Three myths on masturbation debunked

Men, you have all heard the scary stories on how masturbation could lead you to be impotent, or even bald. But is there any fodder to these tales?

Masturbation, is, in fact, a part of life.

Here we bust some of the biggest myths - and reveal how a bit of alone time can really help a person.

Myth 1 is it causes baldness: The idea behind this is that masturbation causes a man's testosterone levels to increase, which in turn sees a marked rise in the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is linked to hair loss.

However, there's no science to support it and in fact, several studies have debunked the myth. A 1979 study compared two groups of men, one group with normal sexual activity and one group that deliberately avoided sex and blood tests revealed no difference between the group in levels of testosterone and DHT.

Furthermore, a 2001 study found that men who abstained from masturbating for three weeks actually had higher levels of testosterone.

Myth 2 is it causes erectile dysfunction: Men, you must have been told that too much of pumping will make it stop working, but that's simply not the case.

Erectile dysfunction refers to a man's inability to get, or maintain, and erection and is either caused by psychological problems, such anxiety and depression or relationship problems, or a physical ailment.

Erectile dysfunction is an extremely distressing condition for a man, but it is not caused by too much of masturbation.

Myth 3 is it causes hair to grow on your palms: You may have heard that a little too much hand action down there can cause hair to grow on the palms of your hands or damages you genitals. Well they have no scientific basis.

According to psychologist Michael Ashworth wrote for Psych Central, they are more likely formed around the feelings of guilt often associated with masturbating

In fact, masturbating can actually boost a man’s health. As with sex, when you reach an orgasm your body releases your feel-good hormone oxytocin. It not only makes you feel happier, but it is a natural pain relief so any aches and pains you have might become duller.

It also helps you get a good night's sleep, which helps your body keep running in top form.