There is a new way to speed up your sex drive, even if it is unusual.
Cosmetic clinics now offer £700 worth of Botox injections which are administered directly into the anus.
‘Touching’ aims to help men improve their sex lives by relieving tension and discomfort, relaxing the anal sphincter muscles and the skin that covers them.
One beauty clinic has even trademarked the procedure as “HoleTox.”
Doctors, however, have warned that the procedure, which offers short-term results, can involve unpleasant side effects, such as bleeding and fecal incontinence.
In an Instagram post, New York-based ‘medical spa’ Lushful Aesthetics promoted the procedure after hailing ‘HoleTox as the talk of the town.’ The clinic, founded by Dr. Chris Bustamante (pictured), said the “virtually painless” procedure “lasts about three minutes.”
The ‘tightening’ aims to help men improve their sex lives by relieving tension and discomfort, relaxing the anal sphincter muscles and the skin over them.
Other side effects are less debilitating but can be embarrassing, such as increased gas.
In an Instagram post, New York-based ‘medical spa’ Lushful Aesthetics promoted the procedure after hailing ‘HoleTox’ as the ‘talk of the town’.
The clinic, founded by aesthetic nurse Chris Bustamante, said the “virtually painless” procedure “lasts about three minutes” and “makes anal sex easier.”
“Patients love how comfortable the procedure is and that the results last up to four months.”
In a separate interview with New York PostDr. Bustamante, nicknamed Injector Chris, also said: “It appeals to Generation Z and millennials who are much more curious and adventurous when it comes to improving their sex life with unconventional methods.”
“I have female patients who come to this, but they are predominantly gay men.”
Typically used for fine lines and wrinkles on the face, Botox is also used by medical professionals to reduce heavy underarm sweating, prevent chronic migraines, and stop incontinence.
Botox for the anus works in exactly the same way.
During treatment, Lushful Aesthetics patients receive ProNox (laughing gas) to reduce anxiety.
The injections relax the anal sphincter muscles and increase blood supply to the area, improving pain and reducing muscle spasms.
Beauticians claim that the procedure will not cause intestinal incontinence.
According to the clinics offering the treatment, patients “looking to maintain their results” should return every three months for follow-up treatment.
The price varies between clinics.
Lushful Aesthetics offers 100 units of Botox, typical of one treatment, for £675 ($900).
In other ads seen by MailOnline, clinics charge up to £1,120 ($1,500) per treatment in the United States. In the UK, some private practices start at £550.
A similar procedure, in which Botox is injected into the sphincter muscle in and around the anus, has long been used to help treat anal fissures and hemorrhoids.
This is also recommended on the NHS for both adults and children with chronic anal fissures that have not healed within eight weeks, despite treatment.
It works by blocking certain muscle receptors, allowing the tissues to relax and facilitating the healing of the fissure.
But today experts warn against Botox treatment for cosmetic purposes.
Lushful Aesthetics offers 100 units of Botox, typical of one treatment, for £675 ($900). In the photo, Lushful Aesthetics clinic in New York
While Botox can be reversed with a dissolving injection, there is limited research on the risks involved with injecting them into this intimate location.
As with facial fillers, solution that is inexpertly injected into or around a blood vessel could cause tissue death.
Professor Asif Muneer, consultant urological surgeon at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, told MailOnline he was “not convinced” of the procedure given the “little scientific evidence”.
Meanwhile, Dr Richard Viney, a consultant urological surgeon at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said there was “little significant research into this practice”.
He added: “The main problem would be faecal incontinence, so anyone considering this should ensure they are being cared for by a responsible and experienced doctor.”
However, the “effects are not permanent, so any harmful effects will only last a few months,” he said.
The NHS also warns that “a small amount of bleeding” is common after Botox in the anus, which “improves over time”.
The growing popularity of intimate Botox comes amid a growing trend of men undergoing cosmetic surgery, including Brazilian butt lifts (BBL), liposuction, abdominal implants and penile fillers.
Clinics offering penis fillers, for example, have also previously been accused of capitalizing on male anxieties.