When Smaller Was Considered Better: The Strange History of Penis Enlargement

The desire to change the size or appearance of the male sexual organ is hardly a modern phenomenon. While some men today turn to cosmetic procedures and fillers in an attempt to increase penile girth, historical records show that ideas about the “ideal” male body have varied considerably across cultures and centuries.

Throughout history, different societies have experimented with ways of altering, extending or decorating male genitalia. Some practices involved stretching the foreskin, while others involved weights or ornaments. One particularly striking example appears in a 16th-century historical account from Brazil, which describes a practice involving venomous snake bites in an attempt to increase penile size.

A 2024 paper published in the Journal of Urology cited the historical account in discussing attempts to alter penile size. It referred to the Topirama people of Brazil and a practice in which venomous snakes were reportedly allowed to bite the penis.

The reasoning behind such a practice may have been related to the severe swelling caused by snake venom. While this could temporarily make the area appear larger, it could not constitute permanent enlargement. A venomous snake bite, meanwhile, can cause serious tissue damage and can be life-threatening.

Historical accounts also describe other attempts to alter the size and shape of the penis.

Research has documented the use of weights among the Colomec people of Peru to lengthen the penis. Similar practices involving stretching have also been recorded in India and other regions.

These practices were not medical procedures in the modern sense. Rather, they reflected contemporary ideas about physical appearance, masculinity and social identity.

Interestingly, the preference for a larger penis has not been universal.

Ancient Greek art and sculpture often depicted the ideal male body with a relatively small penis. In contrast, exaggeratedly large genitalia were frequently associated with comic or satirical figures.

The contrast illustrates how ideas about the “ideal” male body are shaped not only by biology but also by culture, society and changing standards of beauty.

Historical interest was not limited to penile size. The shape and appearance of the foreskin were also subject to physical modification.

Historical research describes practices in ancient Greek and Roman societies involving the stretching or lengthening of the foreskin. One such practice, known as kynodesme, involved securing the foreskin in a particular way.

Such practices were not equivalent to modern penile enlargement procedures. They were instead connected to the social and aesthetic conventions of their time.

In some cultures, changing the appearance of the penis also involved decoration.

Historical records contain examples of genital piercing and the use of ornaments among different communities. Such practices have been associated with beauty, sexual attraction or social identity.

This broader history shows that attempts to modify the human body are far from new. What changes over time is the preferred form, the method used and the cultural meaning attached to it.

Today, the desire to alter penile appearance has taken a more medicalised form. Injectable fillers, fat transfer, implants and surgical procedures are among the methods used or investigated for increasing penile girth or length.

Hyaluronic acid and other injectable materials have been studied for penile girth enhancement. However, medical reviews have also highlighted limitations in the evidence surrounding the long-term safety and effectiveness of such procedures.

The risks can be particularly serious when unregulated substances are injected into the penis. Reports have documented complications including pain, swelling, deformity, infection and tissue necrosis. In some cases, corrective surgery has been required.

The contrast with earlier practices is striking. Modern medicine may offer more sophisticated techniques, but the underlying desire to reshape the body is centuries old.

What history makes clear is that there has never been a single, universal standard for the “ideal” male body. What one society considered attractive"or masculine"could be viewed very differently by another.