When sexually aroused or having an orgasm, our clitoris -- the tiny nub of tissue and nerves on our vulva -- enlarges as is normal. However, once sexual activity ends and sexual clitoris has returned to its regular size -- typically approximately the thickness of your little finger -- this could take several minutes after we stop sexual activity. Some individuals, however, experience large clits or clitoromegaly for prolonged periods; these people can have prolonged sexual stimulation that causes this overextension of their clitoris.
Your clit may become enlarged due to certain conditions or infections, including high androgen hormone levels and using anabolic steroids in women. Also, an enlarged labia minora -- small folds of skin either side of your vaginal opening -- is common, often being linked to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis; or as a sign of uterine leiomyomas -- benign tumors of unknown cause.
Masturbation can also play a part in creating an enlarged clit, particularly among children and adolescents. When engaged in repeated masturbation sessions, repeated physical contact between your body parts causes pseudohypertrophy in your glans of clitoris to swell up with irritation causing it to protrude beyond normal limits - known as pseudohypertrophy in medical terminology - potentially in other parts of your body such as face, arms legs or buttocks. You can reduce frequency or use different techniques when engaging in masturbation sessions to reduce protrusion from skin surface by performing procedures called clitoropexy.
