Grower vs. Shower: The Most Polarizing Penis Debate of All Time
In Tom Segura’s stand-up comedy special, Mostly Stories, he gets vulnerable about about a serious matter: penis size.
“If I know anyone’s gonna see [my penis], I’m gonna...you know...give it a smack. And then you go, ‘Huh, there’s an inch.’ Let’s not act like I’m the only self-fluffer in the room, okay?”
We won’t sugarcoat this: some dudes have a hammer between their legs, some have a grain of rice, and most of us are somewhere in between. But here’s the caveat: An erection can level the playing field. Maybe that grain of rice has the potential to blossom into an impressively average-sized boner. You can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge a penis in its flaccid state.
If you haven’t caught on, we’re talking about the grower vs. shower debate, which has divided dudes for centuries. Openly discussing penis growth potential isn’t exactly “in” these days, but we’re on a mission to start a healthy dialogue—and it begins with this blog post.
Defining What “Growers” and “Showers” Actually Are
Before we dive in, let’s be clear that every penis in the world “grows” when it becomes erect. That’s a scientific fact.
"The penis is just a muscle," says NYU urologist Dr. Seth Cohen. "When blood flows there, it gets larger."
However, there are variances in how much some dudes’ penises grow with an erection—hence the two camps of growers and showers.
A grower is a guy with a smaller flaccid penis that becomes significantly larger when he gets an erection.
By contrast, a shower is a guy with a larger flaccid penis that's similar in length with an erection.
Are You a Grower or a Shower?
Believe it or not, scientists have conducted legit studies to penetrate the shroud of mystery surrounding the grower vs. shower dilemma. One such study was published in the International Journal of Impotence Research: “Grower or shower? Predictors of change in penile length from flaccid to erect state.”
The researchers measured 274 penises (interesting job) in their flaccid and “peak erection” states. They found that the median change in penis length was about 1.6 inches.
Thus, guys whose penises expanded more than 1.6 inches were classified “growers” and those whose penises expanded less than 1.6 inches were deemed “showers.”
So, determining whether you’re a grower or a shower boils down to three simple steps.
- Measure your flaccid penis
- Measure your boner
- See if the difference is more or less than 1.6 inches
Note that we’re not talking about overall penis length here, but since you’re probably wondering, Medical News Today reports that average flaccid penis lengths range from 2.8 to 3.9 inches while average erect lengths range from 4.7 to 6.3 inches.
What Makes You a Grower or a Shower?
Ok, so you’ve determined whether you’re a grower or a shower. But what’s the scientific basis behind your penis’ growth potential?
There are two primary factors at play, the first of which is genetics. Just like some guys are tall or naturally muscular, your flaccid penis size is at the mercy of the genetic lottery. Either ya got it, or ya don’t.
The second factor is the elasticity of your penis. Research suggests that the proportion of collagen fibers in your penis can determine whether you’re a grower or a shower.
“Flaccid penile length doesn't correlate with erect penile length. What does correlate with erect penile length is a penis put on full stretch,” says urologist Dr. Tobias Kohler. “The propensity of the penis to grow is directly proportional to how far you can pull it away from the body.”
Is Is Better to Be a Grower or Shower?
We ventured into the archives of Elite Daily to get a female’s take on the grower vs. shower showdown, and our findings are thus: Showers are preferable, but “at the end of the day a hard seven inches is a hard seven inches.”
Of course, this particular blogger doesn’t represent the billions of women on planet Earth. Perhaps some women are amused by the pleasant surprise of a grower. Others may find themselves attracted to the “bulge” that showers are endowed with.
Whatever the case, it’s essential that your dick is fully functional so it can fulfill its potential when the time is right.
