Men are apparently flocking to — rather, “jock”-ing to — surgeons for an atypical kind of plastic surgery. That’s right: Scrotox, as in Botox for your scrotum. Touted as a way to help men address a variety of balls-related concerns, Scrotox is said to be gaining popularity around the country, but it’s dividing the medical community on the question of appropriateness.
Dr. Jason Emer, for instance, is a board-certified dermatologic surgeon in Los Angeles who specializes in body shaping, including procedures like liposuction and skin tightening.
He’s been performing Botox “in and around the genitals for sweating for nine years, and more recently, solely on the scrotum,” he told U.S. News. The scrotum as a standalone for Botox injections has been picking up steam in his practice, per the trend.
Marathon runners and cyclists were originally asking Emer for a solution for groin sweat. The procedure became helpful for other purposes, like for men who described their testicles as “high and tight,” since he says it can lower them, creating the illusion of an enlarged penis.
That’s not to say that Emer’s experience with the procedure is universal. Dr. Matthew Schulman, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York, says he hasn’t had anyone come in to ask about the “bizarre” procedure.
“I’m a skeptic,” he told U.S. News. “I don’t think the demand for it is significant. I think that it’s more of a media-driven procedure.”
Schulman explained that the Food and Drug Administration approved Botox for uses like reducing wrinkles in the face and underarm sweat. Once a drug is FDA-approved, doctors can use it as they see fit as long as they disclose the off-label nature and intent to patients. Off-label prescribing is common, he says, especially within cosmetic surgery and cosmetic medicine.
While Emer says there aren’t any appreciable side effects to the procedure (it’s injected locally and nothing is deeply absorbed), Schulman says he questions the effect Scrotox could have on fertility. After all, the rationale is similar to the notion that tight underwear can reduce fertility by keeping testicles close to the body and making them warmer, according to Schulman.
Emer also says the out-of-pocket procedure costs about $1,500 to $2,000 per area of injection, and lasts for three our four months (up to six if you’re lucky). He cautions that patients can’t exercise for one day, but other than that, notes there aren’t any major restrictions on daily activity.
“I think these alternative cosmetic procedures are gonna become much more popular in the next two years,” Emer says.
Schulman isn’t so sure, and adds that before more men flock to get Scrotox, he’d like to see long-term study of the procedure to evaluate the effects after five or 10 years on sperm count and mobility.
“My interpretation is just because we can do it doesn’t mean we should do it,” Schulman says.
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Scrotox: Why Men Are Getting Botox in Their Scrotums originally appeared on usnews.com
