The length of your penis can decrease by up to an inch or so for various reasons. Usually, changes to penis size are smaller than an inch, however, and may be closer to 1/2 an inch or less. 

A slightly shorter penis won’t affect your ability to have an active, satisfying s*x life.

Read on to learn more about causes for penis shrinkage and how to manage this symptom.

Causes

aging

obesity

prostate surgery

a curving of the penis, known as Peyronie’s disease

Aging

Obesity

If you gain weight, particularly around your lower abdomen, your penis may start to look shorter. That’s because the thick pad of fat starts to envelop the shaft of your penis. 

When you look down at it, your penis may seem to have gotten smaller. In extremely obese men, fat can enclose most of the penis.

Prostate surgery

Up to 70 percent Trusted Source of men experience mild to moderate shortening of their penis after having a cancerous prostate gland removed. This procedure is called radical prostatectomy.

Experts aren’t sure why the penis shortens after prostatectomy. One possible cause is abnormal muscle contractions in a man’s groin that pull the penis farther into their body.

Difficulty getting erections after this surgery starves the erectile tissue of oxygen, which shrinks muscle cells in the spongy erectile tissue. Less stretchy scar tissue forms around the erectile tissue.

If you experience shortening after prostate surgery, the usual range is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inchTrusted Source, as measured when the penis is stretched out while flaccid, or not erect. Some men experience no shortening or only a small amount. Others experience more shortening than average.

Peyronie’s disease

In Peyronie’s disease, the penis develops an extreme curvature that makes intercourse painful or impossible. 

Peyronie’s can reduce the length and girth of your penis. Surgery to remove the scar tissue that causes Peyronie’s can also reduce the size of the penis.