Chip2th wrote: I'm getting stated gathering info to make a decision.
I saw on Dr Shafers in NY website Volux is listed as an HA filler.
It's the most expensive and they claim its the firmest and longest lasting HA filler.
I am I going to notice a big difference compared to Voluma for example?
Which doctors and HA filler do you all recommend? Cost is not a primary concern for me.
Does anybody happen to know how much it costs to have the HA dissolved if needed?
The consensus seems to be HA is the safest and also good because its reversible.
What should I know about PMMA ? I see its permanent. What are the other negatives?
How does the feel of HA vs PMMA compare. I'm really concerned how my penis is going to feel after getting the filler.
Do you still maintain all the same amount of feeling, sensitivity.
I see avanti derma gets a lot of love on this board. Is it primarily price driven because they are in Mexico? I see they have been around a while, I noticed they did not have the HA Volux though. Would they get some special order?
Here is some more info about me that maybe could help you guys better point me in the right direction.
43 yrs old
6ft
175lbs
I am in excellent shape, eat very well, do all the healthy stuff, the fish oil, vitmamins etc, lots of exercise
I take growth hormone ( for anti aging) which i speculate will really help with healing, results, etc. Maybe even more so with PMMA for collagen production.
My penis is very healthy, rock hard erection never fails.
Excellent blood flow, vascular, grower doubles in size from flaccid to erect.
I guess I'd be happy with 5.5 girth, but I notice a lot of guys looking to be in the 6" plus range.
I'm guessing 6" plus is when you can be considered big??
How many many ML's do you guys think I need to get to 5.5" girth ? How many sessions?
Many thanks
My stats:
7.5 BPEL
Neck 4.25"
Mid shaft 4.5"
Base 5"
Dr. Shafer's Clinic is on 5th Avenue, let's just say in order to cover that kind of overhead, you have to be World Class levels of Plastic Surgeon. He's mentioned in a number of
major Publications and Blogs
and is the only Doctor I know of that is conducting a full-blown study on Hyaluronic Acid (HA) as well as possible mini-documentary in the near future. Despite the stereotype of the big shot Plastic Surgeon, my discussions with himself, his Staff, and his former patients, I get the impression he's quite likeable and goes the extra mile to make it as smooth a process as possible.
As for PMMA, Dr. Shafer offers Bellafill (the American iteration of PMMA) if you prefer. That said, I'd recommend starting with Hyaluronic Acid (HA) first. HA comes in a variety of versions depending on its application. You see, HA is a naturally occurring substance in your body, and what medical manufacturers have done is cross-link them to behave like dermal fillers, and thus create volume in the dermis. In the past, most iterations of HA were used mostly for the face in small volumes, thus their relative softness. Now that HA has been demonstrably effective in many other areas of the body, these same companies are creating more robust, longer lasting versions of HA which can yield quality results.
As for dissolving HA, my recommendation is to get low volumes injected first for a modest gain in girth, especially if cost is not an issue as you mentioned in your post. This way you can tell whether or not you like it, which will allow you to add more if it's a success, or have it dissolved if you aren't totally satisfied (the enzyme called Hyaluronidase is likely most effective in the earlier stages, but I'd give it at least 3 months minimum before passing judgment). Sometimes not all of the HA will dissolve, but not to worry, since it is temporary, you'll likely have to wait out a short time after Hyaluronidase to see your penis return to its normal look. HA is a temporary filler, but the rate at which your body will break down this filler varies wildly person-to-person it seems (I've seen men detect reduction in size as early as 6 months and even anomalies as long as 2 years, and for this reason many companies assert 12-18 months to be on the safe side). It's kind of like how some people heal faster than others, grow hair or fingernails quicker than others, and so on -- despite similar physiologies, many processes that aren't essential to our vitals seem to vary person-to-person.
Regarding Avanti Derma, their popularity stems from a multitude of factors, including (but not limited to) being the first Clinic deemed a success in an industry that goes back 3 decades, full of botcheries and nauseating complications. They were really the only name in the game as far as the use of PMMA (or any dermal filler really) in the penis while being the first to demonstrate the efficacy of this methodology to the North Western Hemisphere (I specify this because its origins came from Avanti's founder Dr. Casavantes being trained in Brazil where penile bioplasty was seemingly invented, as well as Dr. Casavantes' relationship with Professor Lemperle, the world's leading expert on PMMA at the time). Dr. Morales now performs the procedures, but she was trained by the now retired Dr. Casavantes and she seems to have been able to uphold the standard of quality after Dr. C's departure. Of course, value likely also plays a role, Medical Tourism is huge around the world. I went to Mexico for a teeth cleaning + two wisdom teeth extraction + medication + free taxi to and from the border all for $300. In some U.S. cities, that could have easily been $3,000! When it comes to medical cosmetic/aesthetic work, there are many really top notch Surgeons, Dentists, Hair Restorationists all over the world, including Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, and some others.
Regarding how they feel (PMMA vs HA vs Other Options), I have a simple rule of thumb: just don't go overboard. With your length, you're an ideal candidate, you can easily acquire 5.5"+ without sacrificing natural aesthetics. It's usually when you begin getting a lot of filler that it can become more palpable (this is true for all fillers). That said, the vast majority of partners won't notice, only you will since you are accustomed to your own penis. Since penises come in different shapes, sizes, veiny/non-veiny, colorations, glans proportions, curvatures, among other things, most people won't be bothered to question it, especially since male enhancement of this type is still relatively low-key (i.e. not mainstream). The nice thing with HA is, that if you feel it becomes too palpable to closer you reach 6", you'll know it will eventually dissipate back to 5.5" and you can go in to touch up any minor unevenness from the filler breakdown.
Sensitivity, form, and function of your phallus will not be affected by filler injections. These fillers go into layers of your dermis and are not injected into any of your erectile or urethral tissues, thus posing no risk to erectile or urinary function. However, some men have reported very subtle changes in sensitivity, both "more" and "less" sensitive post-op, but I've never seen any account that had any significant change in this regard either way. More sensitivity makes sense to me since you'll have more surface area than you had previously; the even less common reports of subtle loss in sensitivity I chalk up to early stages of collagen growth, because I can't think up of any physiological reason why this would occur, and suspect most these guys who have stated as much likely regained full sensitivity many months later (unfortunately, a lot of guys will update their Progress Reports less and less frequently with the passing of time because they've got what they wanted, happy, and want to move on and not dwell on size anymore because in their minds, the weight is off their shoulders; that said, anyone reading this, I implore you to at least do yearly updates if you choose to Progress Report, after your initial first few months of posting).
HA's Pros: arguably the best safety profile for a filler; somewhat reversible, and whatever isn't completely dissolved will dissipate in short time; newer iterations of HA are having positive reception/reviews in the penis.
HA's Cons: requirement of maintenance, and somewhat unpredictable what that timetable might be for a person. I will say however, this is a minor "con" since if you choose to top-off once a year, you'll only need much smaller volumes to sustain your size goal, and at lower volumes it should be lower in cost in theory; the other only con I can think of is a lack of consensus on the best brand of HA for penile application. Given Dr. Shafer's many years doing this procedure, I would take his recommendation, he has too solid of a reputation to push you in one direction just because
"he got a deal buying a certain brand of HA in bulk." Besides, he's conducting an ongoing HA study, which would make him even more privy to the qualities of each brand of HA filler.
PMMA's Pros: its permanence means once you've completed the number of appointments required to get your final end result/goal, you are set for life. This is a good value proposition. The microspheres are bio-compatible and biologically inert, non-carcinogenic, and has been used in a variety of medical applications outside of just dermal fillers for many decades.
PMMA's Cons: albeit rare, complications may be more challenging to treat (not impossible, but may require multiple appointments involving one or more therapies to resolve the issue). The most known (again, still rare) complication is a foreign born granuloma (which can happen with any filler by the way) which can end up creating a larger than usual lump that will require a few sessions of corticosteroid injections and possibly anti-inflammatory medication to treat. Fortunately, FBG's do not effect the functionality of your penis, the granuloma itself is a localized area of inflammation due to the presence of a foreign body in the shaft skin, and to be frank isn't something I'd consider alarming, but absolutely necessary to treat. In the 13 and a half-ish years the PhalloBoards has been around, I can probably count on one hand the number of irrefutably diagnosed granuloma's being reported. Sure, there are a lot of people who don't post (the vast majority of traffic don't are mostly visitors who are researching with no interest in discussion, which is fine), so it could be a bit higher than I'm lead to believe, but I also know the sample size I'm provided is unparalleled in terms of overall reporting, so I'm sticking to my belief that (major) complication stemming from PMMA in the penis are very rare.
*Note- these are elective procedures and aren't without risk of complication(s). That said, having a qualified, s
ed, and experience practitioner using medical grade products ensures that complication rates stay relatively low; This forum has over a decade of progress reporting and complications stemming from patients who have been to any of the
Doctors who have Sponsored this site are uncommon and typically get resolved over time. Most major complications you may hear about come from Doctors & Clinics that I have turned away Sponsorship opportunities to, as they presented a well established history of severe and/or frequent reports of complications & botcheries (e.g. large volumes of silicone oil, rigid silicone implants, or any procedure that is both very experimental & extremely invasive).
I'd go with your gut, Dr. Shafer is a Sponsor here for full transparency, but I wouldn't have brought him on board if I thought he didn't put out good work. As I've said before, he's also highly esteemed and you don't work on 5th Avenue Manhattan without being a stud in his field of Medicine. His Patient Coordinator Luc is a really nice guy to chat with and their Staff are peak professionalism. I hope this information helps. Good luck!
