The testicle enlargement trend that worries the experts: “Not worth the risk”

A new trend called “Ballmaxxing” (maximizing the testicles) has been causing concern among experts and doctors in recent weeks, after men around the world began sharing on social networks documentation of self-injections of solutions into the scrotum to significantly enlarge it.

According to reports that surfaced in the US and the UK, some participants inject themselves with saline (sterile salt water) or other substances such as Surgilube – a medical lubricant – directly into the scrotum, without any medical supervision.

The trend is considered part of the “lookmaxxing” wave on the Internet – phenomena that encourage a radical change of appearance – and it spreads mainly through Reddit communities, closed forums and videos on social networks. Some users share photos, others guide from personal experiences, and some describe the process as “exciting” or even “addictive”. In certain communities, thousands of users have already accumulated who follow the phenomenon and share records of the enlargements created by the injections, according to reports “some are even the size of mangoes”.

Although it is not known at this point if the trend has reached Israel, in recent years there are more and more aesthetic institutes that perform penis and scrotum enlargement, promising satisfactory results, but in some cases, the results are difficult. “I see infections, abscesses and sometimes even surgical intervention,” says Dr. Dor Golomb, center for the urology field of Klalit in the Central District. According to him, this is an operation that is not approved by any medical association, and has no scientific basis.

“Any injection or penetration beyond the protective layer of the skin can cause infections,” explains Dr. Golomb. “If the operation is not carried out in a sterile manner, or if the material itself is contaminated, acute infections can occur. In the best case, it ends with antibiotic treatment, and in more severe cases, surgery is needed to drain the pus and the contaminated area.”

According to him, in some cases the damage may be irreversible. “Severe infections can cause significant damage to the tissues, and in extreme cases even a partial excision of the scrotum and the need for surgery to reconstruct the area,” he says. “If the goal is to improve the appearance – it may end up with exactly the opposite result.”

“The overall recommendation is not to carry out such actions,” he concludes. “The potential health cost far exceeds any possible aesthetic benefit. It is important to stop, read, and consult a professional before any such action. It is better to avoid – it is simply not worth the risk.”