You’re likely here because things aren't where they’re supposed to be. Maybe you're a parent looking at your newborn, or maybe you're a teenager wondering why one side feels "empty." It’s a stressful realization. But honestly, the phrase how to make your testicles drop is a bit of a misnomer because, in the vast majority of cases, you can’t actually "make" it happen through exercises, gravity, or home remedies.
Biology does the heavy lifting here. Usually.
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When a male fetus is developing, the testes start out high up in the abdomen, near the kidneys. Around the seventh month of pregnancy, they begin a long, complex journey down through the inguinal canal and into the scrotum. It’s a trek. Most of the time, they finish the trip before birth. Sometimes they don't. When they get stuck, doctors call it cryptorchidism.
Why the "Waiting Game" is the First Step
If we’re talking about a literal undescended testicle in an infant, the most common "treatment" is actually just time. Roughly 3% of full-term boys and up to 30% of premature boys are born with at least one undescended testis.
It’s scary for parents. I get it.
But medical experts like those at the Mayo Clinic or the American Urological Association generally advise waiting. Why? Because the hormonal surge that happens in the first few months of life often finishes the job naturally. Most testicles that are going to drop on their own will do so by the time the baby is four to six months old. If it hasn't happened by then, the chances of it moving solo drop significantly.
It’s not about "making" them drop through massage or heat. Those don't work. In fact, trying to manually pull a testicle down can cause damage to the delicate structures of the spermatic cord.
Differentiating Between Undescended and Retractile
You’ve got to know the difference here. Not every "missing" testicle is actually stuck in the abdomen. There is a very common condition called a retractile testicle.
This is basically an overactive reflex. The cremaster muscle—the muscle responsible for pulling the testes up toward the body when it’s cold or when you’re nervous—is just doing its job too well. In these cases, the testicle has actually descended all the way, but it spends most of its time "hiding" in the groin.
How can you tell? Well, a doctor can usually gently guide a retractile testicle down into the scrotum during an exam, and it will stay there for a bit. If it's truly undescended, it won't budge. Retractile testicles usually stop acting up once puberty hits because the testes get heavier and the hormonal environment changes. No surgery needed. Just patience.
The Medical Reality: Orchiopexy
If you’re past the six-month mark and the testis is still MIA, you’re looking at a medical intervention. There is no magic pill. There is no special stretch.
The gold standard is a procedure called an orchiopexy.
It’s a relatively simple outpatient surgery. A pediatric urologist makes a tiny incision in the groin to find the testicle and another in the scrotum to create a little pocket. They move the testis down and stitch it in place. Surgeons like Dr. Lane Palmer, a renowned pediatric urologist, emphasize that doing this early—usually between 6 and 18 months—is crucial.
Why the rush? Temperature.
The scrotum is basically a natural refrigerator. It keeps the testes about 2 to 3 degrees cooler than the rest of the body. If a testicle stays inside the warm abdomen for too long, the heat can damage the cells that produce sperm. This leads to fertility issues later in life. There’s also a slightly higher risk of testicular cancer if the testis remains undescended into adulthood, mostly because it’s harder to perform self-exams and catch lumps early if the organ is tucked away inside the body.
What About Hormones?
Sometimes people ask about hormone injections. You might hear about hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).
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Decades ago, doctors used this more frequently to try and "nudge" the testicles down. The idea was to mimic the natural hormone spikes that happen in infancy. Nowadays? Not so much. The success rate is pretty spotty compared to surgery, and the effects are often temporary—the testicle might drop and then pop right back up once the treatment stops. Most modern urological guidelines prefer the direct approach of surgery because it’s more definitive.
Puberty and the "Second Drop"
If you’re a teenager searching for how to make your testicles drop, you might be talking about something else entirely: the physical "hanging" lower that happens during puberty.
During adolescence, the scrotum relaxes and the testes grow significantly in size. This is purely a hormonal process driven by testosterone. You can't speed this up. Pumping weights, taking supplements, or "stretching" (please don't do that) won't change the timeline of your DNA.
If you genuinely can't feel one or both testicles in your scrotum, you need to talk to a doctor, regardless of your age. It's awkward. I know. But it’s a standard physical exam for any physician. They've seen it a thousand times.
Actionable Steps for Management
If you are dealing with this, stop searching for "natural" ways to force descent. They don't exist and can be dangerous. Instead, follow this path:
- Perform a warm bath check: If you’re checking yourself or a child, do it in a very warm bath. This relaxes the cremaster muscle. If the testicle appears then, it’s likely retractile, not undescended.
- Consult a Pediatric Urologist: If a child is over six months old and the scrotum is empty, skip the general practitioner and head straight to a specialist.
- Track the Location: If the testicle is sometimes visible and sometimes not, keep a log. This helps the doctor differentiate between a retractile testis and an "ascending" testis (one that was down but moved back up).
- Prioritize Early Surgery: If orchiopexy is recommended, don't delay until school age. The "sweet spot" for preserving fertility is before the second birthday.
- Routine Self-Exams: If you had an undescended testicle as a kid that was fixed with surgery, you still need to do monthly self-exams as an adult. You’re at a slightly higher baseline risk for issues, so stay vigilant.
The bottom line is that "making" them drop is a job for a surgeon, not a home remedy. Trust the biology, but know when to call in the pros. Regardless of the situation, modern medicine has a nearly 100% success rate in fixing this, as long as you don't ignore it.