What Are Saline Injections?

Saline injections, a mixture of water and salt, are used for various reasons, including several types of body modifications, acne scar treatment, spider vein treatment, and other procedures. One well known use for this saline mixture is intravenous infusions to re-hydrate patients. Saline mixtures are also sold over the counter as nasal sprays and contact lens cleaner.

This particular body modification process has become increasingly popular and involves inflating several body parts by using saline injections. The most common body parts inflated include the labia and breasts for females or the scrotum and penis for males. Sexual stimulation is generally the motivation for those who participate in this form of body modification, and the scrotum is usually the body part that is most effected. Due to the large number of nerve receptors in the scrotum, saline injections may enhance sexual stimulation and may cause instant sexual gratification. Some males may also directly inject this solution into their testicles for similar purposes.

Females may use saline injections for sexual stimulation and also to increase the size of their breasts. There are males and females who inject this solution into their buttocks for cosmetic purposes, but the enhancement is usually temporary. One of the largest concerns with this practice is infections, and those who practice these methods are usually urged to make sure that the procedure is performed with sterile instruments. Some people opt to perform this procedure at home, but there are various body modification centers that also offer these injections.

The use of saline injections for acne scar treatment is one of the less expensive methods used to correct scarring caused by mild acne. This procedure usually needs to be performed several times over the course of many months and may become costly depending on the severity of the individual's scars. Damaged areas are usually injected with the solution and although the immediate effects are short term, the repeated use may permanently change the contour of the skin.

Spider vein treatment using this method has relatively more success because the injections often shrink the veins and eventually cause them to disappear. There are numerous plastic and reconstructive surgery offices that administer these injections to patients who suffer from overly apparent spider veins. Regardless of the use for saline injections, the interested party should research the effects, pros and cons, and possible dangers of these procedures.

The idea of injecting saline into the testicles sounds quite strange. The technical term for this practice is scrotal inflation, which is often classified as fetish or edge play. It's one of the riskier practices in existence.

As mentioned earlier, the primary motives for this are aesthetic and sexual. Most who participate do so out of a desire to temporarily enlarge their testicles. Others are stimulated by the stretching, discomfort and pain sensations that accompany these injections.

Scrotal inflation may be practiced in some power exchange scenarios. In these cases, the dominant party administers saline injections into the submissive's testicles. An alternative method is to hook up a saline bag and insert its IV line into the person's scrotum.

Although they're referred to as saline testicle injections, the substance is actually injected into the scrotum. Also referred to as "scrotal infusion," it involves the introduction of a 500-milligram saline solution warmed to human body temperatures. Whether infusing via syringe injections or an IV line, the process takes about an hour. The recipient's scrotum may increase to two or three times its normal size.

Once the infusion process is complete, the effects don't last very long. That's because the human body can reabsorb the saline solution into its tissues. It usually takes anywhere from two to three days to reabsorb the saline, after which the scrotum returns to its pre-inflation size.

Saline injection into the testicles naturally poses many risks. The scrotum isn't meant to stretch beyond its typical size. Additionally, bacteria can take up residence under the skin and cause major problems. If you're not convinced, keep reading to learn more about saline testicle injection side effects.

The most common complication from saline scrotal injections is cellulitis, an inflammation of the skin usually caused by streptococcus or staphylococcus bacteria. On its own, scrotal cellulitis is extremely rare. But saline injections or IVs can introduce rogue bacteria into the region. Besides inflammation, other symptoms can include tenderness, excess warmth, redness and pain.

Although scrotal cellulitis is a serious condition, more severe side effects can come from scrotal saline injections. Fournier's gangrene is also caused by a bacterial infection, with symptoms that include pain, swelling and tenderness plus an extremely unpleasant odor. It's classified as a necrotic infection, which means that the bacteria is killing off tissue cells. If untreated, this condition can result in massive tissue loss — not something you want to search for in Google images. In extreme cases, the patient can die.

As if cellulitis and Fournier's gangrene aren't enough to scare people off, here's another potential side effect of testicle saline injections: scrotal rupturing. This happens when the scrotum is stretched beyond its limits and can no longer expand. This condition requires urgent medical care to increase the chance of positive treatment outcomes. Again, you probably want to avoid Google images if you plan to research further.