Most men, if not all, masturbate, although there clearly is a wide variation in frequency. Some guys may go months, perhaps even years, between masturbation sessions, while other guys get in a little self-fondling a couple of times a day. And while there can be some penis health benefits to more frequent masturbation, as studies have shown that frequent ejaculations help decrease the risk of prostate cancer, occasional masturbation is still as normal as regular masturbation. Yet, despite how common this practice is, there still persists many myths about masturbation – especially among males. Let’s take a little time to dig out the truth.
– The hairy palms/blindness myths. For many years, boys were told that if they masturbated “too much” (however “too much” might be defined), they would pay for it. One old wives’ tale claimed that they would grow hair on their palms, which would expose their “shameful” practice for the world to see. Another cautioned youths that all that pleasure would come at the cost of their eyesight, as they would masturbate themselves into blindness. Clearly, if there were an ounce of truth to these, the vast majority of men would be bereft of sight and barbers would be making a fortune shaving massive amounts of hair off of hands.
– The baldness myth. Similarly, many guys were told that constantly rubbing their penis would cause all the hair on their head to fall out. So not true, but at least there is something of a basis for this. Some studies have found that masturbation causes the body to produce more dihydrotestosterone, which is linked with hair loss. In addition, loss of protein is associated with hair loss, and semen – the ejaculation of which occurs most of the time when a guy masturbates – contains protein. However, studies have found no evidence at all of increased hair loss between men who masturbate frequently and men who do not.
– The single guy myth. Popular culture promotes the idea that masturbation is a single man’s game and that those who are in a relationship don’t masturbate. That’s simply not true. While there are many men whose masturbation rates go down significantly when they are in a sexually active relationship, there are also many who maintain their previous rate of masturbation. And even among men whose frequency declines, it’s rare that they stop altogether.
– The cereal myth. Some people have been told that they can control their urge to masturbate by eating cereal, especially corn flakes. This goes back to the fact that the man who founded Kellogg’s cereals did indeed believe that his product could discourage what he viewed as a nasty habit. He was wrong, as any number of cereal-eating masturbators can attest.
– The sports myth. Lots of male athletes believe that if they masturbate the night before a big game or sporting event, they’ll be weak and tired the next day. This is only true if a man spends way too much time masturbating when he could be sleeping and getting rest. So it’s not the activity that’s to blame; the same thing would happen if he spent all that time watching TV or reading instead. In fact, masturbation might actually help, as most guys feel more relaxed, less stressed and sleepier after masturbating – and so might have an easier time falling asleep.
Masturbation myths should be dispelled so a man can feel comfortable with enjoying himself. Of course, the pleasure is even better if the penis is healthy, so daily application of a superior penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) is advised. Topical application via crème allows vitamins to more accurately target the penis, so select a crème with vitamins like A, B5, C, D and E. It also pays to utilize a crème with L-carnitine, an amino acid which can help protect against loss of penis sensation from rough handling while masturbating.
