Why 'Ballmaxxing' May Be More Dangerous Than You Think

“Ballmaxxing” is a viral social media phenomenon in which fluids are injected into the testicles to increase their size. Some men are injecting fluids until their testicles become the size of grapefruits. Experts caution that ballmaxxing could cause infection and may result in long-term damage to male genitalia.

The latest, known as “ballmaxxing,” has men injecting fluids like saline or Surgilube into their testicles to increase their size. Some proponents say that ballmaxxing helped inflate their testicles to the size of grapefruits. Some say that increasing their scrotum size makes them feel more masculine and confident, while others claim they believe women prefer larger testicles. Some have also suggested that ballmaxxing can enhance sexual pleasure and performance. However, saline and Surgilube were not intended for these purposes. Saline is a sterile solution of sodium chloride in water used for medical and health reasons. Surgilube is a sterile, water-soluble surgical lubricant used clinically to facilitate the insertion of medical instruments, catheters, and endoscopes. Both fluids are intended for external medical use and instrument lubrication. Why they’ve been repurposed for ballmaxxing is unclear. Whatever the reason, experts warn that ballmaxxing may cause more harm than good. “Physicians have called ballmaxxing one of the most reckless body modification trends to emerge from male online communities, warning that the temporary size increase often leads to permanent damage,” said Robert Glatter , MD, attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell. Healthline spoke with Glatter to learn more about this potentially dangerous trend.

Key points

• The latest, known as “ballmaxxing,” has men injecting fluids like saline or Surgilube into their testicles to increase their size.
• Some proponents say that ballmaxxing helped inflate their testicles to the size of grapefruits.
• Some say that increasing their scrotum size makes them feel more masculine and confident, while others claim they believe women prefer larger testicles.
• Some have also suggested that ballmaxxing can enhance sexual pleasure and performance.
• However, saline and Surgilube were not intended for these purposes.