The first week: soft ridges are normal
After injection, the gel has not yet integrated with the tissue and is surrounded by swelling, so you can feel ridges along the path of the cannula, or areas that are thicker than others. They are soft, give under pressure, and are not painful or red. This settles on its own in 2–4 weeks as the swelling goes down and the gel beds in. No massage and nothing else is needed.
What the doctor needs to see
A hard, well-defined lump still present after 4 weeks. A lump that is painful or red and hot. A shaft that bends or curves differently from before when erect. Gel that has drifted and collected at the base or under the foreskin to form a visible ring. Or two sides of the shaft that are clearly different in thickness. These do not resolve on their own, and they are easier to fix the sooner you come in.
5 causes, and how to prevent them
| Cause | How it is prevented |
|---|---|
| Injected too shallow, against the skin | Inject in the correct layer, checking the skin layers with ultrasound first |
| Too much volume in one session | Start with 10–20 cc and top up later. Do not inject what is asked for if it exceeds what the skin can take. |
| Soft filler that does not hold its shape | Use a registered body filler |
| Sharp needle used to inject in spots | Use a cannula to spread the gel as a sheet |
| Use before the gel has settled | No sex or pressure for 14 days |
How the doctor corrects it
The first step is ultrasound to see whether the lump is gel in the wrong place, swelling or inflammation. If it is HA gel collected in one spot, the doctor injects a small amount of hyaluronidase into the lump under image guidance. The lump softens within 1–3 days while the rest stays. If the gel is in the wrong layer along the whole shaft, it may need dissolving completely, then a wait of 2–4 weeks before re-injecting. If it is inflammation or infection, that is treated with medication first, and the gel assessed afterwards.
If you were injected elsewhere
The doctor corrects it without asking where it was done. What she needs is the injection date, the volume and the brand if you have it, to confirm it is HA. If you have no information, ultrasound can tell whether the substance can be dissolved. The cost of dissolving is charged by the amount of enzyme and the number of sessions, and you are told before anything is done.
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