Procedure
Hyaluronic acid filler
A minimally invasive option with adjustable volume.
Key facts
- Main goal: girth and contour
- Typical setting: local anaesthesia, outpatient procedure
- Published study volumes: often about 10–22 mL for shaft treatment, but volume must be individualized
- Early swelling and bruising: common
- Sexual abstinence in published Korean protocols: approximately 1 month
- Follow-up: early in-person review plus remote monitoring
- Reversibility: HA may often be reduced with hyaluronidase
- Evidence: promising, but long-term standardization remains limited
What happens during treatment
- Repeat examination and photographs
- Marking of treatment zones
- Local anaesthesia
- Entry points near the penile base
- Placement of filler in the tissue plane between the dartos and Buck’s fascia
- Gradual fanning distribution and contour adjustment
- Dressing or support bandage
- Early review of skin colour, swelling, bleeding, and symmetry
What to expect
The penis usually appears fuller immediately, although early swelling affects the initial appearance. Published Korean randomized data showed an average girth increase of approximately 2.1 cm at 24 weeks after HA treatment. Individual results vary and are not guaranteed.
About length
Some patients may notice a longer-looking flaccid penis due to added weight and reduced contraction. This is not equivalent to structural lengthening. Erect-length gain is generally small and unpredictable.
Recovery timeline
- Day 0–2: swelling, tenderness, bruising, temporary asymmetry
- First week: avoid pressure, friction, cycling, and strenuous exercise
- About 4 weeks: avoid intercourse and masturbation unless the treating clinician advises otherwise
- 1–2 weeks: remote or in-person review
- 4 weeks: contour and recovery review
- 3–6 months: outcome assessment
- Later: consider whether observation, correction, dissolution, or supplementation is appropriate
01 What it is
Injection of cross-linked hyaluronic acid into the soft tissue under the penile skin to increase circumference.
02 What it aims to change
Primarily flaccid and erect girth. It does not lengthen the penis and does not change erectile function.
03 How it is performed
After topical or local anaesthesia, filler is injected in the layer beneath the skin along the shaft and shaped by hand. Volume is chosen with the patient.
04 What published studies report
Short- and mid-term studies and case series report measurable girth increase and generally high early satisfaction. Follow-up is often limited and comparators are frequently absent.
05 What remains uncertain
How long the effect lasts varies by product and volume. Long-term comparative evidence against other methods is insufficient, and repeat-injection behaviour is not well characterised.
06 Common short-term effects
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Temporary tenderness
- A feeling of firmness
07 Potential complications
- Nodules or lumps
- Asymmetry
- Migration of material
- Irregular contour
- Infection
- Rarely, vascular compromise
08 Reversibility and revision
HA can often be partially or fully dissolved with hyaluronidase, which makes it comparatively adjustable. Revision may involve dissolution, massage, or re-injection.
09 Recovery
Most daily activity resumes within a short period; sexual activity is typically deferred for a clinician-defined interval. Outcomes vary.
10 Questions to ask
- What exact product will be used?
- Is it approved for this indication in Korea?
- How much is planned, and why?
- What tissue layer will be used?
- Who will manage complications after I return home?
- Is hyaluronidase immediately available?
- Will I receive the product name, lot number, volume, and procedure record in English?
- What is the clinic’s policy on correction, dissolution, or additional treatment?
11 Evidence references
- The Effects of Penile Girth Enhancement using Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel, a Filler
Reported a measurable increase in penile girth with generally favourable early patient satisfaction.
doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01748.x - Penile girth enhancement procedures for aesthetic purposes
Girth techniques can increase circumference short term, but durability and complication data (nodules, asymmetry, reabsorption) limit strong conclusions.
doi.org/10.1038/s41443-021-00459-y - Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15,521 men
Constructed nomograms of penile size. Mean flaccid length ~9.16 cm, stretched ~13.24 cm, erect ~13.12 cm; erect circumference ~11.66 cm.
doi.org/10.1111/bju.13010