Success with your vacuum device
1. Decide on your attitude towards pumping.
Approach pumping with patience and perseverance. It’s like learning to ride a bike. At first it might feel fiddly with inconsistent results. This is normal. It can take 4-8 separate attempts to find the technique that works for you. Persevere and it will become a seamless part of your daily routine. I have one Touchy Subject member who uses the Vacurect to pump up in less than 5 minutes, one handed, while making a cup of tea in the morning!
And remember why you are doing this…
If this is for penile rehabilitation, this will keep your penis healthy while you’ve got ED. Regular exercise using a vacuum device can help prevent shrinkage, fibrosis and Peyronie’s Disease (watch this webinar with men’s health researcher, Jo MIlios, to learn more).
If this is for intercourse, think about how great it will feel when you know you can easily create and maintain an erection in under 5 minutes whenever you are in the mood for connection and fun (alone or partnered).
2. Decide when you will pump this week.
It’s very easy to put this in the ‘too hard’ basket (puns will always be intended I’m afraid). Life will always find a way of presenting you with something more pressing to do.
Decide when you are going to use the pump for the first time right now. Put aside 30 minutes for the first go. Keeping stress levels down is important for erection health, so choose a time when you will have privacy for 30 minutes and will not feel rushed.
3. Only pump using the rehabilitation exercise at first.
At first, it's best to use the Vacurect for rehabilitation only (using the largest ring - engraved with an ‘L’). Do this until you’re feeling confident that you can reliably create a full erection in the cylinder.
Then, you can use the Vacurect to maintain an erection (by graduating down ring-opening sizes).
Here is how you use the pump for rehabilitation:
FAQ: How often should I be pumping?
This depends on your lifestyle and goals.
The gold standard is once a day, for 15 minutes. Especially while you get used to pumping.
If you are looking to regain length lost after surgery (many men experience this, you're not alone if you have too). Then it is recommended to pump every day for at least four weeks to see if this method works for you.
However, let’s be realistic, life happens. Say you work long hours or lack privacy. Do not throw in the towel. 2-3 times a week is still great. Remember the mantra: practice makes progress. The idea is to keep the muscle tissue working out to replace the activity nocturnal erections used to provide pre-surgery. Something is better than nothing.
If your goal is to use this for intercourse, then a couple of weeks regular exercise to get used to the pump is highly recommended before attempting the tighter openings.