Featured Image Credit: Diy13 / Getty
For decades, we've been fed the idea that women are obsessed with their looks and will go to extreme lengths in an attempt to get that 'perfect' body.
Whether that be shaming them for facelifts or dyeing their hair, it's more obvious than ever that men can be just as vain as women.
The whole looksmaxxing community has amplified this in something of a Streisand effect, with the likes of roidmaxxing, starvemaxxing, and bone-smashing all doing exactly what they say on the tin.
For every looksmaxxer singing the praises of abstinence to improve their testosterone levels, others are going in an even more extreme direction. The latest trend causing a stir is ballmaxxing, and as you can imagine, it's not seeing who can throw the most extravagant summer ball.
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Botox in men is surging, and with so-called 'brotox' now accounting for up to 16% of the global market, it's a health trend that can't be ignored.
Away from this, there's been the emergence of scrotox, where botulinum toxin is injected into the scrotal area as a form of male grooming.
With concerns about the actions of looksmaxxers like Braden "Clavicular" Peters, and the adoption of more extreme cosmetic procedures for men, some are trying out ballmaxxing with the intention of ballooning their testicles.
Even though we're not convinced anyone is actually taking part in bone-smashing, ballmaxxing is very much something people are actually trying out in real life.
Largely considered a DIY trend, men are known to buy butterfly needles and IV lines online and then infuse around a liter of saline solution or surgical lubricants into the scrotal sac. The niche form of body modification is often linked to the BDSM and kink communities, and although the scrotal area can expand up to 60 times its natural size, it's temporary as fluid is typically reabsorbed into the body between 24 and 48 hours later.
UNILADTech spoke to Dr Shirin Lakhani, a men's and women's sexual health specialist who has her own warning about ballmaxxing. Dr Lakhani says that she started getting a few enquiries about scrotum enlargement, although this tended to come alongside patients asking about penis enlargement. She noted that insecurity among men about their penis size is nothing new, although balmaxxing and the idea of injecting liquids into your scrotum is a new emergence that can be incredibly dangerous.
With much of the looksmaxxing community falling into the younger age bracket, Lakhani notes that it seems to be men under the age of 40 who are taking part in or considering ballmaxxing. This is thanks mainly to things being spread much more quickly on social media.
In terms of why ballmaxxing is dangerous, Dr Lakhani highlighted several risks: "Injecting your scrotum with saline can cause a bacterial infection, for example, as introducing any unregulated fluid, especially outside of a medical practice, can cause infection, abscess formation, or cellulitis."
Other issues can include nerve damage or stretching of the scrotal skin, with microtears, bruising, and longer-term damage to connective tissue all being potential issues. Discussing one that sounds particularly painful, she added: "You can cause testicular injury as well, as pressure from fluid accumulation may impair blood flow, potentially affecting testicular function. And obviously, it can cause pain, swelling, significant discomfort, and inflammation."
It's not just the short-term effects of ballmaxxing, as Lakhani called out delayed complications that include laxity, structural weakening, and even erectile dysfunction. While admittedly less likely, Lakhani pointed to "life-threatening possibilities such as blood clots and even gangrene."
Notably, there are no proven advantages in ballmaxxing. Lakhani stated: "The only possible positives from it are generally aesthetic rather than medical or practical. There are no known advantages in relation to improved fertility, boosted testosterone, improved sexual performance, increased penis size, or enhancements in long-term sexual satisfaction."
Dr Lakhani makes it clear that ballmaxxing isn't endorsed by health professionals, saying that her advice is "to definitely avoid any DIY injections, aggressive stretching, or recurring use."
In particular, we need to be aware about getting initmate health advice from social media or anonymous forums like Reddit – where there's a flourishing ballmaxxing community.
Lakhani concluded: "Please research the medical risks associated with such a practice beforehand. If you are concerned about testicular size or erectile dysfunction for example, then there are other, safer options for you to explore."
Whereas some surgeons or urologists might offer procedures like testicular implants and dermal fillers to increase overall tissue thickness or combat age-related shrinkage, ballmaxxing isn't on the list for legitimate medical professionals.
