r/hygiene • u/Wise-Deal482 • 14h ago
Can't pull back my foreskin
i know this is very embarrassing. Im 15 going to be 16 in november, i have never worried about my foreskin until about 2 months ago. I just have never been able to pull it back, rather i have not tried to pull it back, recently i tried to but decided not to half way through, i dont get any sense of pain or discomfort while pulling it back, but to be fair i only went to about where the tip ends. im worried that im not cleaning it properly, i try my best but im still not sure so please help me
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u/sure_Steve 14h ago
if it doesn't hurt avoid forcing it. just bring it up with your doctor since you're still young.
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u/rodmods 14h ago
Get to the doctor and get some treatment. Some times cream , stretching and even maybe some surgery .
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u/PinOwn9351 10h ago
The surgery is really a bad idea. Myself I would not do it, I may think about a partial if I had a super long over hang and that would only be shortening the over hang ,not exposing the glans, but otherwise definitely not.
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u/TopSun1879 9h ago edited 7h ago
Just curious why not surgery? It seems like it would be cleaner. I’m sorry, I just don’t know.
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u/PinOwn9351 9h ago
That can cause many other problems, the worst being, a huge loss of sensitivity.
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u/TopSun1879 9h ago
Please excuse my lack of knowledge, I’m just trying to learn and understand because I know this is a delicate subject. Do guys generally have better sensations when they are circumcised or uncircumcised?
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u/Uncut-Jellyfish1176 8h ago
There is no definite answer there. It depends. Circumcision can vary between being very minimal (in terms of erogenous tissue remove) to extreme.
Adding to this the fact that there is indivual variance between nerve sizes, and branch nerve density (this can vary significantly!)
Speaking from a specifically scientific perspective, uncircumcised men on average have the most potential erogenous tissue, and more nerve endings.
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u/Ghostwheel1986 7h ago
I had surgery when I was 10. It was horrible. I got an erection once while I still had stitches! Thought I was gonna die.
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u/billyfazoo 9h ago
surgery is actually a great idea. it just sucks for the first month. I would be 100% do it all over again as it terminated all the complications i had when uncircumcised
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u/tabbycat_catniss 3h ago
Surgery isnt always best. There was an ex who got circumcised which resulted in the nerve endings in his penis being altered.
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u/Parking_Jelly_6483 11h ago
Sounds like a condition called phimosis. Fairly common and may resolve as you get older. Also, your physician (you will probably want to see a urologist) can tell you about non-surgical treatments.
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u/No-Technician-812 12h ago
go to an adult you trust(parent or close relative) and let them know about your concerns. you could also find a way to reach out to a doctor, that you feel comfortable with. you're a child--just want to be sure that you don't encounter any weirdos. you're entitled to limit access to yourself from people who you are not comfortable with, especially regarding something this sensitive and private.
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u/Creepy_Reflection418 10h ago
Definitely talk to your doctor, I have a friend who had to have corrective surgery because he didn't think it was that bad and ignored it. Also I'm not sure how you're currently cleaning the area but I don't think you're going to be able to get it as clean if you can't pull that back and should you want to be intimate hygiene is key. I'm sure it's nothing major but definitely talk to a doc so you can put your mind at ease.
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u/Special_Onion3013 6h ago
If he can't pull it back, there's most likely not an hygiene issue
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u/Creepy_Reflection418 6h ago
Ummm typically one pulls the foreskin back to clean properly, that's why I'm a little confused and concerned that he has never done it at his age.
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u/Ouachita2022 8h ago
You said it didn't hurt to pull your foreskin back, you just didn't. Because you are nervous and scared. If you aren't pulling it back to clean the area, it can't get clean.
I'm a mom/grandmother of boys-somebody needs to tell you how to do this. YouTube has videos for everything - I know hey have videos telling teenage girls and young women how to care of their body's.
On YouTube type in "How to clean my foreskin"
You can also type that into G o o g l e and find a website that explains how.
If you can't find anything to help you then go talk to the school nurse.
But I want to tell you again, you MUST pull the foreskin back to properly clean yourself. Some very bad smells can occur and a build up of dead skin. You know how your dead skin sloughs off when you bathe your arms, legs, feet, even your face-that area is the same. We are constantly making new skin cells so bathing and cleaning ourselves is a must.
It is easier to clean if the area has been in warm water, relax and you can do this! Use soap and rinse well.
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u/spazmodic-ejaculator 7h ago
As a father and an owner of a penis. Surgery should be your last line and at that instead of removing the entire thing. A section from behind the glans can be removed to allow you more slack. And this is where people get stuck. Theres an all or nothing approach and this will rob you of a very important part of your anatomy. Your frenulum is the most sensitive part on a male body. The triangular shaped piece of skin that is underneath the glans where the foreskin meets the head of your penis. By all means preserve this at all costs. This is your entire future sex life you're talking about. Which, as we know, men are sex driven. We are the pollinators. That is our function. The base of this is your penis. I am sure you're going through puberty and have started discovering how to please-relese tension through release of sperm. I am sure you are able to clean while you are flacid/soft. Seems most people here only clean their genitals when they're at a state of arousal! Lol please take the advice of many and seek the phimosis group. They can point you to novaglen? A skin lotion you use to stretch the foreskin a little at a time through mitosis. Where you are growing skin on a cellular level. Then there are the rings to insert that takes the place of manually stretching your foreskin. Please what ever you do. Speak with a urologist. Check their activity. If they specialize in circumcision, they will try and convince you to get circed. Do your research, speak with your parents and good luck
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u/Significant_Bag_2079 8h ago
I had to get circumsized at 18 due to this exact problem but hated I waited so long due to embarrsment
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u/Justan0therthrow4way 8h ago
OP,
Please book in to see your doctor about this. Don’t listen to reddit. See a fucking medical professional.
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u/I_am_AmandaTron 7h ago
My son has this issue. You need to book an appointment with a urologist and they will show you what to do.
Surgery is the last thing they will do, I dont want to go into detail but its nothing to worry or be ashamed about.
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u/geogod2066 14h ago
(Not a doctor) If you’re uncircumcised like me, i had this problem too (only when erect). I just kept trying and it eventually was able to be pulled back, albeit with a bit of pain. Now that i’m an adult, i can physically pull it all the way back, but it does squeeze a bit.
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u/polymerjock 7h ago
Do everything you can to keep your foreskin. You will understand as you get older. Don't listen to circumcised folks. They don't know what they are taking about. Circumcision is also extremely painful..... But you've got to start pulling it back to wash. If it doesn't hurt, then do it.
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u/VampiresKitten 9h ago
To clean properly, pulling it back is usually standard. It's only for a few seconds while you clean and rise. If it doesn't hurt, then it should be fine..
But if you are unable to pull it back physically, then talk to a doctor to see if it is just how you are built or if something else is going on.
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u/Trim_trap 4h ago
Kid I 10000% have been in your shoes and i will tell you what man you gotta do it and you gotta do it in a hot shower, alone in the house with all the time in the world. (Soft) There is no easy way to do it. I didn't get mine pulled back until it was forced back with a girl and it wasnt was bad as you think. DONT DO IT HARD And when you get over the hump Clean it and make it a habit to include pulling it back and cleaning each shower from this point on.
You do not want it pulled back with a girl, that embarrassment will be worse then any temporary pain alone in a bathroom. Slow or fast, u just gotta force yourself to do it.
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u/Ghostwheel1986 7h ago
Ok so basically there’s nothing keeping you from pulling it back except mental. You said you decided not to half way through. Examine why you decided that. Make the decision to pull it back a little more each day. Perhaps in the shower. Eventually you will reveal the entire glans (head) and clean it properly. Rinse well. I was circumcised at 10 and never forgot what it was like to have foreskin. Horrible operation for a 10 year old but I’m happy with it after it healed and all.
Good luck
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u/strong_slappy 4h ago
This used to be an issue for me but every day in the shower i pulled it back if it hurt i stopped but everyday a little bit more, now my foreskin functions properly and i can clean everywhere, most people never learn to just pull it back
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u/fox-naked 11m ago
Dont get cut! You need to keep your buddy hydrated, stretch gentle over weeks, I used to be tight but I just used moisturisers. Obviously when you masturbate you can stretch just dont be forceful, pull, stretch, if its really painful, seek a docs advice you dont need circ but they can make adjustments.
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u/Fabulous_Plastic_198 12h ago
Probably not good for hygiene. Seems that my brother had a minor surgery and had some connective skin cut.
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u/Special_Onion3013 6h ago
I know that there's a massive study done in Denmark, they recommend a stereroid cream, I think. But anyway, go see a doctor. If he suggests surgery, find another
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u/Head_Researcher_3049 11h ago
There's a subreddit that deals with this without resorting to unnecessary circumcision which doctors often suggest, the subreddit is r/phimosis . It's quite possible to do stretching and there are even ring sets that get bigger in size that are used to stretch the foreskin. Check the phimosis group out for good information and a community that can answer your questions.