Here at Harley Street Emporium we’re getting an increasing number of men enquiring about penis enlargement and the options available.Many ask about fillers – but are they the best option?

According to GP and aesthetics practitioner, Dr Unnati Desai, fillers have some significant downsides in comparison to PRP and there are a number of things you need to consider when making your treatment choice.

Fillers are used in cosmetic surgery to plump up and fill out the tissue and are best known for their use on the face and lips. When used in large enough amounts they can help add girth and, in some cases, length to a penis.

To understand how its important to understand the different types of filler and what they’re used for. Most of us will be well acquainted with lip and cheek fillers. In most cases, these are used to plump up and enhance a facial feature. Usually, they contain nothing other than hyaluronic acid that will over time be absorbed and disposed of by our bodies.

These are the kind of fillers that, like Kylie Jenner’s lips, are reversible if you inject an enzyme that effectively dissolves them.

Other fillers, used for facial rejuvenation, can contain microsphere of encapsulated proteins that encourage collagen production – these are the ones than can be used to increase length. These are not dissolvable.

Why does that matter? Just like injecting filler into the face, there is a risk that if you hit a blood vessel you could block or disrupt the blood flow in the area which could cause tissue death or affect function.

“Some fillers are reversible, such as Voluma, but others that some people use in the penis, like Ellanse, are not reversible. So if you are being injected with filler it’s really important to know what your being injected with,” she warns.Dr Unnati favours PRP for penis enlargement for a number of reasons.

“The other downside of fillers is that they only address width and girth, they have no effect on functionality. I prefer PRP or platelet-rich plasma as a treatment as it will improve the blood flow in the penis through neo-vascularisation or the growth of new blood vessels, as well as adding length, width and girth.”

Known as the Priapus Shot or P-Shot for short, the treatment involves drawing the patient’s own blood, spinning it down in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from the red blood cells, and re-injecting the plasma into the penis in key spots including the shaft and the glans, around the base of the head.

Because it is your own body’s product there is no risk of allergic reaction or rejection and there is no risk of blocking a blood vessel.
The other advantages of PRP over fillers is in duration of result and, potentially, cost.

Fillers will last 18 month to 2 years generally, but PRP should deliver an result that lasts many years as it’s created new tissue rather than just filled it out, so to speak.
Fillers for penile enlargement require a considerable amount of filler and can cost around £3000. PRP costs £1200 per session if its the ‘Vampire’ brand. There will be an improvement after one session but most men will require 2, perhaps even 3 treatments.

So if 1 or 2 are enough to get the result you want, it’ll cost you less and it’ll last you longer.

Dr Unnati suggests if you are thinking of having these kinds of treatments you should ask your doctor include:

• are they qualified and trained in performing this procedure?
• if its a filler which product are they using?
• is it reversible?

It is really important that the person who does these procedures is a medically trained professional who had undertaken an accredited course in how to perform the procedure safely. If you are bing injected with a filler make sure you see the unopened package before they start.

Dr Unnati says the signs that something has gone wrong include:

• pain and swelling
• discolouration of skin
• decrease in functionality

Both treatments are quick – about an hour and there is no downtime. Being injectables, there is always the risk of bruising, swelling and infection. Fillers will have an instant noticeable effect, PRP may be a slower ‘growth’ over time.

Things to note – both of these are relatively new treatments. The FDA has not approved fillers for use in penises nor has it approved PRP for this purpose, but they are considered low risk and so far there have been very few reported adverse events.