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Good news for anybody with a penis they consider to be too large: your penis shrinks as you age.
Just like everything else in your body, your nether regions go through changes as you get older. In the case of your ears, they will continue to grow as you age. In the case of your penis and testicles, there will be some shrinkage.
"If a man's erect penis is six inches long when he is in his 30s, it might be five or five-and-a-half inches when he reaches his 60s or 70s," urologist Irwin Goldstein told Vice back in 2018.
As well as the penis sometimes appearing smaller due to extra weight men tend to carry when they are older (sort of how Mauna Kea is larger than Everest if you take into account how far it extends below the Pacific Ocean, your penis is still there, just not above that surface), your penis shape can also change due to Peyronie's disease, becoming curved when erect.
Peyronie's is caused by a buildup of plaques (scar tissue) underneath the surface of the penis over time. The disease is thought to affect between 0.5 and 13 percent of men in the United States, though many people are unaware they have the condition, according to the Urology Department of Weill Cornell Medicine.
As well as this, as you get older, your testosterone production also slows down, which can affect the size and function of your testicles and penis. Age-related conditions such as arteriosclerosis (clogged blood vessels) can also reduce blood flow to the penis, making it appear smaller.
But according to Dr Edward Zimmerman – who goes by the name @dickdocontiktok on TikTok – there is a way you can prevent losing some of that volume and girth.
"Penises shrink with age – just like how you lose volume in your face and neck," Dr Zimmerman explained to Buzzfeed. "Down below, you'll lose girth and you'll also lose length if you're rarely using it. It truly is a use-it-or-lose-it type of deal."
Essentially, keep using it regularly and it will slow down any shrinking. As an added benefit, studies have shown that that can reduce your risk of prostate cancer.
