Manosphere influencer Clavicular touts 'shopping bag' penis-growth method as doctors warn of risks

Clavicular, a divisive influencer in the manosphere, has promoted a technique he says can enlarge the penis and can even be performed while behind the wheel. The influencer, whose real name is Braden Peters, spoke with Howie Mandel for an upcoming installment of Mandel's podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff. During the conversation, Clavicular, who is associated with looksmaxxing, was asked about what he does to his penis. The 20-year-old said he practices printmaxxing, which refers to the visible outline a penis creates against trouser fabric. Along with pumping and stretching, Clavicular described a shopping bag hang trick: he puts books or weights inside a bag and then wraps it around the shaft of his penis. According to him, this stretches the suspensory ligament, the connective tissue that secures the base of the penis to the pubic bone. "You could typically gain about an inch of length if you're pretty consistent," the looksmaxxer said. He also noted that he once performed the method while driving his car. Medical professionals, though, have cautioned that the dangers are much greater than any possible upside. Dr. Rajesh Patel, president and former Chief Medical Officer of Associated Urological Specialists, said clinical penile traction devices may produce modest length gains, roughly half an inch to slightly less than one inch. However, those devices are built to deliver a controlled level of tension, which is very different from a homemade hanging weight. "You have no idea how much force you're applying or how much the tissue can safely tolerate," Patel told The Post, adding that the trend worried him greatly. The notion that simply stretching the suspensory ligament can safely add an inch is also inaccurate, he said. Serious harm is possible, because suspending weight from the penis places stress on fragile blood vessels, nerves and erectile tissue. That added tension can result in bruising, swelling, skin damage and considerable pain, Patel said. "With enough force or repeated trauma, you can potentially injure the nerves and blood vessels, lose sensation, develop scar tissue and even cause erectile dysfunction," he said. Ongoing weighted stretching may also cause penile curvature comparable to Peyronie's disease, a condition in which plaque forms beneath the skin of the penis and makes it bend, curve or shorten when erect. The technique could even make someone appear smaller by harming the suspensory ligament that supports and stabilizes the penis, the doctor warned. "You don't know when you've crossed the line from stretching tissue to restricting blood flow or actually injuring it," Patel explained.