Clearer skin, better concentration, improved sex appeal and enhanced control could all be within a man’s grasp, as soon as he lets go of his penis. This is the claim of so-called “anti-fap” websites, which argue that frequent bouts of masturbation zap a man’s essence and leave him vulnerable to all sorts of mental and physical problems. Parsing the language and getting at the truth can be tough, especially for men who are desperate for some kind of penis health solution, but thankfully, the experts have weighed in on the topic, and their advice might help men to make a good decision about their private habits.

Understanding the Claims

Concerns about overindulgence in masturbation aren’t new. In fact, men have long been told that their habits can cause all sorts of serious problems, including blindness and hairy palms. But the link between mental health and masturbation has been, up to this point, uncharted territory. Some of this new concern might be in response to the explosion of pornography that’s available to the modern man.

In the past, men had to reach a certain age before they could waltz into a store and buy pictures of a woman in varying states of undress. Now, men with access to a computer can find all sorts of pornography for free, and there’s so much available that they might never see the same shot twice. For some men, this bounty results in hours spent alone, in private consultation with the privates.

However, it is actually possible that these four common moves may be detrimental to penis health, especially if they are practiced a little too often:

Grasp the member a little too tightly
Neglect to apply lubricant
Focus on fast movements
Move about while masturbating
These actions could damage penis skin, or they could result in intimate injuries that only surgery could fix. Men who habitually behave in this way might very well need to take a break from fapping.

Fapping Fallacies

There’s no evidence that suggests, however, that masturbation is an act that can inherently hurt a man or damage his penis health. In fact, urologists suggest that frequent ejaculations are good for the health of the penis, as these acts just keep fluid moving through the body.

The act of masturbation can also keep the muscles of the pelvis strong and supple. These are the muscles that have a key role to play in urination, so a man that gets busy might be less likely to lose control of his bladder later in life. If “use it or lose it” applies to the penis, masturbation could be a man’s secret weapon.

Similarly, experts suggest that frequent erections are healthy for the tissues that line the penis. Each time a man reaches hardness, he stretches those tissues to their capacity, ensuring that they retain their flexibility. Masturbation allows that stretching to take place, and it feels pretty darn good, too.