According to jelqing aficionados, the practice can be traced back to ancient Arabic civilization, though skeptics argue it was introduced more recently by online marketers looking to make a quick buck.
The practice revolves around a series of manual stretching exercises designed to add length and girth.
Most guides suggest waiting until you’re partially erect. Once there, you apply lubrication and grip the base of the penis using just your thumb and index finger. You apply pressure and slide your hand up the shaft, as if “milking” it. Release, and repeat. Most jelqing guides recommend stopping after about 20 minutes to avoid injury.
What is the “Science” Behind Jelqing?
There appear to be two leading theories behind the supposed science of jelqing. Some claim the exercises can help expand how much blood the penis can hold during an erection, causing a temporary increase in size.
Others believe that the force applied by jelqing creates micro-tears in the penile tissue. New cells then grow to repair these tears, leading to a permanent increase in size. The idea is that it’s essentially weightlifting for your anatomy.
There is one legitimate medical concept that seems to support the idea of physical enhancement. It is called “tissue remodeling,” and it revolves around the physical reorganization of existing tissue. Dr. Paul Turek, a leader in men’s reproductive and sexual healthcare, suggests looking at dental braces to illustrate the power of remodeling.
“The physics of time and tension can lead to changes in almost anything on this earth,” he says, placing heavy emphasis on the “time” aspect. It would require steady, consistent tension applied for hours a day over several months for this principle to actually work—something a 20-minute manual massage simply cannot provide.
Does It Actually Work?
Unfortunately, most members of the medical community say no. “The fundamental flaw with jelqing is a poor understanding of penile anatomy by its defenders,” says Dr. Jesse N. Mills, a urologist specializing in male reproductive medicine. “When a guy jelqs, he is simply forcing blood into the erectile chambers and engorging his penis. If there’s any physical change happening, it’s just taking a flaccid penis into a semi-erection.”
Anecdotally, when a Men’s Health writer made the risky decision to try jelqing for several weeks, he found it didn’t make any permanent difference in his size, despite a brief placebo effect convincing him otherwise:
“Towards the end of the period, I became convinced that my penis had grown a little in both length and girth. … After the second week was up, I decided to break out my ruler and measuring tape to gather some data. Despite what I thought I was experiencing, the tape told a different story: Nothing had changed.”
This is exactly why good doctors do not recommend risky manual pulling. Instead, they rely on clinically tested, constant-tension medical devices to safely achieve real tissue remodeling. If you want science-backed results without the risk of injury, explore the FDA-cleared SizeGenetics extender.