Procedure

Hyaluronic acid filler

A minimally invasive option with adjustable volume.

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
See all risks and urgent signs

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 product is used, and how much volume?
  • What is the expected duration?
  • Can it be dissolved if I am unhappy?
  • How are nodules managed?

11 Evidence references

  1. The Effects of Penile Girth Enhancement using Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Gel, a Filler

    Kwak TI, Oh M, Kim JJ, Moon DG · The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2011

    Reported a measurable increase in penile girth with generally favourable early patient satisfaction.

    doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01748.x
  2. Penile girth enhancement procedures for aesthetic purposes

    Manfredi C, Romero-Otero J, Djinovic R · International Journal of Impotence Research, 2021

    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
  3. Am I normal? A systematic review and construction of nomograms for flaccid and erect penis length and circumference in up to 15,521 men

    Veale D, Miles S, Bramley S, Muir G, Hodsoll J · BJU International, 2015

    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