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Err... Foreskin issues?

kj01kj01 Registered User regular
edited March 2007 in Help / Advice Forum
Kind of embarrassing... but I figured, it's H/A.

So, I'm uncircumsized. Don't know why. But I am. I've learned about being uncircumcized, and apparently the foreskin supposed to be retractable. Mine's not. No big deal, though, since it doesn't affect urination or other such things.

What really worries me, though, is what is underneath the foreskin. It seems as I've gotten more active in the past month or so, the foreskin is able to retract more than usual (but still, not fully). With this, I've noticed some kind of yellowish... stuff. I don't exactly know how to describe it. Dried urine, perhaps? I'm not sure. Problem is, it actually causes pain to try to clear it (due to, I assume, the extreme sensitivity of the exposed head).

So, anyone else uncircumsized tell me what's up? Anything else I should know? Etc... I'm pretty sure I'm going to visit a doctor sooner or later... it will be an embarrassing experience, but, one I assume I should take.

kj01 on
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    MutePrezMutePrez Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Doctor? now?

    MutePrez on
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    mooshoeporkmooshoepork Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phimosis ?
    not sure about the yellow stuff...

    mooshoepork on
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    OrikaeshigitaeOrikaeshigitae Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    Go see a doctor.

    Orikaeshigitae on
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    st0ned messiahst0ned messiah Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Smegma most likely. The link to the Wikipedia article is NSFW but you can find it I'm sure.

    st0ned messiah on
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    KazhiimKazhiim __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2006
    that'd be smegma, which forms due to you not cleaning it enough

    Kazhiim on
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    kj01kj01 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Smegma seems to be the case... Problem is with how the foreskin goes over the head, there isn't much opportunity when taking a shower to clean it properly. Add to that the extreme sensitivity of falling water + exposed head... Yeah. So, is it something I should see a doctor for, or should I suck it up and spend some extra time in the shower one day?

    kj01 on
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    TrillianTrillian Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    It's phimosis.

    Go to the doctor and see what they say. It doesn't sound like a really severe case, since you can retract your foreskin somewhat. There are a few treatments available, the most radical being a therapeutic circumcision, the least radical being stretching it out in the bath and putting cortisone cream on it.

    Oh yeah, clean it. Seriously.

    Trillian on

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    st0ned messiahst0ned messiah Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    kj01 wrote:
    Smegma seems to be the case... Problem is with how the foreskin goes over the head, there isn't much opportunity when taking a shower to clean it properly. Add to that the extreme sensitivity of falling water + exposed head...

    Bathtime?

    st0ned messiah on
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    oniianoniian Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Is it really non-retractable or does it/you feel uncomfortable when doing so? By all means retract and clean for god's sake. Nothing wrong being uncircumcised, but you do need to clean under there. Toxins can build up. Not cleaning can lead to penile cancer, or so my girlfriend informs me which is why she always grabs hold and washes it when ever we are in the shower together. :D

    oniian on
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    DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    with diligent practice, you should be able to fully retract in time

    the sensitivity to the shower will lessen as well



    unless it is slightly malformed and is truly non-retractable... only a doctor could really tell you that.

    Deusfaux on
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    TrillianTrillian Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Soak in the bath so you don't do unnecissary damage.

    I can see the extra sensitivity as having a potential upside :winky:

    Trillian on

    They cast a shadow like a sundial in the morning light. It was half past 10.
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    WhippyWhippy Moderator, Admin Emeritus Admin Emeritus
    edited October 2006
    Trillian wrote:
    I can see the extra sensitivity as having a potential upside :winky:

    Such as premature ejaculation and eternal shame?

    [spoiler:715226a00a]I hate my penis.[/spoiler:715226a00a]

    Whippy on
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    xxhennersxxxxhennersxx Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    i too am not circumsized and you probally just need to clean it more. The skin is sopossed to be retractable? I can pull it back but it's not exactally comfrotable, one time i pulled it back and the skin got lodged underneath the head and it felt like it was swelling up. i thought my dick was going to explode from the blood.

    xxhennersxx on
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    powersspowerss Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I am uncircumcised as well, and I wasn't able to fully retract until I was 14 years old. Thank god I did it then, or else I would have probably needed to be circumcised.

    Honestly, start by taking a bath... and soak for a long time. Then attempt, with some q-tips or something, to clean it as best you can, and go to the doctor.

    How old are you? You absolutely must have a retractable foreskin.

    Many times (I guess it depends on size) the foreskin will retract when an erection is achieved. Do you have painful, or tight skin when you have an erection?

    Regardless, go to a doctor. Seriously, dont fuck with the peni.

    powerss on
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    powersspowerss Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    i too am not circumsized and you probally just need to clean it more. The skin is sopossed to be retractable? I can pull it back but it's not exactally comfrotable, one time i pulled it back and the skin got lodged underneath the head and it felt like it was swelling up. i thought my dick was going to explode from the blood.

    It's supposed to be fully, and comfortably retractable. When I first got mine over the glands (head) I had the same issue, but I kept on stretching it. It might be worth it to go to a doctor as well.

    powerss on
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    PhilthePillPhilthePill Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Some people that retraction just happens later - it's not that much of an issue, it generally works itself out - how old are you?

    But yeah, as people said, cleaning is important, and seeing a doctor about it really ain't a bad idea.

    PhilthePill on
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    variantvariant Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    How old are you dude?
    Your parents didn't circumsize and then didn't teach you to clean up down there?
    What you're describing sounds like smegma forsure...

    Keep retracting your foreskin in the shower and also when you "have it up", it'll get looser and looser, just keep at it, it can take months and in special cases has to be cut loose.

    Clean up down there, if you can't retract at all, atleast hold it open and let the water flow, this shouldnt hurt, don't touch the head...its prolly hella sensitive.

    variant on
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    Giga GopherGiga Gopher Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Uh... hmm... all of this stuff doesn't make me feel particularly clean or comfortable. I used to be able to roll back my foreskin when I was young, probably up until I was 9 or so but since then I just can't do it anymore (I'm 14 now). The skin is way too tight at the end to fit around the head. It just really hurts if I try erect or not erect.

    Giga Gopher on
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    #14#14 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I am uncircumsized and I can retract the foresking with some effort. It's not comfortable but it doesn't really hurt. The thing is, the head seems to be very dry, which causes pain.

    #14 on
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    The CatThe Cat Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    kj01 wrote:
    Kind of embarrassing... but I figured, it's H/A.

    So, I'm uncircumsized. Don't know why. But I am. I've learned about being uncircumcized, and apparently the foreskin supposed to be retractable. Mine's not. No big deal, though, since it doesn't affect urination or other such things.

    The other advice is all sound in here (work it, clean it, see the doc if its really bad), but dude. Its the default state. You're not a freak, nobody's body works quite right.

    The Cat on
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    kj01kj01 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I'm 18, by the way... so I guess a bit late when it comes to fully-retractable-ness. I have been noticing that it's getting easier, though.

    kj01 on
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    HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    I noticed this problem back at the end of August, during final exams. I honestly never thought I had an issue. Heck, i never knew the skin was supposed to go over! But I only figured it out through forum posts on here, and because my gf would get annoyed with me when I told her that she kept hurting me when she tried to give me a handjob. Reason being, my foreskin was too tight, and she was trying to pull my skin back.

    Saw the family doc, referred me to a urologist, had the appointment in mid September. So I had a month to wait, so I kept reading up on stuff. One thing to look up is the Beaugé method. There's a blog of some guy who tried this, and I found it helpful.

    But in that time, I kept showering and trying myself. It was frustrating, because every time I went to take a bath, my family would keep interrupting, so I couldn't quite keep myself up. Actually, I had a lot of difficulty masturbating for that month, in terms of getting myself erect and maintaining it. Mostly a mental thing, where I was freaked out about my skin going over and not coming back.

    Which is an actual medical issue called paraphimosis. It's exactly that, the foreskin goes over the head, and can't come back. This causes the blood to stay in the penis, and eventually this becomes a medical emergency since there isn't sufficient bloodflow to your penis. So... it dies. Yeah, not exactly pleasant. Bear in mind, the incidence of this is apparently quite low, but something to be aware of.

    So in the shower, I would try my best to pull my foreskin back. One day, before going to see my gf, I was showering and managed to get it over. It actually freaked me out quite a bit since it was VERY sensitive. For the next week, I kept doing this. There were a couple of days I couldn't quite get it over, but other days where it wasn't a problem. Eventually, cleaning became a non-issue and I was able to retract the foreskin quite far back.

    Went to the urologist, showed him what I accomplished and he said, that looks fine to me. But I told him that it was still quite tight because while I can clean it fine, masturbation was still a little weird because the skin doesn't go over my head when I'm erect. He outlined several options for treatment:

    1. Circumcision - NOT recommended by him, he believed it was absolutely unnecessary. He said it was my choice, but he didn't feel I should subject myself to a pointless surgery. I concurred - KEEP YOUR FORESKIN
    2. Preputial dorsal slit, which cuts the foreskin slightly making a little bigger. While this works quite well, and is a lot quicker to heal, it leaves the foreskin looking like "doggy ears" (his words). He felt that this was unnecessary as well. And I didn't like the idea of my penis looking like that anyway.
    3. Steroid cream. Usually just cortizone cream that you apply under and on top of the foreskin. VERY effective, but takes a long time to work. 3 to 6 months.
    4. Practice. Just stretch it out yourself, keep doing what you were doing. (ie. just keep masturbating!)

    I opted for options 3 and 4. I've been using the cream for a few weeks now, and it works pretty ok. It does take a while tho, so you need to keep up with it. It's just an OTC hydrocortizone cream, 0.5%... I bought it at the pharmacy for $5 for 15g, here in Canada. Have a follow-up appt with the urologist in 6 months.

    Since that appointment, my gf and I have started having sex. Realize this: MANY men do have phimosis, but don't ever realize there's a problem. When it comes time to have sex for the 1st time, they're so eager, that they just go ahead and do the deed, even tho it's QUITE painful for them as their foreskin is ripping itself over the glans of their penis. But, this fixes them.

    And that's exactly what happened to me. Except it wasn't painful because I had been practicing so much with it. My gf was better for my penis than that cream. My foreskin stretches back and forth so easily now, it's amazing to think where it was just 2 months ago. I still use the cream because my foreskin isn't QUITE 100%, but hey, I can clean it, and use it for what's it meant for, both of which weren't possible 2 months ago. So I'm happy.

    One remark: My gf complained about the smell my penis gave off before. It was pretty bad actually, I always smelled it. It went right through my pants sometimes. After fixing the phimosis and cleaning it properly, my gosh, it smells so fresh and clean! She's really happy with it now.

    So that's my massive anecdote about phimosis. If you have more questions, go ahead and ask, but I hope that's all helpful.

    So clean your penis. It's feel and smell so much better. Best way to do this is to take a long hot bath. Shower works too, but if your house is like mine, the hot water runs out quickly. Don't worry about masturbating yet, that's not the goal here. Take your thumb and forefinger from both your hands, and gently hold your foreskin. Make sure you grab it close to the end of your penis, as this will give you enough slack so that your foreskin can travel the distance it needs to. Pull the skin back gently, as far is it normally does. Splash some water to get whatever stuff out. Then, gently keep pulling back. You'll notice it goes a little further back. Keep pulling, gradually applying more force. Your skin will feel very tight, but it should not feel painful. It might actually feel oddly pleasureable. (If it's painful... Stop and start again. Try a couple more times, but if it's still painful, just leave it.) Now, keep pulling it back, applying more force. Your glans underneath your foreskin will gradually start poking out from underneath. Your penis might twist and turn slightly to try to come out. Eventually, it should pop right out of your foreskin and you should be able to clean it just fine. Keep repeating this a few times in the bath, just to exercise it. You'll find that it's easier now to retract.

    If you have difficulties getting it back over the glans after you've retracted it, just slowly massage it over. Don't panic, you're flaccid. Nothing's going to happen. Just grab your foreskin from the base of your penis, and slowly massage it back over.

    Let me know how all of this goes, I'd be glad to hear that I could be of help!

    EDIT: Just saw that "I'm 18" post. Dude, I'm 21. You're not late. I am.

    HorizonXP on
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    Nitsuj82Nitsuj82 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Sometimes I'm GLAD the Catholic church took the tip of my penis. Christ, that's some maintenance.

    Nitsuj82 on
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    kj01kj01 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Hey, I'd rather deal with the foreskin maintenance than succumb to the Catholic church. :P

    So, Attempt #1 to clean was a failure... The falling water of the shower caused way too much discomfort, due to how sensitive the exposed tip was. Attempt #2 will probably involve a bath, then...

    kj01 on
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    HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Dude, I'm GLAD I have my foreskin. Do the research, the foreskin is what makes sex pleasureable for men AND women. Take it from my mom. My dad got circumcised after they got married. When I told my mom about my problem, she, the one who never talks to me about sex, told me not to get circumcised, not for my sake... but my future wife's sake. If your own MOTHER tells you that... That has weight man.

    And rediscovering masturbation and having sex, with a working foreskin.... Oh man, I was missing out on so much all of my teenage years that I spent masturbating.

    HorizonXP on
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    Nitsuj82Nitsuj82 Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    kj01 wrote:
    Hey, I'd rather deal with the foreskin maintenance than succumb to the Catholic church. :P

    Agreed. I was baptised, but never confirmed.

    Nitsuj82 on
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    SzechuanosaurusSzechuanosaurus Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited October 2006
    Wow. My foreskin rolls itself on and off all day. Had no idea that this was even an issue. I just scrub the old chap down with a bit of shower gel in the morning. Fresh.

    Like Cat says, don't be ashamed to have a foreskin. America is peculiar in the west in that circumcision is still the norm outside of religious dogma - most other countries it's consider a bit barbaric, or at the very least a clear indication that you're Jewish.

    The soaking thing is definately a good idea. You can probably work this out yourself. The yellow stuff - I guess it's called smegma - builds up if you don't clean under your skin regularly and from my more hygenically-challenged days, it can get a bit crusty, so I wouldn't be surprised if that is at least contributing to your lack of action. Roll a bit, soak a bit, roll a bit, soak a bit. Reward yourself with a wank.

    Szechuanosaurus on
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    HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Hey kj01, nice try with the shower. Yeah, it's definitely very sensitive and uncomfortable. It only happened in the shower for me by accident. The bath should work much better for you.

    HorizonXP on
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    CasketCasket __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2006
    Circumcision really isn't that bad and it's way cleaner. Plus it's quickly becoming the standard. I recommend it.

    Casket on
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    Darth WaiterDarth Waiter Elrond Hubbard Mordor XenuRegistered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Does anyone remember the old Kids in the Hall episode where the opening statement is:

    "Mom, Dad; I want my foreskin back."

    That's how I feel.

    Darth Waiter on
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    CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Thank God for early sexual experimentation :shock:

    I remember managing to finally get my foreskin to roll back when I was 8 or 9. I was kind of freaked out at the time, as I didn't know it was meant to happen, and I thought my penis was breaking, but for some reason I had to see what would happen when I got it as far back as it would go. Weird thing is it was kind of attached to the head, and I had to work at it for a couple of days to get it to unnattach itself.

    Centipeed on
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    LeitnerLeitner Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Casket wrote:
    Circumcision really isn't that bad and it's way cleaner. Plus it's quickly becoming the standard. I recommend it.
    Anything to back that up because I'm pretty sure it's the other way around.

    Really the fact that it's still uncomfortable at this age should warrant a trip to a GP just incase.

    Leitner on
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    HorizonXPHorizonXP Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Centipeed wrote:
    Thank God for early sexual experimentation :shock:

    I remember managing to finally get my foreskin to roll back when I was 8 or 9. I was kind of freaked out at the time, as I didn't know it was meant to happen, and I thought my penis was breaking, but for some reason I had to see what would happen when I got it as far back as it would go. Weird thing is it was kind of attached to the head, and I had to work at it for a couple of days to get it to unnattach itself.

    I'm not a doctor or anything, but I don't think you're supposed to be able to pull it back when you're that young. It's when you hit puberty, around 13 or 14, that your hormones cause growth in your penis that allows the foreskin to separate and be able to pull back. In many people, this growth isn't quite complete, so it needs a little "manual stimulation."

    But hey, as long as your junk works, who cares? Everyone's different.

    HorizonXP on
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    CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    HorizonXP wrote:
    Centipeed wrote:
    Thank God for early sexual experimentation :shock:

    I remember managing to finally get my foreskin to roll back when I was 8 or 9. I was kind of freaked out at the time, as I didn't know it was meant to happen, and I thought my penis was breaking, but for some reason I had to see what would happen when I got it as far back as it would go. Weird thing is it was kind of attached to the head, and I had to work at it for a couple of days to get it to unnattach itself.

    I'm not a doctor or anything, but I don't think you're supposed to be able to pull it back when you're that young. It's when you hit puberty, around 13 or 14, that your hormones cause growth in your penis that allows the foreskin to separate and be able to pull back. In many people, this growth isn't quite complete, so it needs a little "manual stimulation."

    But hey, as long as your junk works, who cares? Everyone's different.

    So that's why it was attached. I separated it manually then. God it was scary.

    Centipeed on
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    LondonBridgeLondonBridge __BANNED USERS regular
    edited October 2006
    Nitsuj82 wrote:
    Sometimes I'm GLAD the Catholic church took the tip of my penis. Christ, that's some maintenance.

    I'm of a Jewish background and I concur! :^:

    I've read that nasty stuff under the foreskin can turn cancerous too.

    LondonBridge on
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    DeusfauxDeusfaux Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Nitsuj82 wrote:
    Sometimes I'm GLAD the Catholic church took the tip of my penis. Christ, that's some maintenance.

    oh for fuck's sake, its as much effort as remembering to wash your asshole

    lets not get "cut" people in here feeling all necessary to justify their state of body.

    you didnt have a choice, we get it, its not the end of the world, no need to defend a choice you never made

    Deusfaux on
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    xxhennersxxxxhennersxx Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    my foreskin is kinda...attached to my head. Like, there is a line of skin that attaches it... o_O so thats why I thought you weren't sopossed to roll it back...um...anyone else have this?

    xxhennersxx on
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    A-RodA-Rod Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Its not weird to have that, its like the thing under your tongue.

    A-Rod on
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    xxhennersxxxxhennersxx Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    A-Rod wrote:
    Its not weird to have that, its like the thing under your tongue.

    well how do i go about getting the skin to roll back with that thing? And you're right, it is like the thing on my tongue.

    xxhennersxx on
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    A-RodA-Rod Registered User regular
    edited October 2006
    Someone on the first page gave some advice, its the real long post, its good stuff. Check it out. Just be slow with it, and take time, it should be able to roll back.

    A-Rod on
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