The Ultimate Guide to Male Enhancement

Does male enhancement work?

To many, the term “male enhancement” is a myth. To some, it’s even a scam. After all, who hasn’t received spam promoting a male enhancement product in their email inbox at one point or another?

However, despite there being more than a few less than reputable products on the market, male enhancement is no scam -- nor is it a myth. There are numerous male enhancement products on the market that have been scientifically proven to work -- and that have been recommended by medical experts and practitioners to boot.  

Our GIDDI experts have performed extensive research into the topic of male enhancement to not only separate fact from fiction, but also to provide you with everything you need to know about male enhancement products.

Already know the basics and ready to take the next step? Checkout our Buyer's Guide where we review the 10 Best Penis Enlargement Products on the market.

Why use male enhancement products?

Now the question is, “why use male enhancement products?”

Many men believe their members to be too small. Even if they have a regular-sized penis, this can affect their confidence, and therefore affect their sexual performance.

Increasing the girth and length of your penis can significantly improve your confidence, as a result improving performance. On top of that, some men do have a smaller penis.

Some may even have what’s called a “micropenis.” In cases like these, enhancing your penis can be incredibly beneficial.

We would also like to point out that many male enhancement products are meant for more than just growth. Many male enhancement products also help address erectile dysfunction and can even correct an incurvate penis (something that affects five percent of male adults).

With this in mind, the following is a breakdown of everything you need to know concerning male enhancement.

How Small Is A Small Penis?

Before you begin considering male enhancement, it helps to know whether you actually have a small penis or not. The idea of how big a penis should be has been somewhat warped by popular culture (i.e. adult video content). Despite what you might think, the average penis size is not the length of a ruler or the girth of a beer can. It’s also important to understand the difference between sizes in flaccid and erect states. Some men may have smaller penises when flaccid, but when erect, their penis grows to normal size. Others may have large flaccid penises that don’t grow that much when they become erect. This phenomenon birthed the question “are you a grower or a shower?”

According to the British Journal of Urology International, the average length of a flaccid penis is 3.16 inches long, while the average length of an erect penis is 5.16 inches. The average girth is 3.66 inches when flaccid and 4.59 inches when erect. Most adult males are within half an inch of the average size. So is your penis small or not? From the data available, you can infer that if your penis is less than around 4.5 inches long and less than 4 inches in girth when erect, you’re a bit on the smaller side.

What is Considered a Micropenis?

Having a slightly smaller penis is one thing, having a micropenis is another. A micropenis is an abnormally small penis that affects males from birth. They can be caused by a variety of disorders, including certain hormonal disorders and testosterone disorders. A micropenis is a penis that is less than 3.66 inches in length. The hormone disorder that causes a micropenis is rare, with only 0.06 percent of males in the world having it. It’s worth mentioning that micropenises function the same way as normal penises. Everything works the exact same; however, due to the lack of size, men with micropenises often have trouble performing sexually, especially if having a micropenis has hurt their self-confidence as well. Although surgery is an option, doctors often advise against it.

What is Male Enhancement?

Male enhancement is a term used to describe methods of increasing the size of the penis, both in terms of length and girth. There are many different products on the market that can achieve this increase in size, all without requiring invasive surgery. Male enhancement can be particularly effective in treating men with micropenises. Effective male enhancement may only result in an increase of an inch or two; however, this can be a significant leap in size, and confidence, especially for those with a micropenis.

Although men with smaller penises can still perform at a high level sexually, a larger penis can make a big difference for their partners (don’t mind the pun!). Again, this is especially true with regards to micropenises. But more importantly, male enhancement can improve self-confidence, which itself is a key to sexual performance and wellness.

Male Enhancement vs. Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is a condition in which a man has difficulties getting an erection or maintaining an erection long enough to have sexual intercourse. In some cases, erectile dysfunction can be caused by certain conditions or as a side effect of certain medications or treatments. For example, it’s not uncommon for men who have undergone prostate surgery to experience erectile dysfunction. It’s worth noting that in other cases, erectile dysfunction can be psychological as well.

Male enhancement products mostly focus on extending the size of the penis; however, they can also be used to assist in treating erectile dysfunction. Many products, such as certain male enhancement pills, penis pumps, and penis extenders can help individuals suffering from erectile dysfunction. They do this by increasing the blood flow to the penis, allowing it to become erect with greater ease.

Does Penis Enlargement Work?

When it comes to penis enlargement products and methods, the million-dollar question is, “does it actually work?” First of all, yes there are products out there that don’t work. But there are also products that do work, which is why it’s important that you look into the company producing the product. Many penis enlargement products have undergone intensive testing to determine how effective they are. Third-party organizations have also performed countless studies on individual products. This means that the highest quality penis enlargement products are often backed by various studies and research as a way to prove their effectiveness. On top of that, the most reputable brands tend to offer money-back guarantees. Companies that don’t have that belief in their products rarely offer such guarantees.

It’s also important to understand how penis enlargement works. You can’t expect a pill will double the size of your penis overnight. That’s not how penis enlargement works. You will need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how to use the device or pill -- and you will likely need to use it regularly for an extended period of time to see results. Keep in mind that results vary and that an increase in one or two inches in size is actually quite substantial. Expecting more than that is, quite frankly, unrealistic.

The Different Types of Male Enhancement

Now that we have some of the misconceptions about male enhancement out of the way, you’re probably curious about the types of male enhancement options that are available to you. All in all, there are five types of male enhancement to choose from. These methods vary greatly from one to another, both in how they are applied and how much they cost. Which option you should choose depends on a variety of factors, most of which should be based on your individual needs. These factors include:

Your goal (some men may be looking to increase their size, others may just be looking to improve their sexual performance, while others may just want to fix the curvature of their penis, and so on)

Your comfort (how the device fits on your penis when in use)

Your preferences (some men feel uncomfortable taking a pill, while others would prefer not to use certain types of devices)

The cost of the product

It is worth noting that if you choose a male enhancement product, the manufacturer of that product will be a big factor in whether or not the product will work. If you want to know more about the specific male enhancement products that we recommend, be sure to check out our product guide, in which we review some of the best products for each male enhancement type. With that out of the way, the following are the five different types of male enhancement that you should know about:

Penis Enhancement Pills

There are many, many, penis enhancement pills on the market. They are often advertised as a miracle drug. Many of them are scams. This doesn’t mean that there aren’t pills out there that work. However, it’s crucial that you understand what they actually do. No pill is going to magically make your penis larger overnight. In fact, reputable brands do not advertise this. What they generally advertise is the ability to enhance your performance -- and this is why you would consider taking pills.

Effective penis enhancement pills can help to improve the blood flow to your penis. As a result, people who often have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection can benefit from such pills. Even if this isn’t an issue for you, such pills can also increase the strength of your erection by making it firmer -- and as a result, a little bigger than it usually is. As you know, erections come in all sizes (some weaker than others). A weaker erection makes the penis appear smaller. When taking a pill, the erection will be much stronger, making it appear to be larger than usual.

With this in mind, pills can be quite effective, especially if you suffer from poor self-esteem, which affects your ability to get or maintain erections. Many of the ingredients that some of these pills are made of help improve the ability to control your orgasm and to improve the orgasm itself as well. The following are a few of the common ingredients found in penis enhancement pills and how they promote male enhancement:

Yohimbe - Yohimbe is the name for the bark of a Pausinystalia Yohimbe tree, which is found in Africa. It has historically been used as an aphrodisiac, but these days, it's used to treat both erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation due to its adrenaline-boosting properties.

Panax Ginseng - Used as a sexual performance enhancer for thousands of years in China, Panax Ginseng is commonly used in modern-day penis enhancement pills. It works by increasing nitric oxide in the body, which helps to stimulate the central nervous system by relaxing and opening blood vessels, thereby helping make it easier to achieve an erection.

Ginko Biloba - Ginko Biloba comes from the oldest tree species in the world. It's an antioxidant that boosts the nitric oxide levels in your body.

L-Methionine - L-methionine is an essential amino acid. It helps to block the formation of histamines in your body, which can cause premature ejaculation if they're at too high a level.

L-Arginine - L-arginine is an amino acid containing raw material from which nitric oxide is produced.

Zinc - The body requires zinc in order to regulate the production of testosterone. Low levels of testosterone can result in a low libido. As such, taking zinc can help boost libido and increase sexual performance as a result.

One important thing to take note of: because there are so many pills out there, you need to make sure you’re buying them from a reputable brand.

Don’t take any risks on pills that contain chemical or artificial ingredients. Stick with pills made with 100 percent natural ingredients. You should also know that the effects will only last as long as you continue taking the pill -- results are not permanent.

Additionally, do your research when it comes to ingredients. There are many different natural ingredients being used. Some have been proven to work, others not so much. It's worth mentioning that even natural ingredients that can't 100 percent be proven to work have been reported to work by users. This could very well be due to a placebo effect.

Penis Enhancement Exercises

If you’re uncomfortable taking supplements, you could opt to simply perform routine penis enhancement exercises. The obvious question here is can exercising your penis really help make it larger?

Well, if you exercise any other part of your body on a regular basis, your muscles will grow stronger and larger -- so it’s no surprise that the same will happen with your penis.

As for the exercises themselves, don’t worry -- you won’t have to struggle with penis push-ups or anything of that sort. Penis enhancement exercises involve using your hand to stretch and massage the tissues throughout your penis.

By doing this, you’re creating micro-tears. When these micro-tears heal, they’ll become stronger and, as a result, your member will appear to be larger. It’s basically the same principle that applies to working out. When you lift weights, you do minor damage to your tissues -- once they heal, they become stronger, resulting in larger muscles.

When manually exercising your penis, you should grip the head of your member when it’s flaccid and pull upwards. At the same time, press down around the base of the penis. Hold your member in this stretched position for ten seconds. Then repeat twice, pulling left and right. Continue repeating for two minutes, once a day.

In addition to using penis enhancement exercises to lengthen your penis, there is also an exercise that you can perform to increase its girth. This exercise is known as jelqing. It involves wrapping your index finger and thumb around the base of your penis (in an A-okay type gesture). Put mild pressure on the member and then slowly move your fingers towards the head. To see an increase in girth, you should repeat this exercise daily for roughly 20-30 minutes.

Penis Extenders

The thing about doing manual exercises is that there’s no guarantee that it will work. If you’re not putting enough pressure on your member, you may not see the results you’re expecting. On top of that, manual exercise can be incredibly tedious to do. If you’d prefer to ditch the “manual” part of the exercise, then consider a penis extender. A penis extender works the same way manual exercise does -- it helps stretch the penis, creating micro-tears in the process that, when healed, will result in a longer penis.

So how does one use a penis extender? The head or end of the penis is held in a support, while adjustable bars help to stretch or extend the penis from the base of the device. There’s no denying it, extenders are a bit bulky in appearance. High-quality extenders require a lot of engineering to ensure that the extender not only functions properly but stays in place. People have had issues with lower quality extenders in that they don’t always provide proper support or comfort.

However, if you do invest in a high-quality penis extender, then you will very likely see results. Extenders have been scientifically proven to work. There are also numerous studies out there that have indicated that subjects using extenders do experience growth. Regular use for a few hours a day is typically required though. To get the most out of a penis extender (growth of up to 1 to 2 inches), you will need to wear the device daily (or nightly) for upwards of six months.

Although effective, penis extenders are not without their drawbacks. Besides the fact that lower-quality devices may be bulky and uncomfortable (high-quality products are usually engineered with these challenges in mind), they can also be quite pricey. Expect to pay over 100 dollars (hundreds of dollars for higher quality models) for a quality penis extender as well as for various other components and accessories (such as belt straps).

Penis Pump

Although a device, the penis pump has more in common with male enhancement pills than it does with the penis extender. Like pills, the function of a penis pump is to increase the blood flow to the penis, thereby resulting in a strong erection. The device is essentially a tube that you insert your penis into. You then create a vacuum within the tube by pumping out the air. This will cause blood to flow towards the penis. Once erect, you can remove the pump.

The use of a penis pump can also help those who suffer from erectile dysfunction (making it difficult to get an erection) to obtain an erection. Even if you have such issues, a penis pump can provide you with a much stronger erection, making your penis look bigger than normal when erect, and improving your confidence. However, just like with male enhancement pills, the use of a penis pump will only result in short-term, non-permanent effects.

Most penis pumps use air to create a vacuum. To do this, a tight seal has to be made, which means that you have to shave to properly use the device. It’s important that you follow manufacturer instructions when you do use a penis pump since using it improperly could cause issues. In addition to the traditional air pumps, there are also water pumps on the market. While the results aren’t too different, water pumps are more powerful -- and for many, much more comfortable. Pumping with water can even be a pleasant experience, whereas some people may find creating an air vacuum to be too uncomfortable. The cost of a penis pump varies. Water pumps will cost a bit more, but in general, pumps are more affordable than extenders.

Penis Enlargement Surgery

If you’re looking for permanent results -- and want immediate gains that are permanent, you can always consider elective penis enlargement surgery. Basically, a piece of medical-grade silicone is inserted under the skin of the penis to make it both longer and wider. Undergoing this surgery can increase the size of your penis by 1.5 to 2.5 inches. However, there are a lot of potential drawbacks to penis enlargement surgery. First of all, it’s expensive. It’s also an elective cosmetic surgery, which means insurance won’t cover it. You can expect to pay around $15,000. Secondly, the procedure requires that you be circumcised. If you’re not, you’ll need to get circumcised before you undergo surgery.

Finally, there are a lot of potential health risks. Some of the side effects reported by those who have undergone the surgery include blood clots in their penile tissue and infection of the implant. There have also been instances in which the implant has broken apart or the stitches have come apart. Both scarring and seroma (a condition in which fluid builds up below the skin) can occur as well. To avoid these risks, you have to follow aftercare instructions very carefully, which include no sexual activity for six weeks. Although the risks only affect a small percentage of men who have undergone the surgery, they are still present -- even if you follow all medical instructions. Considering the risks -- and the costs -- we don’t think penis enlargement surgery is particularly worth it.

Making Your Penis Look Larger Without Male Enhancement

Although there are many different methods that you can apply to increase the size of your penis, it’s important to remember that in some cases, it’s the perception of size that affects your confidence levels. You may not actually have a small penis, but the perception that you have a small penis could be affecting your confidence and performance.

Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to make your penis look bigger without using penis enhancement products. For instance, trimming or shaving your pubic hair. Long pubic hair covers part of the shaft, making the penis look shorter than it is. By trimming or shaving, you create the perception that your member has increased in size. If you happen to be overweight, losing weight can help make your penis look larger as well. Of course, you can do these things on top of using a male enhancement product or doing male enhancement exercises as well.

Choosing Male Enhancement

Whether you suffer from a condition that has left you with a micropenis or you simply want to increase the size of your member as a way to boost both your sexual performance and your self-confidence, you have a lot of options when it comes to male enhancement.

While we ourselves are wary of male enhancement surgical procedures (as are many medical professionals), there are many excellent male enhancement products on the market that include pills, extenders, and pumps, all of which can be supplemented with routine male enhancement exercise.

Just keep in mind that whether these male enhancement products are effective or not depends significantly on the manufacturer. While there are plenty of reputable, scientifically proven male enhancement products out there, you should keep an eye out for potential scams as well.