What Happens When Your Partner Gets Penis Filler?

Let’s Step Back: What Is Penis Filler, Exactly?

For as long as cosmetic procedures have been commercialized, women have been the target. From boob jobs to face lifts and labiaplasties, we’ve been told that we’re not big enough, small enough, or lifted enough. But with the recent wave of “looksmaxxing,” it seems as though the (surgical) light is on men for once—and some that light is pointed directly at their crotch.

Yes, the men are getting penis filler—a non-surgical procedure that aims to increase the girth of a penis. And, though it has been a thing for a while that men have dabbled in, in recent years, penis filler has been on the (ahem) rise. In fact, board-certified urologist and sexual medicine specialist Dr. Joshua Gonzalez tells Cosmopolitan that his clinic does these procedures several times a week.

“Most of the patients that I see are coming in to add a little size, often to just improve their confidence in the bedroom,” Dr. Gonzalez explains. “Some men have had experiences in which they felt in adequate—perhaps partners had mentioned something about their size—but a lot of times, this is sort of an internal struggle or an insecurity that they've dealt with for some time.”

Whether it’s for aesthetic purposes or because they want to “fill” their partners up more during sex, men are paying thousands of dollars to get the penis of their dreams.

When you think of “filler,” you likely think of the injectable treatments for your face. Well, penis filler is more similar to that than you’d assume.

“Penis fillers use dermal fillers that have been used now for decades in the face in the lips to add volume to add volume to the penis and they primarily increase girth,” Dr. Gonzalez explains.

First, the penis is numbed using a couple of small injections—but only feels like a quick pinch. Once the penis is numb, hyaluronic acid filler goes underneath the fascia—the two connective tissue layers that support, protect, and hold the internal erectile tubes together.

The entire procedure takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, and requires about 2-3 office visits spanned across several weeks. After that, patients are typically recommended to come back every 12-24 months for maintenance—though Dr. Gonzalez says he sees his patients’ filler last up to 2-3 years.

The amount of the filler used depends on how big the patient wants to go. Sometimes, as a result, patients will see their penises become “girthier” both while flaccid and while erect. But Dr. Gonzalez says that aside from some light swelling for 2-3 weeks, their penis shouldn’t feel any different than it did before the procedure.

But sometimes, it feels different to their partners.

Are There Any Risks?

Penis filler is minimally invasive, but—like any procedure—it isn't risk-free.

“I love using hyaluronic acid filler because the biggest complications that we see tend to be sort of cosmetic lumps, bumps, asymmetry migration,” Dr. Gonzalez says. “These can all be fixed and corrected using hyaluronidase or adding additional filler nearby to make things look more even.”

Although Dr. Gonzalez has seen limited issues in his patients, there have been complications in other places. One study of 230 men who received HA injections for penile augmentation reported that 4.3 percent experienced complications during six months of follow-up, including bleeding, nodules, and infection.

Infection is also possible with any injection procedure. While Dr. Gonzalez says the risk is very low when the procedure is performed using sterile technique, serious infections following penile HA injections have been reported, including a case in which an infection progressed to septic shock and required intensive treatment and surgery.

The type of filler matters, too. HA is safe, but permanent fillers like silicone or paraffin are less so. Those materials have been associated with delayed inflammation, granulomas, infection, tissue death, deformity, and other complications that can require surgical treatment. So always make sure you know exactly what’s going into your penis.

As for sensation, Dr. Gonzalez says he doesn't expect patients to experience changes when the procedure is performed by an experienced injector who understands the anatomy of the penis. But, there still isn’t enough research to tell us if this is true all the time. Most studies of penile filler involve pretty small groups of patients and very limited follow-up, leaving less information about rare or long-term complications.

As with any procedure, it’s important to know what’s at risk—and if more girth is worth it.

Does Having Sex Feel Different After?

Patients who get penis filler are asked to wait at least 10 days after the procedure to start having sex again. After the waiting period is up, their sex lives might change in more ways than one.

This was the case for Sylvia* and John*, who opted to get the procedure despite some concern and hesitation from Sylvia.

“The first treatment was not extremely noticeable but after a few treatments it was visibly and physically noticeable,” she says. While Sylvia expected that there would be growth, she didn’t know that the girth could increase so drastically.”

As a result, Sylvia explains that penetration felt noticeably different right away. “It felt more full and seemed to reach deeper. We definitely had to go a bit slower in the beginning and [use] a little extra lube to help. But once [it] settled in, it hits all the rights spots,” she says.

John’s noticed a difference himself too. Although his penis still feels “normal,” as Dr. Gonzalez said it would, he can tell that it’s heavier and hangs lower when it’s flaccid. He enjoys knowing that his wife feels the difference.

“It is nice to feel my wife adjust to everything when sex first begins (she has to breathe out slowly when I first enter her),” he says.

Sylvia’s enjoying the change, though she said she never had an issue with his size. Though when John brought up penis filler to her, she was “100 percent supportive.”

She explains that she’s always been attracted to her husband and the penis filler hasn’t affected this.

“I think it just made things a little more interesting in the bedroom,” she says. “I mean, you might like ice cream, but who wouldn’t rather have it with toppings?”