As men age, so does their penis. In fact, erections in younger men are usually much harder than in men of advanced years. This seems to be worrying anti-aging experimentalist Bryan Johnson.
The mogul made his fortune by building up and selling his tech companies. Now that he’s rich beyond most people’s wildest dreams, he uses his time to experiment on his own body, aiming to reverse ageing at all costs.
Johnson does this through his company called Blueprint, which is a fascinating experiment into the human body. He says slowing the speed of ageing is a “complicated puzzle with forced trade-offs. Like Magellan and Shackleton, a modern day exploration”.
Blueprint publishes all of the data from his experiments. While his regime can be at times obsessive and is often bizarre, Johnson is actually collating valuable information about anti-ageing tech, and it is seriously hard to look away.
Bryan Johnson and penis rejuvenation
Johnson’s latest experiment is on his penis. Yes, Johnson is anti-ageing his johnson.
Last week he announced the “baseline measurements” of his penis, to be compared to measurements after the treatment.
People can also join in with their own measurements.
The results
Johnson’s johnson produced some initial results, as it were, so then he moved on to the next procedure — it was time to … shock the cock.
In the tweet/X he said he used “focused shockwave therapy” after deciding there was enough evidence to show that shockwave therapy improved erectile dysfunction (ED).
While shockwave therapy has been used for years to treat kidney stones and injuries that affect the musculoskeletal system, urologists are also using it to treat ED. However, the Food and Drug Administration in the US has not yet approved it for this purpose. But that’s what Johnson loves — an experiment.
Bryan Johnson: What the experts say
Associate Professor Darren Katz from the Men’s Health Melbourne clinic presented on this topic at the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand international conference in Queensland last year. He says the technology has been around for about 10 years.
“This treatment is something that we offer here at the clinic,” said Katz. “So it’s not revolutionary by any stretch of the imagination. It is a safe procedure, however no one knows exactly how it works. It is meant to recruit stem cells and build new arteries.”
He says “the long-term outcomes are not known. On the positive side, there are no real side effects besides cost and inconvenience. A man needs to attend around half a dozen times for around 15-20 minutes of treatment [each session].”
As for shockwave therapy being used to make Johnson’s penis younger, Professor Katz is not convinced. “I don’t think you can say this is an anti-ageing treatment for your penis. If you’re able to enhance your erections, does that mean you’re anti-ageing? I don’t think so. If you take Viagra, you get a strong reaction that lasts for longer. Does that mean you’re younger? No. You might function like a younger person, but it doesn’t mean it’s anti-ageing.”
Urological surgeon Dr Christopher Love says shockwave therapy to the penis is an accepted treatment for guys with erection problems due to poor blood flow into the penis.
“It’s an accepted treatment now, although it was formerly regarded as an experimental treatment,” he said. “But I don’t think there’s any evidence at all that it rejuvenates you back to how you were when you were younger.
“I think it’s an extrapolation of what we know it does, versus what it might do, but with absolutely no evidence. It won’t do any harm, it doesn’t actually hurt to have the treatment. But I guess [Johnson’s] got lots of money and he wants to spend it.”
Love says Johnson appeared to be paying a lot more for his treatments than someone visiting an Australian clinic.
How does shockwave therapy work?
According to the University of Utah, “During the treatment, a small wand-like device uses targeted sound waves to stimulate penile tissue and encourage blood flow, which can also speed up the healing process. Low-intensity shockwaves have also been shown to grow new blood vessels and improve blood flow in the penis, which is essential for erections”.
Bryan Johnson also said in his Tweet/X that he would be open to trying radial wave therapy next. Although, there is no evidence that it actually helps with ED.
What is the shockwave procedure like?
The procedure takes around 15 minutes and doesn’t require any sort of anaesthesia. While it-situ, a urologist will use a wand-like device and move it around the penis. The device emits a pulse, which is expected to increase blood flow to the area. Patients may need to take a painkiller such as ibuprofen the next day.
Side effects can be a painful erection, bleeding, bruising, blood in urine and a curvature of the penis. A course of treatment would typically run from one to three months.
Bryan Johnson: Let’s keep watching
So for anyone who wants to anti-age their johnson, you might want to follow Bryan Johnson’s socials to see if it is worth getting your eggplant shocked.
