Foreskin problems

Still attached to your foreskin?

About 20% of all UK males are circumcised. So 80% are left with all the pleasures and pitfalls of that tiny flap of skin.

Hygiene

To avoid smelling cheesy, you should wash under your foreskin every day.

Don't believe the hype: Uncut does not = unclean. All penises have a unique smell. And smegma (the white cheesy stuff that appears from nowhere under our foreskin) is meant to be there.

BUT

To avoid smelling cheesy, you should wash under your foreskin every day.

Gently pull back your foreskin, wash with warm water and gentle (un-perfumed) soap and pat dry. Then replace the foreskin and admire.

Red, inflamed foreskin?

This is known in the trade as balanitis.. It is very common at any age. Symptoms include soreness, itching and even white lumpy discharge under the foreskin.

Regular cleansing of the foreskin makes infection less likely. And if symptoms don't go away in a day or so you should get checked out by a doctor.

Spots on the foreskin?

Any new sores or lumps on your genitals need checking out by a doc. Even if they seem to disappear. This goes double if you've ever had sex.
Saying that, those little white spots under your foreskin in a ring around the head of our penis are meant to be there. They are called Pearly Penile Papules. But if in doubt, check it out.

Too tight?

About 17% of us cannot fully retract our foreskin. This may make it difficult to keep clean and it may be painful to pee, masturbate or have sex.

We can Gently (capital G) encourage our foreskin to stretch by retracting it back slowly and gradually. Over time (this may take a few weeks) it should get comfortable to retract even when we're erect.

If it doesn't see your GP. The most common medical reason for a circumcision is a too-tight foreskin, but this may not be necessary. There are creams that can be tried first.

Help! My foreskin's stuck!

Very occasionally a tight foreskin gets trapped beyond the head of our penis and won't go back. The end of the penis swells up, making the problem worse.

If you really can't push your foreskin back, go (hobble) to your doctor. Trust me, embarrassment is nothing compared to a broken penis. Tell the doc you suspect you may have a paraphimosis (para-fy-mow-sis). That'll impress.

Bleeding

There is a strip of skin called the frenulum that tethers our foreskin to the underside of our penis. Sometimes it can tear during sex. Needless to say the more vigorous we are, or the less ready (more dry) she is, the more likely it is to happen.

This time we needn't see the doc. Keep the area clean and dry for a few days. Avoid sex till it heals up, then go gently. No harm done.

Foreskin freaky fact

A particular type of foreskin piercing can act as a chastity belt for a man, attaching one side of the foreskin to the other. This makes sexual intercourse impossible. Until of course the missus unscrews the lock. Whatever happened to trust...

Written by Dr Melissa Sayer

Last updated 17th June 2007

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