The short answer: The question of how to bring back sexual sensitivity and reduced sexual sensation is almost always one of four things: skin desensitised by aggressive, unlubricated friction; nerve signal loss from poor micro-circulation (including diabetes); a pinched pudendal nerve from an overly tense pelvic floor (where standard Kegels can actually make things worse); or a hormonal/medication factor, including certain antidepressants. Most cases genuinely respond to natural, targeted changes — but medical procedures involving injections or specialised equipment aren’t something a naturopathic consultation performs, and any provider claiming otherwise deserves real scrutiny before you book.
For many men, reduced sensation is more distressing than blood-flow issues — pleasurable signals feel muffled, distant, or absent, which can turn intimacy into a source of frustration rather than connection. It’s more common than it’s discussed, and in most cases it’s genuinely reversible once you understand which of a few specific pathways is actually behind it.
How Sensation Actually Works
Physical sensation is a neurological event, not just a physical one. Touch triggers sensory receptors, which send a signal along the pudendal nerve up the spinal cord to the brain. If that pathway is compressed, under-supplied with blood, or desensitised at the skin level, the signal arrives muffled or not at all — regardless of how much physical stimulation is applied.
The Four Common Causes
1. Chronic friction (“death grip” desensitisation)
Repetitive, aggressive, unlubricated masturbation can cause the skin to develop a thickened, protective layer over time, dulling sensory receptors and requiring more intense stimulation to feel anything. This is genuinely common and genuinely reversible.
2. Micro-vascular nerve involvement
Nerves need a steady supply of oxygenated blood to transmit signals properly. Compromised circulation, or early-stage diabetes affecting small blood vessels, can slowly reduce nerve function and cause localised numbness — this cause needs proper medical evaluation, particularly if diabetes hasn’t been ruled out.
3. A pinched pudendal nerve — from a pelvic floor that’s too tight
The pudendal nerve runs directly through the deep pelvic floor muscles. If those muscles are chronically tense from stress, heavy lifting or poor posture, they can physically compress the nerve — muffling sensation, much like a kink in a hose. Importantly, this is the opposite problem to pelvic floor weakness: standard Kegel strengthening exercises can make this specific pattern worse, not better. Relaxation and stretching work is the right approach here instead.
4. Hormonal and medication factors
Low testosterone can dull responsiveness to touch. Certain prescription medicines — SSRIs used for anxiety or depression, most notably — are well known to blunt sensation and delay climax as a side effect. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own; discuss this with the prescriber instead.
What Genuinely Helps
A sensory reset, for friction-related desensitisation
- Take a break: pause high-friction, unlubricated masturbation for 15 to 30 days.
- Use lubrication: when you resume, a quality lubricant removes the friction that caused the problem in the first place.
- Avoid numbing products: desensitising sprays and thick numbing condoms work against recovery, not for it.
Pelvic floor relaxation, for nerve entrapment
If a tight pelvic floor is compressing the pudendal nerve, deep diaphragmatic breathing, gentle stretching (poses like Happy Baby or Child’s Pose are commonly used), and targeted relaxation work — ideally guided rather than self-taught — can release the tension causing the compression. See our guide on natural ways to improve erectile strength for how these same muscles interact with erection quality.
Circulation and lifestyle support
For the micro-vascular pathway, the same foundations that support erectile blood flow generally — not smoking, regular movement, managing blood sugar — support nerve health too.
Be Cautious of Injectable or Device-Based “Regenerative” Claims
You may come across marketing for injectable treatments like PRP (“the P-Shot”) or specialised shockwave devices promising to regenerate nerve tissue. These are real medical procedures that require a licensed medical practitioner, sterile clinical equipment, and proper patient screening — they are not something a natural, non-equipment-based consultancy performs. Before considering anything like this from any provider, ask directly: who performs it, what’s their medical registration, what equipment is used, and what does the actual evidence show for your specific situation? A confident claim on a webpage isn’t the same as a properly delivered, medically supervised procedure.
FAQ | How to Bring Back Sexual Sensitivity
Can lost sensation be reversed?
In most cases, yes. Friction-related desensitisation and pelvic-floor-related nerve compression both respond well to natural correction once the specific cause is identified. Nerve involvement linked to diabetes or circulation needs proper medical evaluation and management alongside lifestyle change.
Does masturbation permanently damage sensitivity?
No. Aggressive, unlubricated stimulation can cause temporary skin thickening and reduced sensitivity, but this is reversible with a structured break and a shift to lower-friction habits.
How long does recovery take?
Friction-related desensitisation often improves within 2 to 4 weeks of a sensory reset. Nerve-related causes, including pelvic floor entrapment, generally take longer and benefit from guided, ongoing support rather than a fixed timeline.
Does Men’s Health Clinics offer PRP injections or shockwave therapy?
No — these require a licensed medical practitioner and specialised clinical equipment, which sits outside a naturopathic consultation’s scope. A consultation here focuses on the natural, lifestyle and pelvic-floor-relaxation approaches covered above, and can help you evaluate claims from providers who do offer procedures like these.
Where can I get help in Johannesburg?
Men’s Health Clinics is at 199 Vanessa Street, Buccleuch, Sandton, easily reached from across greater Johannesburg. Call +27 10 205 9855 or WhatsApp +27 81 823 1313.
Find out which of the four causes actually fits your situation.