Stop the press. It’s not a case of bottoms up but more like hats off to one of Thailand’s most recent medical tourist phenomenons.
Yes, penis whitening laser treatment is a real thing and it’s taking place in South East Asia’s premium medical hub.
In fact, more than one hundred males are having this particular surgery every single month at one clinic in question.
And the number is rising steadily. Priced around $650, men have been flocking to the Lelux Hospital located in Bangkok.
The Thai capital now welcomes men of all shapes and sizes with the opportunity to enjoy five sessions that will in effect bleach and lighten the area.
Many patients are traveling from further afield including Cambodia and Hong Kong. The majority of patients comprise of males who are usually from the early twenties right up to late fifties.
“Bleaching and skin lightening procedures are becoming increasingly common in Thai-land. Skin whitening has seen an upward turn across Southeast Asia, especially in the last two decades.
This is due to a trend whereby those with a darker skin tone are associated with the working class and performing outdoor labor.
Therefore, these lightening techniques means patients have the ability to escape this stigma,” says Darren Lyons from MyMediTravel.
Currently, there are a host of skin whitening products available on the market. Adverts promoting this particular method have previously been seen in the capital’s public transport system.
In addition to this, Thai men have also started to become obsessed with this phallic trend. This is by no means 50 Shades of Grey, but males now consider both an enhanced groin area and a lighter penis to be far more appealing.
So how does it actually work? The treatment works thanks to layering that slowly breaks down melanin which is usually found in the skin.
Penis whitening is just as popular among the LGBTQ community who like to maintain a clean appearance from top to toe.
There are a number of different reasons why males are turning to penis whitening procedures such as added confidence and improvements to personal grooming.
Yet, it hasn’t come without its critics and drawbacks especially from the Thai health ministry. Last year, one health official proclaimed the procedure caused severe pain, nasty spots as well as inflammation and potential scarring.
According to Dr. Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, "Penis laser whitening is not necessary, wastes money and may give more negative effects than positive ones.”
Meanwhile, other effects that have been linked to this treatment range from a profound effect on the reproductive system to the implications of arousal.
Nevertheless, skin bleach-ing in Thailand has not been without other controversies with racism overtones dominating previous headlines.
One cosmetic company even had no choice but to remove its ad campaign after it managed to relate having fairer skin with climbing the greasy pole of success.
However, Lelux Clinic is no stranger to courting controversy as its 3D vagina procedure has filled column inches recently.
This treatment involved fat injections from the actual patient into the pubis that results in achieving a fuller look. Talk about lightening the load.
Shaz is a freelance writer, likes to write about health and fitness.