It’s a popular wardrobe colloquialism that many considered an urban myth.
But scientists have discovered that some men actually fall into two categories when it comes to their penis size: ‘growing’ and ‘showering’.
The terms are used to define those who have large, flaccid penises (showers) versus those whose members are less impressive naturally but grow significantly larger when erect (growers).
Spanish researchers have now developed a scientific definition to determine which group men fall into. It comes after a study found that the average length of the penis has grown by 25 percent in the last few decades.
Scientists have established exact definitions of what is a grower and what is a shower. They found that a man whose flaccid penis grows 56 percent or more when he has an erection is a cultivator. If he grows 31 percent or less, then it’s a shower. However, about half of the men are in the middle area and are neither growers nor showerers.
The Spanish research team found that men whose penis grows more than 56 percent from flaccid to erect are “growing,” while those who gain an additional 31 percent of their length or less are “showering.”
The average penis grows 42 percent when going from flaccid to erect, and most men fall in the gray area between the two categories.
In total, 24 percent of the men are cultivators, while 25 percent are douchers. The remaining 51 percent of men do not fall into any category.
Dr Manuel Alonso Isa, a urologist who led the research, told DailyMail.com: ‘Our study tried to explain the different types of penises when they harden.
“The purpose of our study is to provide information to our patients about expectations (length and growth) before they choose surgery.”
He said many men are concerned about the size of their penis and he hopes these findings will help doctors reassure them that they are okay.
“As a urologist, we treat a lot of patients who are concerned about their size…they want to get bigger,” he explained.
Penile enlargement surgeries have been on an upward trend in recent years, with anecdotal reports of increases in demand appearing across the United States.
The most common type of penis enlargement is ligamentolysis, in which a ligament connecting the penis to the skeleton is cut, causing the member to hang lower.
Other procedures use stomach fat or even fillers to enlarge the penis.
However, these procedures are not without risk. Sometimes they can cause erectile dysfunction or loss of sensation in the penis.
In cases where the operation is botched, it could even lead to the genitals bending or slanting in an odd way.
Dr. Alonso Isa hopes that many men who have a penis enlargement (a penis that is small when flaccid but expands a lot when erect) will see the concept now established in science and feel more comfortable with its length.
For the research, which will be presented at the European Association of Urology Congress in Milan, Italy, Dr. Alonso Isa’s team collected data from 225 men.
Each of them had their penis length and girth measured while it was flaccid and erect.
They were given a shot of prostaglandin, which is used to give a person an erection as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.
The researchers then compared the flaccid and erect penis lengths for each participant.
The average penis in the study was 4.2 inches long. When erect, he measured 5.7 inches. A typical man’s penis will grow by about 42 percent when he achieves an erection.
Dr. Alonso Isa added that whether a person grows, showers, or is somewhere in between has no impact on overall penile health or fertility.
“We didn’t see any factors that predicted any health impact,” he said.
But there is an impact on the mental health of many men who are concerned about the size of their penis, he said.
“I think for mental health, it’s smart for (doctors) to advise people that their penis is normal (it doesn’t matter if it’s a growth or a douche).”
He said that further research on the subject should be into whether there are genetic factors, or other predetermined factors, in whether a person is a grower or a shower.
