General Health

Jelqing Exercises: Tips, Tricks, and What The Experts Say

August 2, 2022

Medically reviewed by

David Culpepper, MD

Nearly every guy has experienced feelings of anxiety about the size of their penis, even if only brief.

In fact, feelings of inadequacy and performance anxiety have become even more common thanks to the proliferation of easy access to pornography and related unrealistic expectations about penis size.

Pornography is designed to be entertaining, not realistic.

The reality is that your penis size is almost certainly sufficient to satisfy your partner. According to recent research, men are far more likely to be worried or care about their penis size than their partners. One survey of over 50,000 participants indicated that only 55% of men were satisfied with their penis size(!) compared to 85% of women being satisfied with their partner's penis size.

As long as can achieve a satisfactory erection, size isn’t the thing you should generally be worried about.

Still, jelqing –– a term for penis exercises designed to lengthen or enhance penis girth –– gets a lot of attention online these days. Here's what to know, and what the doctors say about jelqing.

What is Jelqing?

Jelqing refers to exercises that are designed to stretch out the penis and make it larger.

The technique revolves around massaging the soft tissues of the penis and stretching the skin to create “micro-tears.” When these tears heal, the intent is that they make the penis look longer, thicker, or more engorged than before.

The ultimate goal with jelqing is to increase the girth and length of the penis when flaccid and erect. Acolytes even claim jelqing can help make erections last longer as well.

How Do You Perform Jelqing Exercises?

The process of jelqing isn’t particularly difficult, according to online stories. Daily application for 20 minutes or less is sufficient, claim believers.

There are several variations of jelqing exercises, but the most common look similar to this:

Touch the tips of your index finger and thumb together and create an “O” shape.
Slide your penis through the O shape until you're at the base of your penis.
Keep making the O shape smaller until you feel mild pressure on the shaft of the penis.
Slowly slide the O shape along your penis until you reach the very tip, and loosen your grip.
It should take between three and five seconds to make it to the end of your penis.
Repeat these steps until you have been doing it for 20 minutes.

The goal is essentially stretching the penis, though with jelqing it’s important you aren’t applying too much pressure to your penis. You shouldn’t feel pain when performing these exercises.

Remember, these are supposed to be more of a strenuous massage than a painful torture technique. If you feel pain or discomfort, relax your grip. Some users report improved sensation by applying lube when jelqing to reduce chafing. It’s not necessary to complete the exercise, but it can help to prevent skin irritation, bruising, or soreness.

Does Jelqing Work?

As tempting as jelqing might be, there isn’t much scientific evidence that jelqing works.

Most stories of successful jelqing attempts are anecdotal and have yet to be replicated in scientific studies. Research is limited, and what few penis lengthening successes have been identified generally involve a traction device (details below).

It should be mentioned that the most successful studies involved using traction devices instead of the more common jelqing techniques using your hands.

One study found that wearing a traction device for at least nine hours a day over the course of three months could lead to nearly an inch in additional penis length. The study only involved 23 men, so these researchers weren’t ready to make a definitive conclusion, and recommended more studies.

Traction devices are cylindrical or barb-shaped and worn around the penis to maintain a stretched position for hours at a time.

Another study found that using traction devices could be an effective non-invasive treatment for men with Peyronie’s disease. This condition is the result of scar tissue buildup in the penis that causes it to curve or lose length and girth. Although traction devices were reasonably successful at helping repair this curve, they didn’t make the penis any longer or thicker than it was before.

What Are the Alternatives to Jelqing?

As mentioned before, your penis is probably just fine and likely within the range of the average penis size. If you're still feeling unsatisfied with your overall size, it may be related to the strength of your erection instead of size.

If you have trouble achieving or maintaining a firm erection, it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition. You should consult with a doctor to see if a prescription ED medication could be right for you. A physician may discuss the following solutions to address your situation:

Prescription ED Medications

The easiest way to improve the strength of your erections is a prescription medication like Viagra® (sildenafil), Cialis® (tadalafil), or Levitra® (vardenafil), or any of the generic versions of these common PDE5 inhibitors.

These drugs work by blocking enzymes in your blood vessels and penile tissue, helping to increase the amount of blood flowing into your penis. Most work on-demand: these pills are taken in the hour before sex, and their erection-inducing effects can last from 4 to 36 hours depending on dose and product.

Injections

These medications work similarly to those listed above, but the delivery method is different.

These rapid-acting and potent medications involve an injection directly into the soft tissues of your penis. Here, they go to work to dilate blood vessels and encourage more blood flow to the penis, resulting in an erection.

These medications kick in much faster than oral medications, but the effects may not last as long. They generally work for about an hour, which is usually enough time for sex.

Vacuum Pumps

For anyone that doesn’t want to use medication to address the issue, vacuum pumps are an alternative.

These devices involve a cylinder that slides over your penis and draws blood into it by creating a vacuum seal. Once erect, you remove the device and slip on a constriction band to trap the blood in your penis and maintain the erection.

These bands can be worn for 30 minutes at most, which should be enough time to engage in intimacy.

Is Jelqing Safe?

Jelqing done aggressively, or even done at all, can be dangerous, and health experts recommend against DIY penis alteration techniques like these.

"I would never recommend jelqing to a patient," says Dr. David Culpepper. "Beyond the obvious dangers of stretching your penis like this, the medical literature simply doesn't support its effectiveness. If you're truly unhappy with your penis size, or you suffer from the medical condition micropenis, there are other options for your anxiety around this subject, including therapy and true medical interventions."

The Takeaway

Being unsatisfied with or worried about the size of your penis is not uncommon for guys, though the research suggests men care about penis size more than women.

Jelqing may be able to help, but there isn’t much scientific evidence to support its effectiveness or safety.

Short of surgery and traction devices, physicians generally recommend not worrying about penis size or working hard to change it, and instead focusing on mental health and improving confidence.

On the other hand, if your issue has more to do with the strength or duration of your erection, medications like those from Rex MD may be able to help. If you're having trouble getting or staying hard, a licensed medical professional with Rex MD can help you get a prescription and medications shipped right to your door, if approved. Learn more by clicking here.