9 Hidden Benefits of Nofap That No One Is Talking About

Many guys on the NoFap challenge report benefits from abstaining from porn and masturbation.

But how many of these claims are factual?

We suspect that many guys tend to over-report their benefits while being caught up in the hype of NoFap.

It’s even gotten to the point of sarcasm and memes.

Sure, it’s understandable. They’re doing something new and exciting that has the potential to improve their life. It’s easy to get excited and feel the placebo effect. As a result, they hop on Reddit and talk about how their dog is all over them after day three.

Memes aside, NoFap definitely offers many benefits for abstaining from porn.

There’s a strong consensus on the common benefits. Increased happiness, motivation, and confidence are part of this list.

But what about the hidden benefits of NoFap?

We’ll switch gears and show you nine lesser-known benefits of NoFap. Additionally, we’ll shed light on the science behind them to be certain they’re not placebo.

1. It Helps Reduce Dark Circles Under Your Eyes

Dark circles under your eyes are one of the first things people notice when they look at you. They can make many guys insecure and self-conscious.

There are many temporary ways to remove, or hide dark circles. However, a more permanent fix could include abstaining from masturbation. Here’s why:

• A common cause of dark circles is lack of sleep or poor sleeping habits. Nofap is known to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.
• Sperm contains collagen which is a structural protein. It promotes healthy, clear, and tight skin.
• Staring at a screen for hours may impact your eyes negatively. This can cause dark circles around your eyes. Studies have shown reducing your screen time can diminish the appearance of dark circles.

Dark circles under your eyes may be unrelated to NoFap. Consult your doctor before using medication or applying a fix.

2. No More Sweaty Palms

First impressions matter. And a big part of your first impression is a strong handshake.

Imagine going for a job interview and feeling a burst of anxiety because you had a PMO (porn, masturbation, orgasm) marathon the night before. You make eye contact with the interviewer, and go in for a solid handshake.

But all they can feel is your sweaty, clammy hand grabbing theirs.

You feel like crawling under their desk in shame. And it affects the rest of your interview poorly.

Your sweat glands are automatically activated when your body temperature rises. Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes someone to sweat excessively. Common areas affected by hyperhidrosis are the armpits, soles of the feet, and palms. In some cases, it can also affect the face.

NoFap helps calm your nerves. Sure, it won’t get rid of your social anxiety overnight — but it’s a start to feeling more confident.

Keep in mind that sweaty palms could be caused by another health issue.

3. NoFap Can Make You Rich

The process of recovering from a porn addiction lets you access parts of your life you didn’t think were there.

One of those areas is the luxury of time.

Think for a minute how much time you waste on porn. Now imagine using that time on something productive such as building a business.

As you recover, you’ll notice that you don’t want to waste your time. Poor choices become unattractive options, and you start to wean off your bad habits. Naturally, those bad habits are replaced by healthy habits. For example, many people in the self-improvement space have acknowledged the importance of building a lean, attractive physique. They say the attributes needed to get in shape translate excellently to starting a business.

The meticulous planning.

Showing up, day in and day out.

Sticking to the game plan.

Refusing temptation.

And here’s the best part. You’ll eventually turn into a man of status. You’ll become a person that attracts wealth. Cultivating these qualities has a positive effect on your wealth.

When you use your newfound time to become productive, you’ll find purpose. Productivity fueled by purpose is an avenue to serve the world. And if you give the world what it needs, it can make you rich.

4. More Muscle

There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that suggests NoFap can help you build muscle. Let’s take a closer look at how much of this claim is scientifically backed.

For muscle growth, we’re interested in a hormone called testosterone. This is the primary muscle building hormone. It’s also important to look at the short-term and long-term effects of fapping on testosterone. However, the research on this is limited. This is because it’s hard to artificially replicate a scenario in a lab where people would masturbate naturally.

One study looked at the effect of observation vs participation. The study used a sex club and measured salivary testosterone in men. Those who participated in sex had higher levels of testosterone than those who observed.

A study from 2003 observed the effect of abstinence on 28 men. One group was allowed to ejaculate and the other wasn’t. The group that abstained saw a temporary 45% increase in testosterone.

The long-term effect of masturbation on testosterone isn’t clear. However, even if you get a temporary spike — you can take advantage of it and build more muscle during that period.

5. Not Caring What Others Think

NoFap gives you the courage to be your authentic self.

Sounds abstract right? Well, put simply — you just don’t give a f*** about what others think (in a good way).

This helps you strike up a conversation with a group of strangers without fear of judgement. It lets you shamelessly wear socks and sandals. And you sure as hell aren’t bothered by what people think of your opinions. This newfound courage helps you express yourself fully. And it makes you more polarizing. Those who love you really do. And you don’t lose sleep over people that don’t like you.

Not caring about what others think has a ripple effect on your life. You’ll start to tune out the noise on social media and care less about what people post, or what you post for that matter.

Not giving a f*** allows you to cultivate an ecosystem of positive emotions. And that makes you magnetic — people are drawn towards you.

6. A Deeper Voice

Increased testosterone and energy brings more than just gains in the gym.

It also deepens your voice.

Thicker vocal cords produce a deeper and lower pitch. But why should you care?

For starters, a masculine voice is preferred by women. A deeper voice is also an indication of confidence and authority.

Consider this study that analyzed the voices of CEOs. CEOs that had deeper voices had higher salaries on average. Even a slight decrease in pitch led to millions of dollars more in assets! On the extreme end, CEOs had companies that were worth more than $440 million than their peers.

But why does a deeper voice lead to more success?

A lower pitch conveys credibility, trustworthiness, and confidence. It also commands respect which is essential for leadership.

If you already have a deep voice or want to develop one we recommend using the following speaking habits:

• Speak slower: The depth of your pitch is enhanced when you slow down your words.
• Speak clearly: If you stutter or don’t fully enunciate your words it can subcommunicate insecurity and distrust.
• Choose your words carefully: The content of your message needs to align with who you are as a person.
• It’s about how you say it: Work on inflection and the tone of your voice. Play around with your pitch and body language to emphasize certain words or phrases. A deep voice can often come off as monotone. Don’t be afraid to show emotion in your speech!

Consider using speech or voice therapy to deepen your voice. Its an effortful process that may take years, but given the success it brings consider it an investment in yourself.

7. Increased Creativity

Increased creativity is closely linked with semen retention. Sure, it’s not the same thing as NoFap, but if you’re on hard mode you’re essentially on semen retention. When you abstain from porn and masturbation, you’ll be retaining semen if you’re not having sex or frequent wet dreams.

This allows you to transmute your sexual energy into creative endeavors.

Here’s the science behind it. When you cut out PMO, you’re also cutting out a huge portion of your dopamine. This will cause more boredom throughout the day. Normally, we experience boredom as a negative sensation — something that needs to be escaped. But boredom is extremely healthy for us.

A study from 2013 found that small bouts of boredom prime our brains to problem solve well. A 2014 study revealed that creativity is needed for divergent thinking. This is the kind of thinking used for brainstorming.

It comes as no surprise that one of leading reasons people masturbate is because they’re bored.

Boredom causes the mind to wander which leads to creativity. Our brains are more relaxed and less inhibited in a state of boredom and this improves creative thinking. Ever wonder why shower thoughts are a thing? Well, now you know.

8. Sharper Eyes

“The eyes chico, they never lie!” Al Pacino said it best, and he wasn’t wrong. The eyes are a significant part of body language — and an important indicator of health.

Our eyes generally focus on where we want to go or what we want to engage with. So if someone isn’t feeling social, they’ll look away. As we all know, this can be a symptom of compulsive porn use.

Men have reported “clearer, brighter, and happier” eyes while practicing NoFap. This could be due to a number of reasons. Here’s what we think is happening.

On NoFap, guys often improve other areas of their life. Their diet, exercise, and social skills for example. Not to mention, better sleep. These benefits alone will improve their alertness. And they’ll be more keen to use their eyes as a part of confident body language. These men are taking control of their lives instead of being automated slaves to their lustful desires. This can spur a newfound sense of confidence and purpose. Their zeal for life may reignite, and that’s where the magic happens. Their eyes light up, and their gaze becomes sharper and more focused.

This is perceived as more attractive to women. It’s also more respected by men.

9. Clearer Skin

There are many accounts of men on NoFap claiming that it cleared their skin, or reduced acne.

A good place to start addressing this potential benefit is to ask:

Does compulsive masturbation negatively affect your skin?

If so, it’d be within reason to conclude that reducing or quitting masturbation would improve skin quality. Here’s our take on why fapping may negatively affect your skin.

The first suspect that comes to mind is the hormonal imbalance caused by fapping to porn. This is similar to teenagers hitting puberty and having acne breakouts. Their bodies go through rapid changes in hormone levels. If this continues, so do the breakouts. Compulsive porn use causes fluctuations in hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, prolactin, and cortisol.

The second reason masturbation may cause breakouts is due to a nutrient deficiency.

Certain foods contain antioxidants that prevent acne. Examples of these are vitamin C, zinc, and vitamin B12. Your semen contains high amounts of some these vitamins. And your body has to put in work to synthesize them.

Someone masturbating a lot can deplete their nutrient reserve faster than their body can synthesize more. This is sure to compromise the quality of their skin.

And lastly, stress triggers the release of cortisol. This leads to acne breakouts.

Do you know what else can trigger the release of cortisol? You guessed it — excessive masturbation. A study on the endocrine effects of masturbation in men found that there was a spike in the cortisol levels of men after masturbation.

Rebalancing your hormones, retaining valuable nutrients, and lowering stress are the main ways NoFap clears your skin.

Conclusion

NoFap is an attractive option for guys struggling with porn addiction.

Most of the common benefits guys have been reporting online significantly improved their lives.

However, it’s crucial to look at benefits that extended beyond the well-known ones. They can provide added motivation for the huge task of quitting porn.

From increased creativity, to a sharper gaze and clearer skin, NoFap can improve areas of your life you didn’t think were important. Sure, they may not be the most popular benefits. But many guys will find them valuable.

Keep in mind that it’s up to you to decide if NoFap is worth it. We’re confident that the benefits we listed are a great starting point to motivate you towards action.