Tight foreskin
The foreskin is the hood of skin that covers the head of the penis. If you have been circumcised, you will not have a foreskin.
- In small children the foreskin is tight and stuck to the glans, but normally begins to separate at about the age of 3 or 4. If the hole in the foreskin looks abnormally tiny, ask your doctor to check.
- After the age of 7, it is usually possible to pull the foreskin back over the head (or glans) of the penis, but in some boys this is not possible before the age of 14 or 15. So if you are 13 or 14, do not worry – this is perfectly normal.
- If you are 15 or over and cannot pull your foreskin back, it may be too tight.
A tight foreskin is called phimosis . If you have phimosis, you will not be able to wash under your foreskin properly, so a white, cheesy material called smegma can accumulate. Also, if the condition is severe, it may be painful when the penis is erect.
Some men have phimosis from childhood, but it can also occur late in life, perhaps as a result of several thrush infections affecting the head of the penis. Another common reason is a skin condition called balanitis xerotica obliterans, which makes the foreskin pale and thickened. The cause of this condition is not known; it is not an infection.
Treatments for a tight foreskin
If it is very tight, there is no point in trying to force the foreskin back: you will only cause painful cracks on the inside of the foreskin, which will scar as they heal and make it worse. NORM-UK suggests that you try gentle stretching, and advises on how to do this.
If this does not solve the problem, you probably need an operation.
Circumcision is the most common operation. The surgeon separates the foreskin from the head of the penis (if it is stuck down), cuts the foreskin away and closes the incision with stitches. The glans will seem very sensitive after the operation, because it is not used to being exposed. Most men have erections during their sleep, so for a few weeks after the operation, you may wake in the middle of the night with a sore penis; taking a pain-relieving medication at bedtime will help. Wear loose boxer shorts and use a condom during sex for the first month or two.
If the doctor thinks the cause is balanitis xerotica obliterans, steroid creams will be used first; this often relieves the condition for several years, but eventually circumcision is usually needed.
Preputioplasty is a lesser operation. It involves making a vertical incision in the foreskin and then stitching it crosswise to widen the opening; it usually leaves a very normal appearance.
Written by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Edited by: Dr Margaret Stearn
Last updated:
Friday, February 26th 2010
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 answered on the website, so please search for your problem before submitting a comment. As all comments are moderated, there will be a delay before your comment appears.
Comments on this article
Posted by Optional on 10/03/2010 at 10:54:11 am
When I Have An Erection, The Foreskin Will Not Peel Back. Ive Noticed There Is A Small Strip Of Skin Or Something Attached To The Head Which Is Causing It. Is That Normal?
Posted by Danny on 09/03/2010 at 05:57:50 pm
Hey i've had this problem just keep using baby oil on it rubbing it in and trying to get the head less sensitive and it works after a month for me lol almost but it takes a lot of time to get it fully back but slowly in weeks the foreskin will get less tighter. It all depends on how tight the foreskin is...
Posted by lee on 10/02/2010 at 01:55:00 am
hi just wonderin could you help me? when i pull back head it is throbing, v sore durin sex as is really tight. how do i go bout gettin help as it is really embarrasin to go doc about this condition?
Posted by Craig on 02/02/2010 at 07:41:00 pm
I had problems retracting my foreskin ever since I can remember .. I went to the doctor and got it checked out. I never had any treatment but was told my my parents that when I was born ther doctor informed that i may have problems with my foreskin in future. Nowadays I can't really complain as it pulls back with minimal problem and goes back into place with minimal effort needed. I recommend taking hot baths and excercising your foreskin regularly every time you bathe ... even leave it pulled back in the bath for a while and then put it back into place .. also it helps to pull it back when flacid then watch a movie so's it goes erect .... it may be painful at first but take it easy and one step at a time ... keep doing the following continously day after day and you should be okay , hope this helps !:)
Posted by Anonymous on 21/01/2010 at 12:13:00 am
my friend has been circumcised long time ago, and just mentioned that sometimes when masturbating the top of the skin that protects the penis, gets like little cuts, that sometimes, that when the penis is very erect, he is got to be careful not to pull the skin back to much or it hurts.
Posted by dave on 17/01/2010 at 01:00:00 am
in the last i have notices that top of my foreskin as become tight and hard to pullback and top of my penis is in large and my penis as a bend in it. how can i get it sort it out
Posted by Anonymous on 03/01/2010 at 03:39:00 pm
when i pull my foreskin back below the head my penis goes very tight and narrow this is very painfull what can be done to help
Posted by more info plz? on 29/11/2009 at 04:08:00 pm
hello, iam 20, about 2 years now i have realised i have problems with my frenulum. for me, i have never really seen other penises in real life. so i thought what i had was normal. until i had sex for the first time. it hurt quite abit. so i thought id have a look and i found that my frenulun was to tight and it was preventing from letting my foreskin retract, so i looked up on the internet and i found out that a few people suffer from this. and there are 3 options, well as far as i no to fix the problem, 1 is to get a circumsisun, (sorry dont no how to spell that) 2) frenuloplasty, done under local anesthetic where a surgeon cuts your frenulun ( the bit that connects the penis head, to the saft ) in which case makes it longer so you can retract your foreskin to the correct length, 3) live with it... anyway i was wondering if you could give me some more information on this? like what doctor i should go to see? my closest urologist is a hours drive, so should i just go see my local gp? should i get a frenuloplasty? does it allways work? also i find it very hard to go my local gp about it as i find it very embarrising. any tips would be good thanks
Posted by Anonymous on 05/11/2009 at 12:37:00 am
i got thrush once and started getting cuts on my foreskin again and again until it just scarred up and now cannot pull down at all where do u get that minor op i dont really want to get circumsised....aggro
Posted by Anonymous on 25/10/2009 at 10:00:00 pm
my penis looks like a mushroom! after having sex the skin cracked and torn and now it has healed there is a tight band of skin therefore my penis looks like a mushroom :( lol what i do to help the matter is when i am in the shower i pull the foreskin back and rinse under hot water it helps softn the skin so its doenst tear hope this helps!
Posted by Anonymous on 21/10/2009 at 11:16:00 pm
I am 13 years ol and there seems to be a small vein holding my foreskin onto the head of my penis and i cannot pull it back when i masturbate plz help me
Posted by Anonymous on 08/10/2009 at 06:56:00 pm
hi....it doesn't affect me when I'm not erected and i can pull it way back...but if its pulled back while its erected, it hurts and forms a somewhat hourglass shape....if i let it go, it remains like that...i would have to push it back over the head...I'm a bit worried since I'm 17...what can i do to fully stretch it??
Posted by Anonymous on 27/08/2009 at 01:04:00 pm
a good way of stretching i do is to pull the foreskin back as far as possible when your penis is flacid. Then watch something arousing and try to keep the foreskin pulled back still. that way it naturaly stretches and if its to painfull then just let go and the skin will move up to the tip.
Posted by Anonymous on 26/08/2009 at 05:39:00 pm
Hi guys i have a tight foreskin but only when erect. When flacid i can pull it all the way back and it looks normal. I have recently been to my GP who said in my case its called balanitis xerotica obliterans, he has prescribed Trimovate Cream which has been working wonders, i have only been using it for 3 weeks and can pull my foreskin back when erect, speak to your doctor about this cream
Posted by kieran on 21/08/2009 at 12:53:00 am
hi em ive got a problem u see i had the thing where my 4 skin is stuck 2 my helmet and 2 day i was masturbating and my penis started 2 bleed on the bit where the 4 shin is stuck and now every time i get a erection my penis bleeds i'm worried and embarrassed please help
Posted by ???? on 16/08/2009 at 01:46:00 pm
hi im 17 ,ave had a tight foreskin for as long as i can remember, to be honest ave never tried stretching it and we didnt get a very good sex education at school so ive never thought about it until now.It doesnt and has never hurt and recently ive had a small skin infection at the tip makin my foreskin even tghter.ave been to my gp and theyve gave me canesten cream which has had no effect and im wondering if streatching and washing will clear the tight foreskin and the infection Over time?
Posted by Anonymous on 10/08/2009 at 09:43:00 pm
Just want to say to the guys on here who are worried about getting a girlfriend, as long as sex doesn't hurt then don't be embarrassed. It actually makes you a better lover than others - you can have sex for longer which she will love, most guys orgasm and conk out before the woman's even started enjoying it.
Posted by vvv on 15/07/2009 at 07:48:00 am
hi i have a tight foreskin and no one knows about it it doesnt hurt when i wank but i can fell it. i have tryed pulling it bak in the shower but i dont think it will help if i want a normal foreskin know, but it will help in the long run
Posted by Linsy on 07/07/2009 at 08:24:00 pm
My Husband.. Charls.. Has allways had this problem. He once got me to help him strech it, whilst we were making love. It hurt him. But he neaver ha an operation.
Posted by ?????????? on 30/06/2009 at 10:35:00 pm
Hi i'm 13 and cannot pull my foreskin back when I get erected I try to but it hurts my brother has had the minor op so I don't know if I will have to have it too and I'm quite worried the op will hurt..any ideas
Posted by Jay on 24/06/2009 at 12:18:00 am
Hello guys - to all those who are worried, don't be. I had a tight foreskin that I thought I couldn't pull back when flaccid. That is until I went to my doctor a few years ago and he did it reasonably easily. My doctor said as long as I can wash it, he would strongly discourage surgery. On the question of sex and girlfriends, I have had 5 or 6 sexual partners and NEVER had any complaints, not even a comment. If your partner is not lubricated at all, it can ocassionally be difficult to penetrate, but a little foreplay will soon solve that problem.
Posted by Anonymous on 20/06/2009 at 07:35:00 pm
Hi.... I have my penis in good size but the problem is with the foreskin i can get it back fully but can't bear the pain when its fully erect... According to my google search results, Frequent stretching will solve my problem but how many days shall I do and will that be a permanent solution? Please reply
Posted by danog on 20/06/2009 at 06:55:00 pm
I'm 18 and struggle to pull my foreskin back but it pulls back durin sex also i have been worrying for the last 3-4 days a vein in my penis seems to be quite sore when i shake or touch it not gratly paniful but it does feel unconfortable what is this?
Posted by Anonymous on 11/06/2009 at 09:42:00 am
iv always had a normal forskin but just recenyly has become tight its fine when not erect but if i try to pullit back when erect it makes tiny cuts around one area
Posted by Anonymous on 07/06/2009 at 11:47:00 am
Whilst having sex my foreskin just below the head of the penis, has started to split and become extremely painful. It heals up and leaves a scar, but it still splits again and again. Now I have a scar alll the round my penis. It still splits even now. Can you offer any suggetions
Posted by Anonymous on 04/05/2009 at 08:44:00 am
the skin around my penis is whiter then usual and very tight giving the hour glass appearencce.sex is painfull and sometimes ending in small cuts
Posted by Worried Mom on 29/04/2009 at 07:44:00 am
My son is 3 1/2 years old and was diagnosed with Phimosis. His doctor reffered him to a surgeon in a couple weeks. What kinds of questions should I ask? His doctor said he thought forcefully pulling the skin back was the best option but I see here that its not good to do that.
Posted by Praveen on 26/04/2009 at 09:03:00 pm
Hi my name is praveen. I have a problem. My penis wont look normal like others. foreskin on penis will not go back when it is erected. Can you suggest me, wat to do. I virgin yet. And i have not tried sex. Is there any problem if i do sex.
Posted by embarrised person on 14/04/2009 at 09:11:00 pm
im still a virgin and sared of sex mainly because of foreskin. when masterbating i sometimes try to pull my foreskin over my head but i get a slight pain. i fear that if i have sex i will bleed or something worse might happen please can you help overcome my problem.
Posted by Francis on 13/04/2009 at 05:28:00 pm
I don't think the foreskin is tight when my penis is flacid. And the foreskin feels slightly tight but not too tight when my penis is erect. Why do I find it difficult to pull back the foreskin on my penis whether it is erect or not?
Posted by England on 10/04/2009 at 03:10:00 pm
If your foresking is tight or joined close to the opening in your penis....see a doctor. Minor surgery can help and will improve your sex life.
Posted by andrea on 31/03/2009 at 10:00:00 am
I've had partners with tight foreskin and sex has been very enyojable :) ... as long as doesn't hurt for him is fine for me... I like to play with the foreskin of my partner... just my experience as a woman...
Posted by Anonymous on 12/03/2009 at 10:18:00 pm
Hi iam very concerned that my son,s foreskin is actually stuck to the base of his penis preventing him from pulling it back.Do you think that he will need a minor operation to separate it. Could you please advise if he may need a minor operation . MANY THANKS
Posted by Anonymous on 25/02/2009 at 01:41:00 am
i can pull my foreskin back is there something wrong
Posted by Anonymous on 24/02/2009 at 08:47:00 pm
I have been quite scared recently about my problem and i am afraid to tell anyone, can someone help me please
Posted by Anonymous on 20/02/2009 at 11:00:00 pm
I have a tight foreskin and don't no if it is going to loosen. When will I no Thanks
Posted by bath24 on 16/02/2009 at 09:53:00 pm
while having sex with my wife at the weekend my so called piano wire broke. why did this happen and why did it happen
Posted by Craig on 10/02/2009 at 07:09:00 pm
I have tryed gently stretching but it is no help my foreskin does not pull back end of. What should I do circumcission or the smaller op all I know is I need surgery. I don't want to tell my parents as I am embarresed. I would tell my doctor but I think I will be treated as a lepper. There's also a girl I like a lot but I never want to go further than pulling. It's so annoying. Help anyone? Cheers fella's
Posted by Anonymous on 10/02/2009 at 04:10:00 pm
were can i get Preputioplasty operation as i have a tight forskine and dont know were to get to get this sorted would like to no a.s.a.p and does it cost anything thanks alot
Posted by john on 09/02/2009 at 04:09:00 pm
My foreskin is ok when not erect but very tight when fully erect. But this is not my main problem .The end of my penis is extreamaly sensative all the time . Nightmare when receiving oral , it ends up hurting so much I just flop !
Posted by Neo on 06/02/2009 at 06:03:00 am
I want to loose my foreskin, can you tell how can i loose my foreskin.
Posted by j on 02/02/2009 at 09:27:00 am
i had tight foreskin for years every time i had sex it was painful.After reading online about stretching i tried it.It really works after 2 weeks.no pain at all.Anyone that has a tight foreskin just needs to persevere and stretch it a little every day within a month or 2 it'll not be a problem anymore :) If i only i had known this years ago!
Posted by Mike on 30/01/2009 at 01:39:00 pm
im the same as James, when its not erect its fine, but when it is erect, i can get it back but it kinda cuts in and looks odd
Posted by humphrey on 27/01/2009 at 12:48:00 am
Erm my foreskin will not pull back whether erect or non erect it annoys me and stops me wanting a girlfriend I'm embarresed
Posted by Anonymous on 20/01/2009 at 11:44:00 pm
I think I'm the same as you James. I can pull it back when I don't have an erection fairly easily, and I can pull it back with an erection in the shower slowly. But I find it difficult when erect and dry...with force I can manage it.
Posted by JAMES on 12/01/2009 at 11:40:00 pm
Hello, I am not to sure if I have a tight foreskin or not. I can pull it completely over when I don't have an errection but when I have an errection I can't . Is their any way anything can help or be harmfull?
Posted by Jordan on 07/01/2009 at 08:14:00 pm
im ashamed that my foreskin is tight so i dont want a girlfreind is this bad for my age or should it in time open up?
Posted by yiop on 31/12/2008 at 04:10:00 am
i have to tigbt foreskin who should i tell
Advertisments
Latest updates
Dr Phil's latest video
16th March
Ears that stick out;
15th March
Cystitis in women;
15th March
Genital warts;
12th March
Faecal incontinence;
12th March
Constipation;
12th March
