“I feel like someone who went from earning 50 grand a year to being a millionaire overnight.”
- Editor’s note: Men’s Health does not endorse the SWAG procedure—or any penis-enlargement technique—without first consulting a physician.
- NSFW warning: the following post contains a digital rendering of the patient’s penis before and after the procedure.
Penis size doesn’t matter, despite what society has led you to believe about the link between your masculinity and the size of your dick (or whether you have a dick to begin with). It’s all BS. But these cultural ideas can be tough to shake, which is why plenty of penis-owners still are still curious about ways to increase their length and girth.
For the most part, the existing methods of penis enlargement are under-researched and potentially dangerous. Save for losing weight or shaving your pubes to make your junk look bigger in relation to the rest of your body, we don’t endorse any of them. We’re guessing most people aren’t racing to put their, ah, most valuable “member” under the knife for the sake of a few extra inches, either.
That said, you might still be curious about what it’s like to get your penis enlarged, which brings us to Paul Hackett (not his real name), a man who recently underwent the Shafer Width and Girth procedure. Named for the Manhattan-based surgeon who created it—David Shafer, MD—the SWAG procedure entails injecting dermal fillers into your penis to plump it up pretty significantly. As with the fillers some people put in their face, the results of the SWAG procedure aren’t permanent; the fillers dissolve over time. Side effects include swelling and bruising within the first week.
1) What excited you about getting the SWAG procedure?
Simply the prospect of having a huge penis. Up until last summer, I had no idea that it was scientifically possible. There are close to four billion penises on planet Earth, and the vast majority of them are within the normal range. Mine is. I mean, it was. But that didn’t stop me from wondering what it would be like to get a ‘wow’ reaction from partners seeing it for the first time. I also know that not everyone is a fan of a larger penis. However, several of my sexual partners are unabashed size queens. So while I was doing it for myself, first and foremost, I was excited to share it with these women and get their reaction.
2) Going into the SWAG procedure, how did you feel about the potential side effect of the filler forming little bumps that would have to be spot-corrected later?
I think he called them nodules. They’re these little bumps. They can occur in 10% of patients. Dr, Shafer assured me that, should these nodules appear—they didn’t— they could be melted away with an enzyme that causes the filler to break down in a few days.
3) I know you were numbed for the procedure but was there anything you could actually feel?
First, Dr. Shafer applied a topical numbing solution to the area. That’s to dull the sensation of a lidocaine injection which is the most painful part. It’s a sharp but momentary pain that’ll make you wince, but it’s over very quickly.
4) What would you compare the pain to?
It felt the same as being injected anywhere else on the body. However, the penis is a sensitive area. Sensitive physically and sensitive psychologically. The thought of having needles plunged into their penis has been enough for some of my friends who really are interested in getting the results to pass on getting the procedure. For me, was a very small price to pay.
5) So in terms of feeling, it was comparable to a shot, but there were a lot of psychological worries?
Well, yeah. I was, of course, terrified by the very slim chance that I’d inadvertently cause irreparable damage to my favorite body part. There’s definitely an element of risk to this. I certainly felt vulnerable. As I explain in the article, Dr. Shafer uses an introducer, or pilot needle, and threads this thing called a micro-cannula into it.
While it doesn’t hurt—thanks to the anesthetic—you can feel there’s Something like an electric guitar string being snaked around in your penis in quite a hectic way.
So far, I’ve had five rounds of filler. I had three rounds in the initial set and then a further two more recently. It does get a tiny bit more painful each time because the filler interferes with how well the anesthetic does its job. I mean, it’s never really gotten to be super painful, but every time there’s a moment or two when I say “ow!” out loud. But what’s really interesting is how quickly it’s all over and done with.
6) Most patients are in and out in 30 minutes, right?
Yeah. And that’s including the consultation and the time it takes for the anesthetic to set in. Once the lidocaine has been administered, Dr. Shafer starts unboxing a bunch of this product— Voluma XC—and then, before I know it, he’s telling me that the first two syringes of the filler are already in.
At this point, I’ve had 42 syringes. That only amounts to 2.85 tablespoons, but it’s increased my erect girth by two inches—from 4.5″ to 6.5″ around. This stuff actually expands once it has been delivered under the skin.
7) You wrote that when you finished the procedure, Dr. Shafer instructed you to “milk” your penis to eliminate any lumps or bumps. How did you feel when he told you it was sort of on you to make sure your penis stayed in the right shape?
Yeah. That was the part that worried me the most. I was thinking, ‘Oh, I’m taking some responsibility for this and how this turns out.’ That’s terrifying! It’s a little like when you go and see a physical therapist, and they give you a bunch of stretching homework to do or when your dental hygienist reminds you to floss more often. I always think: ‘Dude, why don’t we just stick to our respective jobs? You do that part!’
But I think Dr. Shafer was just trying to make sure that I didn’t make some of the post-procedure mistakes that people have made in the past. These include having sex too soon, using a penis pump, or masturbating too vigorously, and inadvertently remolding their new penis as a result. If you do that, then the next round of filler isn’t being used to make your penis even bigger—it’s being used to correct the death grip divots that you’ve put in it. So yeah…I was terrified about fucking it up.
8) The first time you had sex with your girthier penis, you didn’t tell your partner you’d had anything done.
That’s right. Her initial reaction was, ‘Something’s different. Why did you do that? I liked it the way it was before.’ Not exactly the shock and awe reaction I was hoping for. But then, we were only casually dating, so it was not really her business what I did with my body. Similarly, if I was dating someone who announced that she wanted to get a breast augmentation, my response would be, ‘I’m happy if you’re happy.’
9) That first sex session also changed the shape of your penis. What did it look like?
Yeah. Despite Dr. Shafer’s advice. I probably had sex a little too soon, for a little too long, and a little too enthusiastically after my first round. This would have been before the filler had fully integrated with the tissue in my penis.
Whereas before, I had a very uniform girth, after that first session, it was a little bulbous in the middle. The difference probably wasn’t that noticeable, but I noticed because I’ve been looking down at this thing for like 42, 43 years.
10) What did you do?
Even though Dr. Shafer told me to expect some asymmetry after an initial session, I immediately emailed him a quick sketch I drew of my slightly bulbous erection. I was like, ‘Hey Doc, did I ruck up your work?’
He was not phased in the least. He just said, ‘Come back, and we’ll fix it.’ And he did. So I had ten syringes the first time, a further ten the second time, and then I cheekily said, ‘Hey, can I get just a little bit more?’ Then he gave me six more syringes in a third session.
During the third session, he remarked that he could feel some resistance—that he was starting to reach a limit where he’d be putting in more than my penis could comfortably accommodate. So that’s when we stopped. At that point, I’d gone from 4.5″ around to 6″ around. But I came back four months later for some more because the skin had stretched enough to take some more.
11) Did the post-injection recovery get easier with each appointment?
Each time, recovery has been quicker. Knowing what’s going to happen also makes it easier. The first time was such a huge unknown. Every subsequent time, time there has been less bruising, less tenderness. And to be honest, the first two times I had it, I probably didn’t wait long enough before having sex. Patience really is a virtue when having this procedure.
12) You talked about the sensations during sex being different and stronger. Can you describe what they felt like?
Basically, everything feels way tighter. My interest in anal sex has been reduced because any vagina is plenty snug. One girlfriend who knew me before and after said, ‘You’re not putting that in my butt anymore!’ And I thought, ‘You know what? That impulse hadn’t even occurred to me.’
I had a fairly average penis in the first place. But this new thickness means that I’m much more present in the moment. I feel that I don’t have to cycle through the things that I know that I do to keep myself physically and mentally stimulated because sex is just so much more stimulating than it was before. The sensation I feel is at an eight or a nine out of a ten at all times.
13) And what about the psychological effects?
It’s really given my confidence a huge boost. It’s sort of a dumb thing to nerd out on the stats, but, in my head, I’m thinking: ‘statistically speaking, I’m in the 99th percentile of girth. I’m a statistical outlier now.’ I feel like someone who went from earning, you know, 50 grand a year to being a millionaire overnight.
And then there’s the visual part of it: it just looks so much bigger in my hands, in other people’s hands, in their mouths. For me, it’s really arousing to see that. It’s those three things: the physical feeling of having a big dick, the confidence that comes with it, and then the visual aspect of it.
14) You also said masturbating with your girthier penis was a huge turn-on. What was so arousing about it?
I’ll never forget that initial milking session. I may have even said out loud: ‘My fingers don’t fit around it anymore!’ I was floored!
15) Something about this reminds me of a feeder fetish, where there’s this thrill in forcing something into a body and then watching that body, or a certain part of the body, grow. Is that a weird comparison to make?
No. I can see that. I think body modification can be a really powerful thing, especially increasing the size or certain parts of it.
I was at a sex party once where this guy had maybe a pint or two of saline put in his scrotum. It ended up being almost as big as a basketball.
When you do something to a part of your body and then it becomes twice as big as it used to be, it’s really, really…interesting. I mean, anyone who’s put on even a few pounds of muscle should be able to relate to that feeling of modifying the meat sack you walk around in every day.
16) With the filler in your penis, how do you feel about your erections being slightly “squishier” compared to before?
Yeah, it just felt a little fleshier. It had always been rock hard, so that took a little getting used to.
What’s really funny about that is the more I’ve had, the more firm it’s become. It feels more tightly packed now.
And by the way, it wasn’t squishy like a marshmallow. It was just a little fleshier. The person that I was with who does the big long interview [in the original story] remarked that she much preferred the extra bit of squishiness. It was sort of like a crowbar before, which, after a while, could end up being uncomfortable for her.
17) Do you think you’ll always want more fillers, or is there a point when it’ll feel like enough?
Yes. Remember, filler only lasts for two years. After around two years, it will have been fully metabolized by the body.
Within a couple of weeks of having the procedure, it’s shrinking—gradually, day by day. So that’s always in your mind—it’s Something that has to be maintained if you want to stay the same size.
And also, once you kind of like see the value in it and see for yourself what’s possible, you begin thinking: ‘Maybe a little more.’ You start looking at cylindrical household objects. You start polling your partners or any friend that likes penises, asking them: ‘What’s a good size?’
I ended up getting fixated on the circumference of a standard Red Bull can. I was like, ‘That would be good for me. I think that’s where I want to be. 6.5″‘ And then that’s where I’ve gotten to. I’m happy with this size. I just want to maintain it.
18) Up until now, you’ve gotten the injections for free. But in the future, is it Something you’d consider paying for? (Note: the first set of five syringes costs $5,000; the second set costs $4,500; the third set costs $4,000.)
Absolutely. Look, I don’t have a mortgage or a car. I don’t have any expensive hobbies. I don’t own any expensive things. I have no dependents. I’m not carrying any debt. So, I’m pretty cheap to run. But now I find that there’s this thing that is expensive and makes me really happy. So I can absolutely rationalize it. Even if that means treating it like a car payment and spreading out the cost.
19) How do you feel waking up and going out into the world with a bigger penis every day?
Fantastic! Interestingly, it’s reduced my thirst for sex in a way. For me, sex is somehow sex tied up with having to prove on some level. Now that I have the confidence that comes with having a big penis, I feel more relaxed about sex. I noticed a similar thing when I got in really good shape. When I was looking my absolute best naked, I was the most monogamous I’d ever been. Similarly, Now that I’ve got a really big penis, I feel that I can just sit back. When it happens, it happens.
20) Oh god, this is cheesy. But it sounds like the best reaction to your girthier penis is your own.
Yeah. Every time I touch it, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, look at this fatty! My fingers don’t fit around it!’ I’m wowed by it every day. It’s priceless.
