At a certain stage, the growth of your penis will cease, but this doesn’t mean it will remain that size indefinitely.
While your ears may continue to grow throughout your life, the same cannot be said for your penis.
Naturally, your penis won’t retain the size it was during childhood, but it typically stops growing as the rest of your body does.
According to Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist and sexual wellness expert, “Most penile growth happens during puberty when testosterone goes up. By about 18 – the end of high school for most boys – length and girth are essentially set.”
Once your penis reaches its ‘set’ size, it might begin to shrink slightly over the years, though typically by only an inch or so, as explained by Healthline.
A primary reason for this shrinkage is age. Ochsner Health notes that as you age, blood flow to the penis decreases, weakening the muscle cells in the erectile tissues.
The website adds, “A decline in regular erections is another contributor. 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 can also contribute to the appearance of a smaller penis, particularly if excess weight is gained around the abdomen.
Though being overweight doesn’t actually reduce penis size, it can make it appear smaller. Ochsner Health explains, “Excess fat around the lower abdomen can obscure part of the penile shaft, making it look shorter in proportion to the body.”
Smoking also negatively impacts penile health. Chemicals in cigarettes, like nicotine, constrict blood vessels and reduce blood flow to the penis, which is vital for maintaining erections and preventing shrinkage. Quitting smoking could therefore benefit penile health.
Furthermore, prostate surgery can affect the size of the penis. For some men, prostate gland removal, or radical prostatectomy, is a treatment for prostate cancer, which affects about one in eight men during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.
Fortunately, this shrinkage is often temporary. A study conducted in 2012 revealed that erectile function post-surgery can help in restoring penile length.