Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsPenis Growth During PubertyNormal Penis SizeMyths About Penis Size
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Penis Growth During Puberty
Normal Penis Size
Myths About Penis Size
The hormones of puberty influence penis growth and do not have one set age limit. A person’s penis will start to grow more rapidly between ages 10 and 14 but can keep growing until they are between ages 16 and 21—or once puberty ends.
This article discusses when most penis growth occurs, what penis size is considered “normal,” and how penis size is measured.
At What Age Does the Penis Stop Growing?
Many physical changes in the body take place when a biologically male person starts to go throughpuberty—for example, they will get taller and more muscular. Pubic hair typically develops around the same time that the testicles and penis begin to grow, generally between ages 10 and 14.
However, different hormones control pubic hair growth than those that control penile and testicular growth.That means pubic hair may develop before or after the sex organs start to change.
A young person may also notice that their penis starts to get erect when they are sexually aroused,when they are asleep, and even at other seemingly random times. Thetesticleswill also get larger, andpubic hairwill grow.
Most penis growth occurs between the ages of 12 and 16. The penis grows in length first and then grows in width (referred to as girth).
What Are the Tanner Stages?
Most people reach their fully developed penis size between the ages of 18 and 21.
If you are a young person going through puberty, you may notice that your penis size changes suddenly and fast. Your body, including your penis, may experience rapid changes for a few weeks and then stay the same for months before changes start happening again.
What Is a Micropenis?
What Is a Normal Penis Size?
Just like there isn’t one age that’s the limit for penis growth, there’s also no single penis size that’s normal for everyone.
The average erect penis measures a little over 5 inches long and 4.5 inches around (circumference).
Your penis may keep growing for one or two years after you stop growing in height or for four to six years after your testicles enlarge. However, know that starting puberty later or earlier is not in any way related to the size your penis will eventually be.
If you’re measuring your penis, remember that a flaccid penis is smaller than an erect one. In addition, there is no consistent relationship between the size of the penis when flaccid and its full length when erect.
Verywell / JR Bee
How to Measure Your Penis
Why Do Erections Happen During Puberty?An erection occurs when the penis fills with blood and stiffens, which can happen during the day or at night while a person is sleeping. During puberty, it’s not uncommon for people with a penis to even experienceerectionsfor no reason.Erectionscan also happen before puberty, but they are more common and more frequent during this developmental stage.
Why Do Erections Happen During Puberty?
An erection occurs when the penis fills with blood and stiffens, which can happen during the day or at night while a person is sleeping. During puberty, it’s not uncommon for people with a penis to even experienceerectionsfor no reason.Erectionscan also happen before puberty, but they are more common and more frequent during this developmental stage.
An erection occurs when the penis fills with blood and stiffens, which can happen during the day or at night while a person is sleeping. During puberty, it’s not uncommon for people with a penis to even experienceerectionsfor no reason.
Erectionscan also happen before puberty, but they are more common and more frequent during this developmental stage.
Young people may hear many myths about penis size or share them among friends. These misunderstandings and falsehoods can make people worry about their penis size unnecessarily.
Can You Do Exercises to Make Your Penis Bigger?
Summary
A young adult’s penis grows most rapidly during puberty, especially between the ages of 12 to 16. Some young people experience “growth spurts” when physical changes in their height, muscles, penis size, and pubic hair come on suddenly and move fast.
The size of your penis does not indicate how it will perform during sex or say anything about who you are as a person. As long as your penisfunctions for urination and sexwithout pain or other symptoms, you don’t need to worry about its size.
Can Your Penis Shrink Permanently?
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wang YN, Zeng Q, Xiong F, Zeng Y.Male external genitalia growth curves and charts for children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in Chongqing, China.Asian J Androl. 2018;20(6):567-571. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_51_18Klein DA, Emerick JE, Sylvester J, Vogt KS.Disorders of puberty: an approach to diagnosis and management.AFP. 2017;96(9):590-599.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J.Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010Nemours Foundation.Is It Normal to Get Erections?Di Mauro M, Tonioni C, Cocci A, et al.Penile length and circumference dimensions: A large study in young Italian men.Andrologia. 2021;53(6):e14053. doi:10.1111/and.14053Prause N, Park J, Leung S, Miller G.Women’s preferences for penis size: A new research method using selection among 3D models.PLoS ONE.2015 Sep;10(9):1-17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133079
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Wang YN, Zeng Q, Xiong F, Zeng Y.Male external genitalia growth curves and charts for children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in Chongqing, China.Asian J Androl. 2018;20(6):567-571. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_51_18Klein DA, Emerick JE, Sylvester J, Vogt KS.Disorders of puberty: an approach to diagnosis and management.AFP. 2017;96(9):590-599.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J.Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010Nemours Foundation.Is It Normal to Get Erections?Di Mauro M, Tonioni C, Cocci A, et al.Penile length and circumference dimensions: A large study in young Italian men.Andrologia. 2021;53(6):e14053. doi:10.1111/and.14053Prause N, Park J, Leung S, Miller G.Women’s preferences for penis size: A new research method using selection among 3D models.PLoS ONE.2015 Sep;10(9):1-17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133079
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Wang YN, Zeng Q, Xiong F, Zeng Y.Male external genitalia growth curves and charts for children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in Chongqing, China.Asian J Androl. 2018;20(6):567-571. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_51_18Klein DA, Emerick JE, Sylvester J, Vogt KS.Disorders of puberty: an approach to diagnosis and management.AFP. 2017;96(9):590-599.Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J.Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010Nemours Foundation.Is It Normal to Get Erections?Di Mauro M, Tonioni C, Cocci A, et al.Penile length and circumference dimensions: A large study in young Italian men.Andrologia. 2021;53(6):e14053. doi:10.1111/and.14053Prause N, Park J, Leung S, Miller G.Women’s preferences for penis size: A new research method using selection among 3D models.PLoS ONE.2015 Sep;10(9):1-17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133079
Wang YN, Zeng Q, Xiong F, Zeng Y.Male external genitalia growth curves and charts for children and adolescents aged 0 to 17 years in Chongqing, China.Asian J Androl. 2018;20(6):567-571. doi:10.4103/aja.aja_51_18
Klein DA, Emerick JE, Sylvester J, Vogt KS.Disorders of puberty: an approach to diagnosis and management.AFP. 2017;96(9):590-599.
Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J.Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15 521 men.BJU International. 2015;115(6):978-986. doi:10.1111/bju.13010
Nemours Foundation.Is It Normal to Get Erections?
Di Mauro M, Tonioni C, Cocci A, et al.Penile length and circumference dimensions: A large study in young Italian men.Andrologia. 2021;53(6):e14053. doi:10.1111/and.14053
Prause N, Park J, Leung S, Miller G.Women’s preferences for penis size: A new research method using selection among 3D models.PLoS ONE.2015 Sep;10(9):1-17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0133079
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