For the man who enjoys his erect penis – which is just about every man – factors which have a negative impact on his equipment can be worrisome. As long as they don’t actually affect his penis health, various factors that may have more a “cosmetic” or superficial impact on his erect penis are not vital – but they can feel that way to a man who wants his erection to always be a source of pride. For many men, the dreaded “winter penis” can be just enough of a factor to be a thorn in their side.
About that winter penis
The winter penis is the opposite of the summer penis. Many men (and their partners) claim that their erect penis tends to be longer and firmer during the summer months. They’re not claiming that it grows massively longer, mind you; most of the time what’s being talked about is a few fractions of an inch. And there is some validity to this viewpoint: in summer months, the greater heat is thought to encourage greater blood flow in the penis, which in some cases can indeed cause it to expand slightly more than usual or to fill up to a firmness that is somewhat greater than under other circumstances.
The problem with summer penis is that if the warm weather can bring about this positive change, the cold weather can bring about the inverse – and thus, winter penis. So the theory behind winter penis is that the nasty, cold weather associated with the season makes for a less impressive erect penis. It tends to be shorter and not as manfully firm.
According to some people, the diminishment can be significant – up to 50% of length and up to 30% of girth, by the estimates of one person who claims to have looked into the matter on a professional basis. But these figures seem extreme and are likely not the experience of most men. (For example, it seems unlikely that a guy who typically sports a six inch erect penis would be reduced all the way down to a three inch one simply due to cold weather.)
Cold does matter
However, as any guy who has spent a few minutes in a cold swimming pool or ocean knows, cold is not a friend to the penis. And when cold weather is the norm – during the winter months, for example, the body often does undergo some changes.
For example, blood tends to get diverted from extremities, such as toes and fingers – and the penis. And the coldness also can affect to some degree the rate at which the blood flows around the body. So, yes, cold weather does mean that there may be a slight shrinkage – but only slight, in the same way that a summer penis may only see a slight addition in size.
In addition, colder weather also tends to have a de-sensitizing effect on the penis, so that it may take more effort and more time for the penis to become aroused and/or to reach orgasm.
To help counteract the effects of the cold, it’s better to wear snugly fitting underwear rather than looser ones. Some men also like to wrap a little pad of cloth or a (clean) sock around their penis to wear under the underwear on especially cold days.
Battling the effects of winter on an erect penis also requires the application of a first rate penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). A crème with L-arginine can help to boost nitric oxide production, which in turns helps open up penile blood vessels so there can be greater blood flow. And one with L-carnitine will provide neuroprotective benefits that can help ease de-sensitization of the penis.
