If you've ever felt insecure about the size of your penis, you're not alone: plenty of guys wish theirs were bigger, and there are all manner of inadvisable ways out there to increase length or girth. In a new video on her YouTube channel, urologist, pelvic surgeon and sex educator Dr. Rena Malik offers some common sense advice on things you can start doing right now to make your penis look longer—no awkward pumps required.

Trimming pubic hair

"Some people who have really coarse or thick hair, it can actually hide a significant portion of your penis," says Malik. "So just by manscaping, you can make it appear longer."

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Weight loss

Malik explains that the erectile tissue of your penis extends deep into the pelvis behind your pubic bone and into the perineal area. When you put on weight, you gain fat around that area, making the penis appear smaller.

Managing stress

"The smooth muscles of the penis are under what we call 'adrenaline control,' and what that means is when you have high adrenaline, like you're stressed or anxious, your muscles will squeeze, causing contraction of the penis," says Malik. She advises working on reducing stress and anxiety in your day-to-day life can help to relax those muscles.

Getting hard

Continuing to have erections means continuous blood flow to the penile tissue. If you stop having erections, over time this can lead to low levels of oxygen in those tissues, reducing elasticity.

"No medication, herbal supplement or cream is going to make your penis any bigger," Malik adds, "so save your hard-earned cash for something else."

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Philip Ellis
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.