There are a million ways to be insecure about a penis. Maybe it’s not big enough. Or it’s too big. Or it’s too thin. Or it’s too wide. Or the tip is shaped oddly. Or it’s a different color from the rest of your body. Or it has a curve. The list goes on and on and on. Most often, there’s little anyone can do to make a significant change to these dick features. But some guys are convinced that all their dick problems would be solved if only they were veinier.
On r/AJelqForYou, a subreddit devoted to “jelqing” — an umbrella term for a variety of methods of manually stretching and massaging one’s penis for growth — length is the primary subject. As I’ve previously reported, jelqing can look much like slow, intense masturbation, but it’s not — you’re not even meant to be erect while you do it. Instead, you methodically grip your penis firmly with a clamping motion, and pull your hand outward to the tip. Supposedly, this can elongate your schlong.
“Jelqing for 10 to 15 minutes a day will increase blood flow to your dick, allegedly making it permanently bigger after a few months,” I wrote in 2018. “Penis pumps, Bathmates (a penis suction device that utilizes water pressure and is meant to be used in the tub), the Penilizer (essentially a dick clamp) and cock rings can be incorporated for the same purpose.” (There continues to be no clinical evidence that any of this is effective or even safe.)
But again, while jelqing is typically touted as a means of extending one’s length, some guys are primarily into it for the “vascularity gains.” “I’m nearly reaching week two of my workout routine, and while there hasn’t been any major change obviously, the vascular change is fuckin’ massive,” PrettySplit wrote on the subreddit a month ago. “My dick is a lot more veiner than it was before, and it’s quite noticeable too.”
It’s a common sentiment among the group. “For years I’ve manually clamped on and off, to go along with my girth gains, which is from roughly 4.9 to 5.5 [inches]. I now have much, much bigger, fuller veins that get regularly commented on — women tend to love a veiny cock much like forearm veins,” BananaBoy97 explained last week, sharing four photos of his erect (and yes, veiny) penis with it.
Meanwhile, there are numerous posts from users specifically seeking exercises that will help them make vascular gains. In addition to clamping, wherein one can either just clamp their penis with their hands or purchase a literal penis-clamping device, many users recommend techniques like the “Angion Method,” which appears to involve firmly stroking the penis in a downward motion with one’s thumb.
In theory, boosting the visibility of your penis veins really only requires enhancing blood flow. The exact veininess of the penis can vary day-to-day, depending on factors like sexual activity and cardiovascular exercise. The problem with the methods of enhancing veininess on r/AJelqForYou — and jelqing writ large — is that they often involve increasing the blood flow to the penis and forcing it to stay there. This alone can cause scar tissue to develop, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.
To that end, in the rules section of the subreddit, the moderators state that attempting to extend one’s penis is just like any other type of exercise, and carries risks just the same. “Typical injuries are minor, including blood blisters, bruising, broken capillaries and surface veins, which all heal within days usually,” it reads. “Most injuries can be avoided by not being aggressive and carefully watching for warning signs (pain, coldness, discoloration, tingling) before injuries occur.”
Still, others have warned on the subreddit that long-term jelqing has permanently damaged their penis, leading to injuries that have potentially caused their member to appear shorter.
The thing with veins in particular is that their absence goes completely unnoticed. Nobody is going to shame you for not having a veiny dick! Sure, veiny dicks are nice. But a functional dick is even better, and if jelqing puts that at risk for the sake of vascular gains, it just doesn’t seem like meat worth beating.
Magdalene Taylor
Magdalene Taylor is a staff writer at MEL. She covers internet culture, sex and the online adult industry. She lives in Brooklyn but is from God's Country, Western Massachusetts.
