Men, Please Stop ‘Jelqing’ Your Penis

If you believe the internet, “jelqing” is a stretching exercise designed to increase the length and girth of your penis by causing micro-tears that heal and scar over. Apparently, it’s an ancient Arab practice that has been used for centuries, and it’s relatively simple: All you need to do is use your finger and thumb to pull, massage and stretch a semi, or – if you’re feeling particularly brave – use a traction device attached to your genitals.    

Claims that jelqing not only exists but is becoming a trend have swirled the internet for years, with explainers on Healthline and TikTok, the erectile dysfunction medication website Hims, reddit forums and Urban Dictionary, and clickbait articles. Over on TikTok, jelqing is a frequent reference on ironic incel looksmaxxing pages, where it sits alongside mewing advice and edits of the famously cheekbone-d Aussie model Jordan Barrett, who has become a looksmaxxing idol and meme thanks to his aspirational jawline.

In other words, the whole thing sounds like yet another niche in-joke among 4chan diehards that has escaped into the real world, sowing chaos and misinformation everywhere it goes. As for its real-world benefits: There are only a few suspect testimonies to its efficacy on Reddit, and even the subreddit AJelqForYou explicitly says that it does not condone jelqing and was set up to redirect men towards other methods of penis enlargement. 

Of course, this doesn’t mean that there aren’t some men out there who might have tried to take matters into their own hands and try it. Would that be a good or a bad idea? Urologist Anika Ackerman told VICE in no certain terms that trying to stretch your dick out “does not work and is not safe”. 

“While traction devices are helpful for Peyronie's disease [in which deep scar tissue forms in penile tissue] or curvature of the penis, on their own, traction devices will not increase length.”

In fact, jelqing can actually have the opposite effect. Anika explains that bruising, swelling and damage to blood flow can result in penile dysfunction: “I have had men see me with chronic penis pain from jelqing,” she told VICE. “This is something I do not recommend.”

Alternatively, she suggests: “Men should be happy with their length. Penises come in all shapes and sizes, and although there are implants or fillers currently used for girth, there are no well-studied techniques for increasing length.”

So for now let’s keep jelqing in the incel forums, and appreciate dicks in all their glory and variety.

@iamhelenthomas