Low penile sensitivity can be either a symptom, or the problem in and of itself, when it comes to some sexual health issues in men.
If you can’t feel the stimulation you need to get the job done, you won’t perform for yourself or for her.
Whether this issue for you is the chicken, or the egg, in your situation, here’s some of what you can do about it.
Problem: Reduced Penile Sensitivity From Excessive Masturbation
Masturbation is healthy and natural (though not as healthy and natural as sex), but puts you at risk for reduced sensitivity in two ways:
- If you masturbate too often, or with too firm a grip, you don’t exactly form calluses…but you do get the nerves in your penis used to rougher handling. In comparison, your partner’s, um, parts might pale in comparison.
- Masturbation to pornography can interfere with your dopamine production and uptake, playing havoc with your ability to feel pleasurable sensations across your entire body (source).
Depending on your situation, you could be suffering from one or both of these at once.
Solution: Take It Easy, Partner
Back off on how frequently you masturbate. Cut out pornography entirely, relying instead on memory and imagination. Change up your technique when you do “take five” so no one part of your penis gets all the attention.
Problem: Reduced Penile Sensitivity From Low Testosterone
Testosterone is the most important sex hormone in your body, and has its tendrils in every aspect of your sexuality.
It’s responsible for your libido and sex drive: it’s what makes you want to have sex.
It’s responsible for triggering the hormonal responses that make erections happen: it’s what makes your body get ready for sex.
It’s responsible for pushing the physiology that makes you climax: it’s what rewards you for having sex.
It’s responsible for sperm production: it’s why your body is built to have sex.
So…if there’s something wrong with your testosterone production, it can mean there’s something wrong with your sensitivity in the bedroom.
You’ll be harder to arouse, have fewer of the hormones driving your sensitivity and response, and harder to bring to climax.
The only thing that won’t be harder is…well, let’s not belabour the point. Just know testosterone is important.
Solution: Get Busy, Partner
In the short term, you solve this by making changes to your diet and lifestyle that boost your body’s testosterone production. Read this article for details, but the short version is to get serious about working out, eating organic red meats, and doing “man stuff” like getting outdoors and playing competitive sports.
In the long term, it’s worthwhile to check in with your doctor and get your testosterone levels checked. Find out what’s behind the change in your hormones, and what you can do about it.
Problem: Reduced Penile Sensitivity From Age
A lot of things start going wrong as we get older. Our butts get bigger. Our memories get foggier. That one knee just hurts for no good reason, all the time.
And our penises can grow less sensitive. This is usually from all the use it gets over the decades, but can also be because blood flow gets weaker as we age (source). Less blood flow in your penis means less sensitivity in those tissues.
That’s one of the reasons Viagra works as an unhealthy, short-term fix. It improves blood flow. Remember, it was originally a blood pressure medication.
Solution: Get Moving, Partner
Retake control of your blood flow and cardiovascular health by getting some cardio exercise a few times a week. It’s on you to fight father time head on if you want to beat age-related issues like this.
By the same token, a short workout just before sex can increase blood flow temporarily just like Viagra does. Only for free. And without the side effects. And without the downward spiral of dependency when it comes to your next erection.
Problem: Reduced Penile Sensitivity From Diabetes
If you suffer from diabetes and also poor sensitivity in your penis, this is genuinely bad news. But it’s not irreversible.
Thing is, nerve damage and damage to blood vessels is one of the things diabetes does to the human body as the condition progresses. That’s why advanced cases include occasional gangrene and amputation of the extremities, and why diabetes causes blindness when this happens to ocular tissue.
If the same starts happening in your penis, lack of sensitivity will be one of the first signs (source).
Unlike the other items on the list, this isn’t one you should tackle without the help of your doctor. Diabetes is bad juju, and often requires both medical professionals and prescription medications. That said, you can take control of a lot of things to help make recovery easier.
Solution: Get Serious, Partner
If you have type 2 diabetes, you got here by not being serious about your health. If you have type 1 diabetes, this isn’t your fault…but it is your problem and your responsibility. Commit to making some serious, sweeping changes, including:
- A healthy diet drastically reducing or cutting out entirely refined sugars, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods.
- Getting cardiovascular exercise a minimum of three times a week, and some kind of physical activity every single day
- Staying on top of your symptoms with good insulin management and regular blood checks
Penile Sensivity – Conclusion:
Regardless of what caused your lack of sensitivity in the first place, you can train your penis to pay more attention while you work on the underlying reasons for the problem. A few ideas men have successfully used in the past include:
- Lube up more before sex or masturbation. The reduced friction trains your unit to feel lighter touches.
- Slide an ice cube along your shaft, opening neural pathways to the new sensations.
- Take a week, or two weeks, off from sex and masturbation, giving your tissue time to recover and setting a “new normal.”
- Play with running silk, feathers, or your girl’s hair over your penis to train it to respond to lighter contact.
- Have your girl breathe on your penis before oral sex (again training your member to feel more sensitively).
The idea for these is to retrain your penis. Whether your sensitivity problems are caused by simple “wear and tear” or an underlying medical condition, these practices help attune your nerve endings to subtler play and sensation.