, either orally or manually. Sometimes the pressure to perform from himself can cause him not to get an erection too. Try some toys even. Anything to take the pressure to perform off of him. And always tell him that you love what he is doing. Sex isnt just intercourse, but for men that is hard to comprehend. If all else fails talk to his family doctor maybe switching diabetic meds, provided he isnt insulin dependent. Hope this helps you out.

Apr 26, 2008 8:33:00 AM  
Anonymous oldefarte@peoplepc.com said...

ISN'T IT A SHAME THAT ALL THOSE ERECTIONS WERE WASTED WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND HAD NO PLACE TO UTILIZE THEM?
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN THE NAVY AND HAD PNEUMONIA. THE OLD NURSE (LIEUTENANT) WOULD WALK THROUGH THE WARD AT ABOUT 5:45 AM. ANY SAILOR LYING UNDER A SHEET WITH AN ERECTION WAS SNAPPED WITH A LARGE RUBBER BAND AND TOLD, "THERE WILL BE NONE OF THAT IM MY WARD!!"
I WONDERED IF SHE EVER HAD ANY CHILDREN AND IF SO WHERE THEY CAME FROM.

Apr 26, 2008 12:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Women love men for the way they make them feel...about themselfs. Find a women who won't make dinner, go to sporting events and be their best friend. When they make har feel beautiful, safe and loved. That's the plan fellows. Save those dollars for a long term relationship.

Apr 26, 2008 4:22:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

To anonymous #1- Keep referring to your male friend's penis as a "little guy", and I guarantee it won't work...

Apr 28, 2008 10:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

All of those "male enhancement" pills can legally claim to make your penis bigger. Technically, when your penis goes from soft to erect, IT JUST GOT BIGGER. Most of these pills do help you to get an erection (like Viagra). They just stretch the truth a little by calling it "bigger" instead of "erect".

Apr 29, 2008 7:36:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

nearly all the sensory parts of a woman's genitalia is on the OUTSIDE of their body so that an average size penis does all that it's supposed to do. Remember that the ALMIGHTY created us & folks- simply put he doesn't make mistakes. Some things like diabetes etc. can sometimes make if difficult to obtain a full erection but viagra, levitra etc. can help that problem and oral sex is always available to both men & women & I've never heard anyone object to it.

Apr 29, 2008 7:38:00 PM  
Blogger SouthernGent said...

How long before Viagra goes Generic?

Apr 29, 2008 7:48:00 PM  
Anonymous B540 said...

My ex-gf left me precisely because I had erectile dificulties that medication only partially aleviated. While not all women will do this, I think its absurb to say, "Just love her, treat her right and do other things to satisfy her and she'll stay." Women can be just as superficial as men.

Apr 29, 2008 8:46:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Realman from Saudi.

I have to say with confidence, penis enlarging in size, length and dia is not possible, after 25 years. But is is possible at the age between 12 to 17 years. But with proper exercise snd vacum suction within limits the sizes can be kept even upto orginal in the age of 60
This is true not false

Apr 30, 2008 4:51:00 AM  
Anonymous frmarine said...

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

May 4, 2008 4:46:00 PM  
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A reminder:

Civil disagreement with the writer is fine; personal attacks and name calling are not.

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May 4, 2008 5:07:00 PM  
Blogger Rory said...

Hello. I am a teenager interested in using penis enlargement suppliments. Does anyone know whether its a bad idea for young people to use this stuff?

Jul 16, 2008 7:25:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

but what if your penis was 8 inches but has shrunk to 5 and a half after i stopped masterbating

Aug 18, 2008 6:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I saw one person wrote that their partner left them because of erectile issues. I'm sorry for you bud. You are right in saying that women are just as superficial as men. And I hope that you have been able to have some success in overcoming your erection problems.

The anonymous lady who said "Most men think that intimacy is tied to getting an erection and having intercourse."

Another person also claimed some websites that sell supplements often make big claims about penis enlargement and I think I stumbled across one at http://www.ultimate-max.com . But I think there are plenty of them on the internet.

And the guy who's penis shrunk from 8 inches to 5.5, sorry, I don't know what to say except keep researching to see if everything is alright.

Aug 22, 2008 11:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

truth be told, none of this talk about love or intimacy is even relevant, most of the men considering these enlargement gimicks (me being one of them) dont care about that. my ex and I were truly in love & she was satisfied with our love making but we were open and discussed everything, she had a somewhat deep you-know-what and required 8.5 inches to reach that climax that can only be reached back there, so my 6-6.5 inches was basically falling short. Even though she was happy with it I would have paid aything to be able to satisfy her in that way & I'm sure my own insecurities about this is part of the reason our relationship ended after 2yrs. Point is we men get all that other stuff but still want to be the one the ladies smile about when they reflect on their sexual past

Aug 23, 2008 2:43:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with the man above me. It's like money, everyone says(and knows) it won't buy you happiness, but anyone who's broke would still like to find out for them selves.

Aug 23, 2008 2:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had prostate cancer and had the prostate removed. I am now cancer free after 3 years, but I have noticed that my penis length is less (2"-3"). I am told this is due to the cutting then healing of the area. There is a product That I would like your opinion on. It is called Fastsize. It is mention in other parts of this web site. Would this product help get my size back?

Sep 2, 2008 11:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When I was younger, I'm 58 now, my erect penis had a natural downward curve. I have to use Viagra or Cialis to get a hard erection. When I do, it now curves upward. What causes this. It feels very unnatural for me since mine always curved down.

Sep 7, 2008 7:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

More credibility for these articles would be established if these doctors' statements were more consistent.

From: http://men.webmd.com/features/male-enhancement-is-it-worth-try?page=2


Chicago urologist Laurence A. Levine, MD, director of the male fertility program at Rush University Medical Center, tested the FastSize Extender on 10 men afflicted with Peyronie's disease, which can cause bending and shrinkage of the penis. At the end of the six-month study, which was funded by the maker of the FastSize Extender, Levine found increased penile length and reduced curvature in every man and increased girth in seven of the men. Calling the results "remarkable," Levine now prescribes the device to many of his Peyronie's patients and reports no significant complications. (Levine has also worked as a paid consultant to FastSize Extender.)

Oct 1, 2008 4:29:00 PM  
Anonymous jome jome said...

why does this urologist say the penis isn't elastic? then how does mine shrink and grow from a tiny nub to a solid shaft? i can even stretch it from 3 to 8 inches.

Oct 3, 2008 12:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have an 7 1/2" penis the only problem is that it's 5" round, not very plesurable for her, is there anything I can do to incresce the girth of my penis? I know you have said in other issues that when the penis is not errect the penis size dosn't matter, true but I have ben in a couple of lockers and mine is small, I just feel week in the sex feild with my wife.

Oct 12, 2008 11:03:00 PM  
Blogger buzz said...

been using this devise as advised in manual for nearly three years and all i can say is don't buy anything that cuts off circulation to your body. it took more effort than it was worth and the gains were only in length appx 1/4 inch. NOTHING in girth! perhaps a decrease if anything. I am very fortunate not to have severely damaged nerves do to the silicone noose style grip, which cuts off circulation to the glands. it's possible that some minor injury has occurred. I stopped using the device for six days and my member is slightly thinner, however there has been no change in length. it might be healing for now, I hope...it's just not worth risking any sensitivity loss or different perception of sensitivity, in my opinion. has anyone had similar experience with extenders (fastsize) from loss of circulation to the glands?? If you have get the word out!! I think size genetics has a grip with more surface area and is less harmful to the glands. jelqing is not recommended either. I bruised or ruptured a blood vessel after doing this. it took two weeks to heal but now have tiny scar where it ruptured. big mistake! like it happened to me, it can happen to anyone with lots of experience and the gains were very minor and very temporary so it's not recommended.


this is my third attempt at writing a personal review about fastsize's product. my first review banned me from fastsize's forum. hmmm...it's very apparent how fastsize has been able to maintain such a safe reputation by filtering out forum threads! hopefully this writing is informative to anyone using fastsize.
take care

Oct 31, 2008 5:47:00 PM  
Anonymous CuriousNervous said...

Are there any natural excersises to make it longer? like not a pill, but an excersise or something you can do with it that will make it longer? And is there anything that could be making it shrink i wouldnt know aboit?

Nov 13, 2008 1:00:00 PM  
Blogger Ethan Foxx said...

Great post! Had to repost over at The Men's Health Blog.

Dec 1, 2008 12:22:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Im here to be a skeptic. I have been doing Jelqing and stretching techniques for about 2 years and I have noticed 1" gain in length and 1" gain in girth. Its all about safety when it comes to Penile exercises. I also have rock hard erections during sex and throughout the day just like many others.

Dec 7, 2008 6:45:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This doctor is wrong. Nonsurgical penis enlargement even has a citing in PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18990153?ordinalpos=17&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Jan 25, 2009 1:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

Mar 4, 2009 3:01:00 PM  
Blogger WebMD Blogs said...

All comments must meet our Terms and Conditions. This includes "posting advertisements or solicitations of business." Posts that do not meet our terms and conditions will be removed.

Mar 4, 2009 4:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Guinness World Records says a man added over 6 inches to his penis with surgery and a stretching device. Some of these doctors need to open their minds just a little bit. Science is just as much about observing as it is about being skeptical.

Mar 10, 2009 11:30:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This doctor is so wrong... I measured the length and girth of my erections after popping a popular male enhancement pill on 3 occasions a week apart. Unless my inch tape lied I gained an average of 1.5" in length and 1.8" in girth. The female control was extremely pleased with the increase in size and duration. However I reverted to my normal 8" erection after I discontinued use of the pill. I could not argue with the results... This male enhancement pill worked!!!!

Mar 11, 2009 12:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whats the name of the pill?
It might be hazardous to your health.YOU NEVER KNOW.

Mar 31, 2009 7:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How long before Viagra goes Generic and who will MFG it

Apr 1, 2009 12:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My erect size diminished by at least 25% during a time I was wearing a male chastity device 24x7. The device was very constraining.

My erections returned to their former full size after about 2 months of nonuse of the device, and of having regular frequent strong erections.

Jul 1, 2009 3:06:00 PM  

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