Dr. Jeremy GoodmanBoard-certified urologist
What penile filler looks like before and after
The first thing most men ask me is whether it works and what it looks like. It works. In published studies, hyaluronic acid filler added about 2 to 2.5 cm of girth on average, measured soft, and a smaller amount erect. I don’t put before-and-after photos online, so this page goes through the numbers and what you’ll see from the first day to a year and a half later.
Written and medically reviewed by Jeremy Goodman, MD, board-certified urologist. Last reviewed .
2 to 2.5 cm
Most of the change shows when you’re soft
Penile filler is a girth treatment. I place hyaluronic acid gel, the same FDA-approved filler used in lips and faces, in a layer under the skin of the shaft, outside the erectile tissue. The volume is there as soon as it goes in, so you leave the same day with a thicker shaft.
The change is biggest when you’re flaccid. In one study that followed 38 men for a year, flaccid girth was up 3.4 cm at one month and still up 2.4 cm at twelve months. Erect girth went up 1.3 cm and settled at 0.8 cm.6 When you’re erect, the erectile tissue does most of the work, so the filler is a smaller share of the total.
For a lot of men that fullness when soft is the reason they come in. The way I put it, filler helps growers become showers. Men who feel they’ve lost some size with age usually notice the change most in the locker room and in the mirror.
What filler does for length
Flaccid length, yes. Filler adds girth first, and I also see it add length when you’re soft, especially in men who’ve lost some over the years. Erect length comes from the erectile tissue. If that’s your goal, I’ll go through the options for it with you.
| Measured | At 1 month | At 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Flaccid | +3.4 cm | +2.4 cm |
| Erect | +1.3 cm | +0.8 cm |
Measured around the shaft. Erect girth gains less because the erectile tissue does most of the work.
What the studies measured
These are the average girth gains from seven published hyaluronic acid studies, in centimeters around the shaft. Most of them land between 2 and 2.5 cm.
| Study | Men | When it was measured | Out of 4 cm | Average gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kwak 2011150 men. At 18 months. 3.9 cm at one month. | 50 | At 18 months. 3.9 cm at one month. | +3.8 cm | |
| Raheem 20257324 men. Flaccid. Individual men ranged from 1.5 to 4 cm. | 324 | Flaccid. Individual men ranged from 1.5 to 4 cm. | +2.5 cm | |
| Zhang 2022638 men. Flaccid, at 12 months. 3.4 cm at one month. | 38 | Flaccid, at 12 months. 3.4 cm at one month. | +2.4 cm | |
| Ahn 2022464 men. Randomized trial, at 24 weeks. | 64 | Randomized trial, at 24 weeks. | +2.3 cm | |
| Yang 2020374 men. Randomized trial, at 24 weeks. | 74 | Randomized trial, at 24 weeks. | +2.1 cm | |
| Quan 20215230 men. At 6 months. 2.7 cm at one month. | 230 | At 6 months. 2.7 cm at one month. | +1.8 cm | |
| Yang 2019272 men. Randomized trial, at 48 weeks. | 72 | Randomized trial, at 48 weeks. | +1.7 cm |
The averages are close to each other
Clinics in Korea, China and the UK, measuring different groups of men, mostly landed between 2 and 2.5 cm. A 2023 meta-analysis of four trials and 283 men found that hyaluronic acid gave more girth than the filler it was tested against, with similar complication rates.9
One month is the peak
Your body absorbs filler slowly, which is why the later measurements are smaller. A 2026 study found that a retouch visit and planned top-ups did more than the filler alone to hold results out to 48 weeks.8
Why your result may differ
Your result depends on how much filler goes in and on your anatomy. I’ll tell you what’s realistic for you before anything is booked, and what penile filler costs at that volume.
Filler is a short office visit in Los Angeles. What you see in the first week is mostly swelling.
Judge your result at three months
- Day 1
- The procedure takes 15 to 20 minutes under local anesthetic, and the worst part is the little stick of the numbing injection. You see the change before you leave. Swelling and some bruising make it look bigger and less even than it will end up, so don’t judge it yet.
- 2 weeks
- The bruising fades and the shape smooths out. You massage and mold the area the way I show you. Published protocols say no sex for about three weeks,7 and I’ll give you my exact timeline.
- 3 months
- This is the result to judge. The swelling is long gone and the filler has settled. If one side looks fuller than the other, this is when a small retouch evens it out.
- 12 to 18 months
- Hyaluronic acid is temporary, and it fades slowly. In one study men kept about 70% of their flaccid gain at twelve months.6 Most men book a top-up somewhere between 12 and 18 months to hold the result.
I show the photos in private, at your consult.
There are no before-and-after pictures on this page, on purpose. Most of the men I treat are married or in long relationships, a lot of them are executives, and nobody should ever recognize himself on a website. The patients who agree to have their results photographed do it for other patients in the consult, and that is where I show them.
Photos online are also a poor way to judge filler. Angle, lighting, temperature, and flaccid or erect all change how things look. California sets strict standards for medical before-and-after images for that reason. The pose and the lighting have to match, and the procedure has to be named. Galleries built for clicks rarely meet them.
A picture of another man’s body tells you little about yours. At your consult I show you results from patients with a similar starting point, and we work out what’s realistic for you.
What men tell me afterward
In the largest audit, of 324 men, 89% were satisfied with their result.7 In a 2026 study that followed men for 48 weeks, 85% said their sexual satisfaction was better and 80% were happier with how it looked.8
Partners notice too
Most of the men I treat are in long-term relationships, so I encourage you to talk it through with your partner. In an 18-month study, partners rated their satisfaction 3.65 out of 4 at one month and 3.38 at eighteen months.1
Better sensation and firmer erections
After filler, men often tell me that sensation is stronger and their erections are harder. The way I explain it, the filler stretches the skin and the nerve fibers in it, and its gentle pressure on the erectile chambers means they need less blood to get hard. In one randomized trial, men’s own estimate of how long they lasted went from 5.4 to 7.9 minutes.4
Do it for yourself
The happiest patients I see did it for themselves. They look down and they’re just happy, and that confidence carries into work and into their relationship.
What decides your result
These are the things that shape what your before and after looks like. I go through each of them with you at the consult.
Volume
More filler means more girth, and you can build it up in stages. More isn’t always better. The goal is a result that looks like you, only fuller.
Your starting point
Your size and skin change the outcome, and so does how much you’ve lost with age. That’s why I measure you and plan the volume before we talk about price.
Foreskin
Uncircumcised men are more prone to swelling, or to filler drifting into the foreskin, and I plan for it. In a 324-man audit, 7.7% of men had filler move into the foreskin, and an enzyme corrected it.7
Hydration
Hyaluronic acid holds water. In my experience, the better hydrated you are, the more girth and length you see.
Top-ups
A retouch visit and planned top-ups are what keep a result holding over time.8
Who places it
Filler has to sit in the right layer, above the erectile tissue and clear of the nerves and blood vessels. That anatomy is my everyday work as a urologist. Of the roughly seven providers doing penile filler in greater Los Angeles, only two are urologists. Most of the rest are plastic surgeons who dabble in it.
If a result isn’t even
Small corrections are part of the treatment. In the largest audit, 6.1% of men had some asymmetry, fixed with a top-up, and 4.6% had a small lump.7 Because it’s hyaluronic acid, I can dissolve the filler with an enzyme called hyaluronidase if it ever needs it.10 Permanent fillers like silicone or PMMA can only come out with surgery.
Enlargement pills and pumps don’t work
Late-night ads have sold enlargement for decades. If a cream, a pump or a pill could permanently add inches, I’d own the factory. ED pills make erections harder, which is a different thing.
Jelqing stretches the skin. I’ve seen men jelq themselves into erectile dysfunction bad enough to need a penile implant. If you want a before and after you can see, it’s filler placed by a urologist.
Questions about results
Something else on your mind? Text a question and my team will get back to you.
Can you show me before and after photos of penile filler?
Yes, in private. I show before-and-after photos at your free penile filler consultation, from patients who agreed to share them with other patients. I don’t post them online, for their privacy and yours, and because photos online rarely give you a fair comparison.
How much girth does penile filler add?
In published studies, men gained about 2 to 2.5 cm of flaccid girth on average, which is roughly 3/4 to 1 inch around. In the largest audit, individual results ran from 1.5 to 4 cm. The erect change is smaller, about 0.8 to 1.3 cm in one year-long study.
What does penile filler look like erect?
Thicker, by less than when you’re soft. In a year-long study, erect girth was up about 1.3 cm at one month and 0.8 cm at one year, against 3.4 cm and 2.4 cm flaccid. A good result looks evenly fuller, with no edges or lumps.
Does penile filler add length?
Flaccid length, yes. Filler adds girth first, and I also see it add length when you’re soft, especially in men who have lost some with age. Erect length comes from the erectile tissue. If that’s your goal, I’ll go through the options for it with you.
When will I see my final result?
You see a change the same day, but swelling makes the first two weeks misleading. Judge your result at about three months, once the swelling has settled and any retouch is done.
How long do penile filler results last?
Hyaluronic acid is temporary and fades slowly. Published studies show results lasting about 12 to 18 months, and one study kept about 70% of the flaccid gain at one year. Most men book a top-up at 12 to 18 months to hold their result, so plan for it in the cost of penile filler.
Does PhalloFILL work?
PhalloFILL is a brand name some clinics use for their hyaluronic acid girth technique. It’s the same class of filler used in the studies on this page, so the published results apply, about 2 to 2.5 cm of flaccid girth on average. Who places it, and how, makes the biggest difference.
Are the results in studies typical?
They’re averages from groups of men, so some gain more and some less. Your result depends on the volume used and on your anatomy. I’ll tell you what’s realistic for you at the free consult.
References
10 sources
- 1.Kwak et al. Hyaluronic acid penile girth enhancement in 50 men, 18-month follow-up. J Sex Med. 2011. PMID 20233296. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20233296/
- 2.Yang et al. Randomized trial of hyaluronic acid vs. polylactic acid filler, 72 men, 48 weeks. J Sex Med. 2019. PMID 30833149. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30833149/
- 3.Yang et al. Randomized trial of hyaluronic acid vs. polylactic acid filler, 74 men, 24 weeks. J Sex Med. 2020. PMID 31735613. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31735613/
- 4.Ahn et al. Randomized trial of hyaluronic acid vs. polylactic acid filler, 64 men, 24 weeks. World J Mens Health. 2022. PMID 33988002. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33988002/
- 5.Quan et al. Hyaluronic acid penile augmentation, cohort of 230 men. Asian J Androl. 2021. PMID 33533738. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33533738/
- 6.Zhang et al. Flaccid and erect girth after hyaluronic acid injection, 38 men, 1-year follow-up. Asian J Androl. 2022. PMID 35417989. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35417989/
- 7.Raheem et al. Retrospective audit of hyaluronic acid penile girth enhancement, 324 men. J Sex Med. 2025;22(Suppl 2). doi:10.1093/jsxmed/qdaf077.122. academic.oup.com/jsm/article/22/Supplement_2/qdaf077.122/8127395
- 8.Park et al. Hyaluronic acid girth enhancement with retouch and re-injection, 20 men, 48 weeks. World J Mens Health. 2026. PMID 41946662. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41946662/
- 9.Kusumaputra et al. Meta-analysis of hyaluronic acid vs. polylactic acid penile augmentation, 4 studies, 283 men. Ann Med Surg. 2023. PMID 37663705. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37663705/
- 10.Moon et al. Hyaluronidase to dissolve penile hyaluronic acid filler, case series. Int J Impot Res. 2026. PMID 41006542. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41006542/
Book the free consult and I’ll show you the photos.
We talk by phone or video. I’ll show you results from men like you and tell you straight whether filler makes sense for you.
Financing is available through CareCredit and Cherry. What penile filler costs