About

Filler Authenticity

Why it matters

Make sure the filler you receive is genuine

Androfill is often asked to match prices offered elsewhere in the UK. Some of those prices are below the wholesale cost of the genuine product — which is only possible if the filler is not what it claims to be.

  • Brand-name counterfeit filler arrives in the UK largely unchallenged
  • There is little regulation of how hyaluronic acid fillers are bought or used in the UK
  • Clinics are offered fakes at up to 80% off; Androfill itself has been approached
  • Complications from fake product are a recurring reason patients come to us for help
Example

A doctor offering 10 ml of Voluma for £1,200 is unlikely to be using genuine Voluma: that price is below what the real product costs to buy.

A syringe of genuine Juvéderm Voluma filler
A syringe of genuine Voluma

Ask to see the box

Five things genuine filler has

Ask your doctor to show you the box before the procedure. If it does not look like the photos below, it is probably not genuine.

  1. Pharmacist’s signature. Filler dispensed through a pharmacy is signed off on the box.
  2. Tracking details. Lot and serial numbers on the side of the box and on the enclosed packet; ideally they match. In our photos box Lot 700040 was kept sealed, so the packet shown is from another box, Lot 60550.
  3. Expiry date and CE / UKCA mark. Printed on the box, not stuck on afterwards.
  4. Blue-grey syringe tip. Not yellow or any other colour.
  5. Dispensary stamp. Androfill filler carries the stamp of the doctors’ dispensary and can be tracked back to the manufacturer.
Genuine Voluma box showing lot number, pharmacist signature and tracking details
Box with pharmacist signature and lot number
Close-up of a genuine Voluma syringe with blue-grey tip
Blue-grey tip on the genuine syringe
Genuine Voluma packaging, enclosed packet with tracking details
Enclosed packet with tracking details
Genuine Voluma syringe
Genuine Voluma syringe

How easy it is

The offer we were sent, and what the manufacturer said

In February 2020 Androfill was contacted with an offer to buy “Voluma” at roughly 80% below the normal retail price. We reported it to Allergan, the manufacturer of the genuine Voluma and Volux products. Their reply is below.

“Thank you so much for being so honest and transparent on this subject. It will really benefit the care of patients in the long run. It is not surprising that the patients have experienced so many issues with fake products, and it is great that you have been able to help resolve their complications. We are grateful for Dr Horn’s expertise in this area.

The points you make are extremely valid and we hope by implementing our hologram, along with some other unique identifiers, that this will really help distinguish genuine product and UK stock from parallel import and also fake product. … Please always keep buying from our chosen distributors, Health Xchange or Allergan direct. If you get any more fake and unsolicited products sent your way, then be sure to let me know, and we will send them to our Quality Assurance department.”

Allergan UK, 14 February 2020

“Many thanks for sharing the information. The safety of patients is paramount; any information that leads to unethical and/or illegal practices being uncovered is very much appreciated. Would you have any concerns with the information that you provided being used by our Product Surveillance to learn more about these practices? We will of course omit all personal details.”

Allergan UK, Product Surveillance
Screenshot of the unsolicited offer of cheap Voluma filler sent to Androfill
Screenshot of the unsolicited filler offer, second page
The unsolicited offer, as received
Aqua Secret, an unbranded filler product marketed to clinics
Unbranded product marketed to clinics

Hybrid fillers

Ultimate Hybrid Filler and PLLA

Why the exact filler matters

If your proposed penis filler contains PLLA, understand that this component cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase. Adding hyaluronic acid does not make the entire treatment reversible.

Before consenting, ask for the exact product and manufacturer, whether products are combined, the evidence for that formulation in penile treatment, and how persistent lumps or other complications would be managed.

A filler is not something a doctor can mix in the clinic. A new formulation takes a manufacturer years of laboratory development, safety testing and regulatory approval, at a cost that can run into tens of millions of pounds. A “hybrid” combined at the point of injection has been through none of that.

What is PLLA?

PLLA stands for poly-L-lactic acid.

It is a synthetic, biodegradable polymer—a plastic-like substance made from linked molecules of L-lactic acid.

In injectable fillers, tiny PLLA particles stimulate the body to produce collagen, gradually adding volume and firmness. The particles eventually break down, while the collagen response can last longer.

Unlike hyaluronic acid (HA), PLLA cannot be dissolved with hyaluronidase.

PLA means polylactic acid, the broader material family; PLLA is a specific form within that family.

Where PLLA fillers are normally used

PLLA fillers are used to gradually restore volume or improve skin firmness.

Typical areas include:

  • Face: cheeks, temples and facial folds, particularly where volume has been lost.
  • Body: buttocks, thighs, upper arms and décolletage—the upper chest. Some products are also marketed for the neck, abdomen and hands.

The brand names to recognise are:

BrandCompanyWhat it is used for
SculptraGaldermaPLLA injectable for facial treatment; its newer EU-certified version also covers buttocks, back of thighs, upper chest and upper arms.
LanlumaDistributed by Sinclair; supplied by GCSPLLA injectable marketed for face and body treatments, including buttock contouring.
GANA Fill — GANA V / GANA XGCSPLLA products marketed for facial and body volume and skin laxity.
OlidiaPRP Life SciencePLLA injectable for collagen stimulation and volume restoration.

The permitted treatment areas depend on the exact product, version and country. For example, Sculptra’s expanded EU body indications were announced in December 2025; they do not constitute an indication for penile injection.

As featured in the press

Superdrug Online Doctor articleThe Guardian — AndrofillBBC News — AndrofillThe Sun — AndrofillDaily Mail — Androfill

Regulatory bodies & memberships

British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS)General Medical CouncilTop DoctorsCosmetic Redress SchemeInternational Society of Aesthetic Plastic SurgeryPhalloboards Approved Practitioner — Verified 2026, Trusted for Efficacy

This website is for Androfill United Kingdom

Click below for Australia, Belgium, Canada, India, Israel, New Zealand, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE and USA

Written and medically reviewed by Dr Gary Horn — consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon, GMC 4267803. Reviewed by Dr Greta Peciulyte, Urologist, GMC 7539240. Last reviewed 28 August 2026. General information only, not a substitute for a consultation. Individual results vary.