Educational resources for use by our visitors

Here is some information about variations in penis size and shape and about traction devices. We also have other educational resourses for use by our visitors. A complete list of the resourses is given here. 

Variations in the penis size and shape

The penile size and shapes varies very much from man to man and very much from flaccid to erect state. A little flaccid penis often grows to a big erect penis, and a big flaccid penis often do not grow so much when it gets erect. This is partly du to the fact that big flacid penises tend to be more blood-filled than small ones.

When measuring the length of the penis, it is recomanded to do it in its erect state with the man in standing position and the mesurement done along the upper side of the penis from the base to the tip.

95% of all men have a penile shape  between 10.7 cm and 19.1 cm (4.23 in - 7.53 in). The avarage length is around 14 cm.

The typical girth of a fully erect penis is around 12.3 cm (4.85 in).

The penis grows from birth to the end of puberty, with the greatest spurt of growth during the pubertal age. At the onset of puberty the avarage boy's penis  is  6 cm or 2.2 in long. But here there is great variations. The penis of many boys grow more before puberty and less during puberty. The size of the penis in a prepupertal boy has nearly no predictal value for the size of the penis when the puberty is finished. The penis tends to slowly grow thicker also after puberty, especially in its flaccid state, but it will usually not grow longer without any intervention to get it longer.

A penis is usually not symmetrical. Most penises tend to bow a little to one of the sides, usually the left one. This can be of some advantage because the penis will then hang down on one side in the throusers. If this bening is too much, it can however be a problem. It is less common for a penis to bow upwards or downwards. A normal penis is usually a little twisted. That can be seen by looking at the cleft of the urinary opening that usually do not alligns fully rignt. If it however is too much twisted, it can make a problem.

These irregularities are often congentital, but sometimes they are due to some diseae process in the penis, for example Peyrony's disease.

A little boy usually have a foreskin that covers the glans totally and in addition goes some distance further and ends in a narrowed tip.  When a little boy has an erect penis, the foreskin still usually covers the glans. Most boys have regular erections at all ages. These erections are probably necessary for the normal development of the penis.

As the penis grows during puberty, the foreskin tends to grow less than the rest of the penis. It is therefore common for grown-up men to have a foreskin that does not cover the urinary opening when the penis is flacid, and that is totally pulled down from the glans in the erect state. However, also here there are great variations. Some grown-up men have a foreskin that still covers most of the glans even in the erect state, but can still be withdrawn by use of the hands. There is a belief that such a foreskin gives a problem during intercouce. This is seldome true. A foreskin of this type will glide up an down during intercourse and can increase the physical feelings for both the man and the partner. Such a foreskin can also make it easier to masturbate.

The foreskin is tied to the place just under the urinary opening with a little skin structure called the frenulum. If this frenulum i short, it will also hinder the foreskin in being retracted totally by the erections. This state is called frenulum breve and is usually regarded as something abnormal. However, frenulum breve seldome gives any problems and may even stimulate to greater pleasure during sex and masturbation.

In a small boy the foreskin is attached to the skin of the glans, but soon loosens from this attachment. Until just before puberty there will be some attachment left around the rim of the base of the foreskin, but at the onset of puberty also this attachment is usually dissolved.

It is common for small boys to have a foreskin too narrow to be withdrawn, but in due time before puberty the opening usually widens so that the foreskin can be pulled down. If it does not widen in due time, the condition is called phimosis. Most cases of phimosis can be cured by gentle stretching. Many boys masturbate and this will often give the necessary stretching to widen the opening. Phimosis is often treated with topical steroid creams, and if that is not enough with plastic surgery of the tip of the penis. It has been customary to treat phimosis with circumcission, but such a measure is unnecessary.

What is then the optimal length and girth of a penis. This is very individual, and depends also on the relative size of the penis compared to the size of the body and the man's own estethical taste.  For a big man a moderately aizedpenis  may not be optimal. For a small man this size can be allright.  It also depend upon the partner a man have. For a man that has or preferes big partners, an average penile size may not be optimal. For a man prefering small and thin partners, it can be fully optimal. Size does matter, but how it matters, and how much is very individual.

Are there then racial differences in penis size? Because this is a sensitive matter, noone probably have any good answar to the question, or the answars you get from experts probably will not be honest. A survey made of a significant number of black and white men did not however report any average difference, in spite of the myth that bkack men have greater penises than white men.

There may howver be a difference in one way. In dome populations the average height and weight of people is greater that in others. It is probable that penis size to some extend is proportional to the size of a person, and that the the penises in populations witrh smaller people on avarage are smaller than those in populations with bigger people. However, two persons of different races which are equally big, will probably tend to have the same penile size.

Perhaps also small persons have greater penis size in comparison to the size of the penile size of bigger persons. Overweight perons allmost surely have a smaller penile size in proportion to the penile size of slim people. Therefore slimming will give a person a bodily appearance that make the penis more prominent.

What is a penis "traction" device?

For a man that prefers to make his penis longer, somewhat more rubust and somewhat thicker, a penis traction device can be a solution to his aim.

These are devices designed to apply continuous pressure, or stretching force, known as "traction," to the penis in order to permanently lengthen and enlarge it. One of the most popular and effective models available today is designed by a urologist and created by a medical company in Denmark. It applies traction by means of adjustable, calibrated bars between an anatomically curved base that fits comfortably at the root of the penis, and a surgical-grade band that slips of the glans (head) of the penis. As the penis lengthens, the traction and distance can be adjusted. This device is meant to be discreetly worn under the clothes and/or during sleep. Marketed under the name ProExtender™, the device can be obtained from your medical practitioner or online at www.proextender.com.

How does a penis traction device work?

The device fits at either end of the penis and creates a gentle expansion by safely applying calibrated, continuous pressure by means of a system of expandable bars. This stretching opens up spaces between penile cells, and triggers a growth or healing response in the body, in which adjacent cells begin to divide and fill in the space. With continued use, the growth can number in the millions of new cells, significantly adding size and tissue to the area. For more on how penis extension devices work, please check out the ProExtender™ website.

Is traction a medically approved technique?

Yes! Traction is well-known and documented, and widely used to help with healing after surgery, injury, trauma or burns. Simply put, traction means stressing tissues by gradual stretching, and then allowing the body to rebuild itself naturally. Examples are mastectomy patients, who require expansion of the skin and muscle in the chest prior to reconstructive surgery; penis enlargement surgery patients, who employ traction to help heal, strengthen and straighten the penis; and burn patients, who can create their own skin grafts by means of traction which "stretches" or enlarges an area of tissue prior to transplant.

Frankly, using some sort of contraption on my penis scares me. But I am very interested in the results shown in the studies and on the web sites. How can I be sure this is safe before I get into it?

First, do a little homework. Unfortunately, there are ripoffs, knockoffs and just plain fakes out there that have given a bad name to the penis enlargement medical category, and to the legitimate companies who have developed safe, effective products for penis extention. Discover which companies have been around for a while, what their source of equipment is, where it's manufactured, and whether it's backed by studies and medical practitioners. Ask if there is a guarantee. View photo testimonials, and talk with or read comments from other users of the product you're considering.

Next, use the device only as directed. Some men cause themselves distress or harm by over-using the device, figuring that "more is better" and employing a "no pain, no gain" strategy. The device should produce no more than mild discomfort, if any; the parts should fit comfortably and appropriately with no sharp edges, tight grips or excessive vacuum pressure. Traction does work, but follow instructions carefully.

Finally, use common sense. Examine your reasons for desiring a larger penis: are you willing to make the committed, conscientious effort it takes to increase your penis length and girth, or can you be satisfied with what you have now? If you decide to proceed with the use of a traction device, by all means, listen to your body and consult a medical practitioner if you have any questions.

How often do I have to use the device, and for how long?

Your results are in proportion to the amount of time, amount of total traction force, and length of treatment. Clinical studies on the device examined men who used the device for 8 - 10 hours a day over a course of 3 to 6 months, and every instance showed measurable penis growth. Results can be obtained with a different schedule, however, and each man's specific results will vary. Most men can blend the use of their device into their existing schedule, either by using the device during work hours (for non-physical types of jobs) or during evening hours of relaxation or even sleep. You will be able to determine the practice that works best for you, however, you should stay within the guidelines established by the medical designer of the device as much as possible.

I've read accounts of men and their doctors creating "monster" penises by using devices like this. Is that really the case?

Traction has been used by indigenous peoples and by modern medical practitioners to lengthen penises up to 22 inches -- however, the typical man using a device at home wants an impressive, but not "freakish," gain in length and girth. Though extreme gains are possible, the likelihood of injury increases if the product is not used according to guidelines and common sense.

Why is the device so expensive?

A quality device, like ProExtender™ for instance, is a genuine, medical apparatus. In addition to costly research and development, these devices are manufactured to exacting surgical-grade specifications to ensure safety and effectiveness. A device with this degree of quality control and calibration tolerance is expensive but worth it. After all, when you consider how you will use the device, would you really wish to cut corners?

Do all penis enlargement device companies guarantee their products?

No, some do not. In fact, some manufacturers do not give good garantees and other providers are not in the busines long enough for dissatisfied customers to ask for a refund -- so even though they may "offer" a guarantee, by the time duped customers return with a complaint, the company has vanished. Unfortunately, these unscrupulous companies have given the public a negative perception of male enhancement products. However, there have been an improvement in the trade, and the bad companies are not so much around any longer.

To be sure of getting a good product, select a company that has been around for a while, and one that guarantees your satisfaction with a money-back promise. Only companies with excellent products and happy customers who order again and again can stay in this business for very long. One such company is Leading Edge Marketing and their product, ProExtender™. 

Am I a good candidate for this kind of treatment?

Therefore all men who would like to strengthen and lengthen their penises are good candidates. Men who have an embarrassing or disruptive curve to the penis (medically known as Peyronie's Disease) benefit from the use of this device too -- in fact, this Danish-made doctor-designed device is used in hundreds of clinics and hospitals worldwide specifically for the treatment of Peyronie's.

How are penis traction devices composed and how are they mounted

Generally penis traction devices consist of the following parts:

- A basal ring that is threaded over the penis and resides around the penis root, and is supported towards the inguinal area.

- Two ajustable bars going from each side of the basal ring. They can be adjusted by threads to be turned around. The bars have hinges near the basal ring so that they also can be flexed down. The bars consists of two parts, one inserted into the other. Inside each bar, there is a spring that press at each parts and holds the bar extended. By pressing at each end of the bar, the spring is pressed down and one part of the bar slides into the other.

- At the upper end of the bars there is fasted a plastic support.

- Near the upper end of the bars, there is a silicone sling. Each end of the sling is fasted at a bar or at the support, and threaded through a hole here. The sling makes a bow from bar to bar.

The extender is mounted by first threading the basal ring over the penis, and setting the basal ring down towards the pubic area.

The bars are then bent up towards the penis, so that the downside of the penis head rests against the support.

The silicone sling is threaded around the penis tip.

Then the bars are pressed somewhat down so that the silicone sling just surrounds the the penis just under the head, and the tips of the silicone sling is pulled at so that the slink surrounds the penis tightly, but not so tightlly that the penis is deformated. The sling is fixed in this position by a locking device at the top of the bars.

If the penis is uncircumcised, the foreskin shall reside in place over the penis head.

Then the bars can be bent down so that the penis does not stand right out and so that it can hide under the clothes together with the extender.

The traction device should be used several hours each day in some months. There is no definit minimum or maximum time length it must be used, but the result is proportional to the number of hours it is used each day. It should however not be used the whole day and night. Each product will come with recomandations for teh exact way of using the device.

An example of a penis traction device

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This information is nutritional in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.