Odd-looking patch on the penis

It is quite common to notice an area of skin on the penis that looks different from the surrounding skin. It may be red, shiny or scaly, or pale and thin like a scar. If it does not disappear in a week or two, you should have it checked by your family doctor or local genitourinary medicine clinic.

Most skin conditions that can affect other parts of the body, such as psoriasis, can occur on the penis, and sometimes the penis may be the only site.
If the patch is lumpy, it could be warts.
Very, very rarely, a funny-looking patch is a pre-cancerous condition.
A pale, thin-looking patch could be a condition called ‘balanitis xerotica obliterans’, which is usually treated with a steroid cream.

Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated: Saturday, September 3rd 2011

GP and comedian Dr Phil Hammond takes a look at what's normal and what's not in his informative video on the penis - lumps, bumps and STIs. For more information click on the video below.

Useful contacts for Odd-looking patch on the penis

Click to see all the contacts that you may find useful in relation to penis problems | Odd looking patch on the penis

Useful contacts

3149 people have
tackled this problem!

Tell us your thoughts

Did you find what you were looking for?

Submit

Add a comment

A problem shared is a problem halved: help others by sharing your frustrations or successes at tackling your health problem.

We have noticed that many of your queries are actually answered on the website, so please read carefully before submitting a comment. As all comments are moderated, there will be a delay before your comment appears. Please note that we cannot respond to individual requests for feedback.

Display Name Age: Sex: Country: Comment:

Submit

Discussion content reflects the view of individual participants only. Health Press Limited bear no responsibility for accuracy of participant comments and will bear no legal liability for discussion results. Comments will be moderated before posting and Health Press Limited reserves the right to delete any material. See About our site for our moderation policy

Comments on this article

Posted by Optional on 30/01/2012 at 01:49

i noticed a little puss spot on my penis around the middle not so long ago... and just like any other spot i thought i'd pop it expecting it to go away it did go away but the next 2 days i noticed it got a little bigger but had no puss as i tried popping it again, it isnt painful and im sure it isnt a wart. i dont know what to do! is it just swelling?

Posted by Optional on 26/12/2011 at 02:26

I masturbate daily and i noticed that my penis is very dry and on the top you could see a white dry rough surface and on the side of my penis there is a small brown dots (not spots) surface when it is peeled it you could see a shiny surface( little red colour) it itches sometimes and burns sometimes so is it important to see a doctor because im nervous to go :( or is there any other easy way to get rid of it without a doctor

Posted by Optional on 08/12/2011 at 04:56

my penis head looks a bit white patches and after masturbating skin looks dry,my forskin has a white ring of tight skin but only half way round tip of penis so can still manage to pull forskin over penis head tryed anntifungal cream still no result should i carry on useing cream refrain from sex including masturbation someone told me to carry on masturbating to keep skin streched and stop it going tight?

Posted by Optional on 07/12/2011 at 02:39

i have a little red patch that is sores when I masturbate, then it scabs .. is that normal ,

Posted by Nathan on 03/12/2011 at 04:31

I've had this vein thing on the back of my penis and foreskin for quite some time, (at least 4 months) thinking it would go away or something, but it hasn't. What is it and what can i do to stop it?

Posted by Optional on 27/11/2011 at 01:40

Over night i had an ulcer type thing similar to the one that grows on the inside of the lip, next to the entrance of the opening of the penis head which developed over night, and the skin is slowly peeling. i also have i believe BXO, the phismosis, and the scaring of the foreskin (uncercumsied) the brief google search says it can be as bad as genital herpies, herpies symplex.

Posted by Optional on 28/10/2011 at 04:59

Hey, I have had a small red patch at the end of my penis right under the opening. I had gotten it right after masterbating and it doesn't itch, burn, unconfort me while urining , or is sensitive to touch. It's dry, and scabby abit now here's my theory on it, it's most likely just a tear healing, but it's been two weeks, and I don't think I could get sivilous or a wart. So any depots to my problem would be welcomed.

Posted by Optional on 17/09/2011 at 11:11

I have An odd looking shaped patch of skin brown in colour visible on my foreskin when i retract it

Posted by Optional on 12/09/2011 at 05:23

hi i used to masturbated often usualy with creams but recently started masturbating abit more often and also dry just rubbing the penis.now my erection is not very hard anymore and well not as big cos its not very erect and also the skin around just bellow where the sensitive part is looks very funny n kinda like worn out is there anything i can do at all to cure this a cream for the skin perhaps

Posted by maksy on 30/08/2011 at 05:03

i had a small white blister or wart type of thing that is dry and it itches when u touch it..its there on the head of my penis and it is there since i had sex with a local girl..though i used condems but what it actually can be???? your help is needed

Posted by Optional on 22/05/2011 at 01:21

Tiny (1mm) spot/blister/cut? about a centimetre bellow the head of my penis. Only had sex with my current girlfriend who has been checked when we started going out and was given the all clear!

Posted by Optional on 27/03/2011 at 02:25

My dick has also been going through an endless cycle of being dry, scaly, flaky and smooth for the last year or so. I tried everything from moisturizer and polysporin to cortisone cream and psoriasin but nothing seemed to work. But then I remembered that it magically went away when I lived in New York last summer where the water pH was probably different than what I'm used to. After doing a little bit of research, I began to suspect that it was a yeast infection, and sure enough, I've been using Canesten (an antifungal cream with 1% Clotrimazole) for the last five days and it definitely seems to be working in that the skin is starting to look and feel normal again! Canesten (since it's for athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm) is also less embarrassing to buy than Vagisil!

Posted by Optional on 17/03/2011 at 09:05

i have noticed that my penis is having a hard time , exiting the foreskin and when it does it has a lot of cuts on it. it also has a pale colour at the top of the tip.

Posted by Optional on 31/12/2010 at 09:35

i have red scaly patches of skin on my penis and they itched really bad but it seems as if once it was open and burned the itching went away, i went to the dr.s and they say they think its scabies but i know its not cuz ive had this problem for about 3 weeks now and its stayed the same i had scabies last year due to hospital visit, and got rid of them with a cream ive used the cream and nothing has changed, it seems when the scabs peel off it seeps, and burns for a few unless it has fresh air but a slight touch burns, ive been using neosporin and it just scabs up nothing changes can you please help, let me know if you think its psoriasis or ezcema... thank you

Posted by Optional on 20/12/2010 at 03:21

Just two days ago I noticed a scaly patch on the side of the head of my penis. It does not itch or cause me any pain, but it slightly rougher to the touch than the surrounding area. Checking around websites like this it seems to match closely with balanitis, except for the fact that I am circumcised. Can balanitis occur in circumcised men also? What treatments should I seek?

Posted by Anonymous on 20/11/2010 at 11:08

Hi. I have a purple sore on the skin of my penis, it's just below (not underneath) the foreskin and I've had it for perhaps a year now. A year ago it looked a bit discoloured, but for the last few months. It's gone through stages of getting quite inflammed if I masturbate a lot. The sore goes back to just a discolouration in a few days and then I usually forget about it. Please tell me, is it cancer? After reading up on it I've gotten a little worried.

Posted by Optional on 16/11/2010 at 03:34

Posted by Dave Kingsbury on 10/10/2010 at 02:26

I have had epidido orchitus and a pseudoma after 8 weeks I have still a red blotch on the foreskin and all the creams I have tried have done nothing and it still hurts to pee.I had a bladderendoscopy and they found a small tumour which is being removed in aboyt 2 weeks I also have an enlarged prostate so a treble whammy.My consultant has said it is zuhns balinitis and to just wash each day with soapy water.What is your advice.

Posted by Optional on 02/07/2010 at 08:23

Hi, my partner has strange sore looking patches on his penis (looks a little like peeling when you have been sunburnt) however he says they are not sore even if it looks it no pain or anything, i have read the notes on thrush etc but i have no symptoms we have regular intercourse and oral an i do not have anything after it or have had nothing all the while he has this, he uses shower gel to wash under his foreskin and always has an has never been a problem before however he stopped and just used water but still no change occasionally there is a sort of cheesy discharge it just doesnt look very nice and we need some help any ideas? would really appreciate any info, thanks. c x

Posted by Optional on 28/06/2010 at 01:16

After having sex last night I have noticed at there are 2 red patched o n the tip of my penis. They seem more sensative and almost like friction burns. Can anyone help?

Posted by Optional on 09/05/2010 at 03:10

i have tanned patches on my penis that i have had for a while now , im too embarrased to go to my doctor. what should i do and what could the problem be??

Posted by Optional on 29/04/2010 at 05:05

i am having problems i can't find anything i need i have white tiny lumps on my penis and its has been stretched and is red what will happen will my penis grow into the stretched foreskin or will it stay and not go away

Posted by jay on 16/04/2010 at 05:54

what does it mean when you have a lump on the tip of your penis

Posted by Optional on 29/03/2010 at 12:23

Hi,I am 25 year old healthy male, over the past two weeks i have started to develop a red enflamed area around the top of my foreskin which was itchy when limp and also painful when the penis was erect. I have been treating it as thrush for the last week using over the counter cream, which does not seem to have made much difference over the last week. Although it is less itchy, but the skin does get tight after an hour or so of the cream being applied. Does this sound like thrush? My wife has not got thrush, although will i keep contracting it back from her if this is thrush? This is the first time in our 5 year relationship it has happened.

Posted by Optional on 14/03/2010 at 08:33

I have what seems like stretch marks, visibly lighter skin, on the underside of my circumcised penis, running up the shaft from the ball sack, its not painful, just different in pigmentation, should I be worried?

Posted by adam ward on 12/02/2010 at 02:44

my penis is sore after sex for about a day it hurts and looks patchy its really sore to pull foreskin back. have been with partner for seven years and haven't slept with anyone else. she feels fine after. it also hurts if i masturbate.

Posted by Anonymous on 30/01/2010 at 12:06

After having shingles my penis became clogged with white stuff and was very itchy. I tried to masturbate and then I got a burning sensation on the left side of my penis head on closer examination a red patch about the size of a one pence coin had formed. I think this may be a friction burn and is annoying as the doctor told me I had Balantise and I am treating this with the cream he prescribed. But I forgot to mention about the friction burn as it was masked by the Balantise problem. my question is" Is the cream prescribed (Clotrimiazole) interfering with the healing of the friction burn? or will the Clotrimiazole help cure both? The Balantise was a cause of being prescribed anti virals during the early stage of my shingles when the doctor was un sure it was shingles and it must have given my immune system a knock.

Posted by Anonymous on 05/01/2010 at 02:46

Random patch of redness on my foreskin, no other symptoms (I had bad hygeine, but when discharge came I began washing under the foreskin every day and I do now), so the discharge went. just a patch of red now on the foreskin..the actual glans itself seems to be fine. I'm a very anxious 17-year old lad, please help?