How far along the penile foreskin be retracted in an uncircumcised penis? - Dr. Surindher D S A

People often ask as to what is the amount of retraction of the skin that should happen in a normal uncircumcised penis or when is the circumcision or frenuloplasty needed. It is a personal choice whether you want to get a circumcision or not, sometimes it is based on the beliefs. But, medically, when it is surgically indicated, when you’re not able to retract the skin back enough to clean the area. Most often what happens in uncircumcised penis is if you can’t retract there would be smegma and there is secretions which collect around the head, and they can cause irritations and infections. If you’re not able to pull the skin back and clean that area then you’re a candidate to undergo a circumcision or frenuloplasty depending on the condition. Normally, if you have a normal penis with a normal prepuce you should be able to pull the skin back fully so that it exposes the head of the penis. If that is not possible then you need circumcision, might not necessarily. If you are able expose the head, then you need not do anything. It is basically for hygiene purposes and rule out any other problems. I’m also often asked that they don’t want to undergo a circumcision or a surgery, what are the help that can be done. When the frenulum or prepuce is tight, simple solution is use a moisturizing lotion or when you’re showering gently start pulling the skin back onto the head or the shaft of the penis as you keep doing it daily with some lubrication or with local anaesthetic cream, what happens is your skin is stretching. If the skin is too tight, not able to retract even a little bit, then of course, surgery is the only option. If you have a partial retraction, then these exercises might help stretch the skin, and you may end up not undergoing a surgery at all. But, it has to be gradual, if you try too hard and too fast, then you will end up tears, and sometimes if the tear happens at the frenulum then it might lead to bleeding also, so you’ve to be careful and gentle.