Jelqing and Milking: Do They Work? Evidence and Risks of Penis Enlargement

Search for ways to enlarge the penis and you may encounter a method called jelqing.

It is described as repeatedly stretching or massaging the penis by hand. The 2026 recommendations from the International Consultation on Sexual Medicine (ICSM) state that clinical evidence showing a real increase in penile size from jelqing is insufficient.

BananaUp does not treat jelqing as a Routine and does not provide step-by-step instructions.

How are milking and jelqing different?

In Japanese-language sources, “milking” and “jelqing” may be presented as different names for similar methods. Both are described as hand techniques intended to enlarge the penis by applying pressure or rubbing it.

Medical literature may describe jelqing itself as a “milking” or “massaging” type of technique. Different names do not change the evidence: there is not enough clinical data to show permanent enlargement. Strong compression or repeated stimulation can cause pain, swelling, or injury.

There is not enough clinical data to say it works

The 2026 ICSM consensus recommendations on penile enlargement and cosmetic procedures, published in Sexual Medicine Reviews, comprehensively examined medical literature and evidence for a range of methods claiming to increase penile size.

For jelqing, the recommendations note that people report increased length, but evidence supporting actual clinical effectiveness is insufficient.

A temporary increase in blood flow or swelling that makes something look larger is not the same as tissue becoming safely and permanently larger.

Current clinical research cannot provide a number such as “continue for this many weeks to gain this many centimeters.”

Injuries and deformity have been reported

The ICSM recommendations state that reports of penile injury associated with jelqing are not rare and may lead to penile deformity.

The penis is not a muscle that can be treated by applying the strength-training idea “damage it and let it grow back thicker.”

Strong compression or traction should not be grouped with squats or pelvic-floor exercise under the same word, “training.”

BananaUp therefore does not add the repetitions, duration, intensity, or procedure for jelqing to a Routine.

It is completely different from pelvic-floor exercise

Jelqing and pelvic-floor exercise are sometimes mixed together, but they are not the same.

Pelvic-floor exercise contracts and releases the muscles at the base of the pelvis. It has clinical research related to male urinary leakage and sexual function.

Jelqing applies mechanical force directly to the penis.

BananaUp’s pelvic_floor_basic, pelvic_floor_endurance, and pelvic_floor_relaxation do not pull or compress the penis.

The same phrase “penis training” can cover pelvic-floor exercise that has been studied and direct methods that apply unsupported force to the penis; their safety and evidence must be considered separately.

Uli and squeeze-type names are not established exercises

Online sources may use names such as Uli Squeeze, Uli, Horse Squeeze, Compressor Squeeze, or squeeze exercise. Some are presented as ways to trap blood or apply strong compression, but reliable clinical data showing permanent enlargement are not established. BananaUp does not treat these labels as formal medical exercise names or include them as Routines, and this article does not explain how to perform them.

What about the Angion Method?

The Angion Method is known in some online communities as an approach intended to influence blood flow or blood vessels in the hope of changing erections or size. It has some online recognition, but we could not confirm enough clinical research to support its effectiveness. It is not a Routine with established safety and effectiveness, so BananaUp does not include it in Routines or AI suggestions. That is a statement about insufficient evidence, not a claim that it has been proven dangerous.

It is also not the same as medical traction

Search results may use terms such as “pulling the penis,” “penis stretching,” “manual stretching,” “penis pulling,” “penile traction,” or “extender.” A self-directed technique that applies strong force is different from medical Penile Traction Therapy (PTT), where tension is managed with a dedicated device.

The same ICSM recommendations describe some research on medical penile traction as an option for increasing penile length.

They report an average increase of about 2 cm after at least three months of daily traction, while presenting it as a limited increase and a conditional option.

That does not mean that pulling hard by hand produces the same result.

Traction with a dedicated device studied in research is different from self-directed jelqing or hanging.

BananaUp does not use research on medical devices as a reason to create a self-directed traction Routine.

Testosterone and supplements are also not adult size enlargement methods

The ICSM recommendations do not recommend testosterone or other hormone treatment to enlarge the penis after adulthood.

Hormone treatment for penile growth is limited to medical situations such as true micropenis or differences of sex development before puberty.

It is not evidence that an adult man can increase size by raising testosterone.

Likewise, supplement studies of L-arginine and L-citrulline address erectile function, not permanent enlargement of penile size.

Do not injure yourself because you are worried about size

The ICSM recommends appropriate measurement and distinguishing true micropenis, buried penis, and severe anxiety about penile appearance when someone seeks care about size.

The concern itself does not need to be dismissed.

The problem is when that concern leads to repeatedly applying an unsupported method until pain or deformity occurs.

Stop and contact a urologist or another healthcare professional if severe pain, swelling, bruising, numbness, sudden curvature or deformity, or difficulty getting an erection appears after jelqing or another direct method.

BananaUp focuses on Routines that can be recorded more safely, including pelvic-floor work, aerobic exercise, sleep, and stress.

If you are looking for sustainable habits, the Routine Finder can help you review options that fit your daily rhythm without using direct force on the penis.