If you’ve used a penis ring before, you probably know it works, more or less. You also know how it makes you feel when you masturbate or have partnered sex. But do you know why it works?
And if you’re unsure about whether you ought to use a penis ring or if its even safe, there’s power in knowledge. C-rings aren’t just a fun sex toy for men to enjoy. They’re a useful tool for some guys who find it difficult to maintain an erection.
Here’s how and why penis rings work.
What Penis Rings Can Do
First, it’s important to understand what penis rings can do for you once you put one on. The easy answers are they they make sex and masturbation feel more intense. Penis rings also provide bigger orgasms and can even make you appear (temporarily) bigger and thicker. When you use a vibrating c-ring, these toys provide additional stimulation and pleasure for you and a partner.
But what do penis rings actually do? They have two primary functions:
- Penis rings compress the base of the penis or testicles, depending on how you wear it, which delays orgasm and ejaculation in some people.
- C-rings slow the blood flow out of an erect penis. This keeps you harder, longer. It’s also why rings are often recommended for men with erectile dysfunction (ED).
Penis rings work more efficiently if you can get at least a partial erection. But other products like penis pumps, can help get you hard if your ED makes that impossible.
Blood Flow and Venous Leakage
A lot of uses for and experiences with penis rings (delaying orgasm, larger penis, more explosive orgasm) are anecdotal at best. There’s not a lot of science to go with it, although many guys who use c-rings report the same experiences. The “scientific” part of penis rings is tied, in part, to venous leakage.
Venous leakage occurs when the veins in the penis can’t maintain consistent blood flow during an erection. The blood flows in and gets you hard, thanks to venous-occlusion which traps the blood in your penis until ejaculation. Venous leakage happens when the trapped blood slowly (or not so slowly) flows out, making you soft again. This is a common form of ED in younger men or anyone who can get hard but can’t stay that way.
This is where a penis ring helps you out. It forces the trapped blood to stay in place once you get hard through an outside constriction. Once hard, you’re able to stay that way until you ejaculate. At that point the blood flows out of your penis as it should.
Penis Rings and Safety
While many people worry about the safety of c-rings based on misconceptions about how they work and what they do, that doesn’t mean they’re completely without risk. Constricting the blood flow into your penis for long periods of time can lead to injury and pain. Keep these safety tips in mind when you use a penis ring:
- Remove your c-ring as soon as possible after ejaculation.
- Do not wear a penis ring over night, even if you’re soft.
- Choose a soft, stretchy ring for your first time so you can remove it more easily if it becomes too tight.
- If you feel any pain or notice any bruising, remove the ring immediately.
- Ideally, you should not wear a penis ring for more than 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
- Always choose the correct size for your body to avoid a too-tight squeeze.
Because penis rings are designed to constrict blood flow, when worn for too long or when they squeeze too hard (when not used properly), they can lead to penile injury, bruising, and other injuries. It’s rare but it’s not impossible to hurt yourself with a c-ring.
Conclusion
For some guys, penis rings are meant to be a fun thing to add spice to your sex life. During partnered sex, they definitely help make sure that both partners get exactly what they crave. But for guys with erectile dysfunction, the science behind why a c-ring works helps maintain the sex life you want to have. It helps your body do what it’s meant to do during an erection even when your penis won’t or can’t cooperate.
