Hello guys, first of all I really appreciate what you do here, since there are so little places someone can talk about this, way to go While I was reading this forum, I remember seeing that someone said that everyone thinks they have their own 'special' problem, so... it really seems that way lol :p

Anyway, I'm 17 years old. Some time ago I noticed I can't retract my skin at all when having an erection, but could do it without a problem when I have no erection. I got to think it's phimosis, since I saw some similar problems in magazines, internet and stuff like that... so I went to my doctor, said I have phimosis and she sent me to urologist. I went there, he took a look (without an erection), and when seeing the skin could retract wihout an erection he said like 'Well, you don't look like you have phimosis, maybe it's just short frenulum'. I said 'Well I don't know, I just can't pull the skin back when I have an erection', and he said 'Oh, ok' and didn't want to talk anymore about 'what is the problem', only about 'the surgery is the only way'. Now at this time I wasn't sure if it's phimosis or frenulum breve... anyway I asked so what's the solution, he said 'Well it must be done bla bla bla' and gave me a paper saying I have a surgery in a month because it's clearly the only solution (the surgery is for phimosis, not for short frenulum). So after that, I read lots of stuff considering those 2 problems on the internet, found this forum, and I really think I have a short frenulum now. Anyway, I'm not planning going to that surgery, so I don't know, I came here to get some advice...

Some more about the real problem. Without erection, I can pull the skin neatly to get the whole glans out and see all the skin, with inner part too. When I pull further, frenulum starts pulling it down, so right now I'm sure it's the short frenulum. Now, when I have erection, earlier I could only see the top of my glans, now I can retract it to get the glans out but not 'see' whole skin, and as soon as I let it go, the skin returns and covers the whole glans. Now, I know it is the short frenulum, but I wonder will the stretching help since it looks like it is way too short, I mean because the skin returns over the glans when I let it go?

Thanks in advance, one more time, great thing you're doing this

Yes, the stretching will help. Concentrate on the area you think is tight. I believe you need to work on the frenulum as you indicate and also on the opening. If the skin it too tight to retract during erections, it needs to be widened.

Did the urologist want to circumcise you or what? Scary.

Well now, if you have read up on what we have been saying on the forum here to any significant degree, you will have picked up our viewpoint that surgery is virtually never necessary for a tight foreskin (described as "phimosis"), and that if a serious effort at stretching the frænulum proves too tedious (not the same as "failing"), then such simple "surgery" as might be appropriate involving no knife but simply a surgical suture, is a procedure that would necessarily be performed in a doctor's rooms.

So, the question is - have you yet cancelled any surgery which was proposed to you? It's not sufficient to say that you "don't plan going to that surgery", you must plan - and act - on not having surgery.

Now back to your problem and "everyone thinks they have their own 'special' problem". Indeed - your problem is almost exactly the same as almost everyone else posting here; you have a tight foreskin and a short frænulum, so you need to perform both the "exercises" we detail to achieve your aim.

Is that clear enough? Have you definitely cancelled any proposed arrangements for surgery?

Nope, I'm from Serbia. He didn't want to circumcise me, he just said it needed a surgery (The One And Only Solution :p), and indicated that I won't be able to go to school for some time because of... I don't know, scar, pain? Anyway that would be 11. March and I'd need my parent's agreement but really want to keep it private. So I'll try the stretching, cancel the surgery (probably on Monday) and see what happens next. After all if it doesn't do 'enough' good, I'm getting 18 years old on 18. of March so any later surgery or smth could go private I guess. Just one thingis not quite clear, do I surely have tight foreskin? Because I can pull the foreskin until the whole glans is out, it just goes back when I let it go, could it possibly be only because of the fraenulum? I have this doubt because, when I have no erection, the foreskin seems pretty good, I mean not so tight, and urologist also didn't notice it was too tight... you guys probably hear this all the time but, you are really doing something worthy here, great job!

It's really good to hear that Nikola.

Yes, if you cannot retract when erect, the foreskin is tight. Work on the little ring at the end. As you do that, you may find the frenulum will also lengthen, but you may also have to work on stretching it. If you are faithful to this venture, you need not be concerned about its not working. Natural laws work.

Regarding the automatic recovery process, that's normal with a lot of guys. Your glans is meant to be covered by the foreskin when you're not having sex, so your foreskin is just a little bit more dedicated to its purpose than some others are! Is there any particular reason why you'd want the skin to stay back?

Well now, I could be wrong and Serbian urologists might be way in advance of the Rest Of The World but my bet is that "surgery that is for phimosis" means circumcision and if the doctor shies away from discussing the actual details of what he proposes to do as it appears he has here, than that is exactly what he means.

Surgery "for phimosis, not for short frænulum" even when the "urologist also didn't notice it was too tight" and from which surgery you "won't be able to go to school for some time because of" the pain - is a pretty clear and unambiguous description of circumcision whether it is concealed by such euphemisms as "partial circumcision" or whatever. Did the surgeon really say that what he proposed was somehow not circumcision?

This is why I emphasise the point that most surgery that would be honestly offered to remedy a short frænulum and that only, would be performed using local anaesthesia in the doctor's rooms (albeit it is possible to perform a full circumcision in the doctor's rooms also) and with no "booking" other than a longer consultation (a half hour) and that only if a procedure of cutting and stitching is performed (a "preputioplasty"). Any reference to surgery in hospital really does quite clearly mean a circumcision.

Your foreskin is supposed to be able to retract when you have an erection. If it does not, then clearly it is tight - and needs to be stretched. Now of course when you do not have an erection, the glans is much softer and it does not take much to bend the glans down when the frænulum is pulled, however your description does indicate a short frænulum, so you need to stretch that as part of the overall stretching procedure. Presumably you have already started this?

Well the urologist said "it would be a shame to circumcise you, so we'll do the operation just to 'widen' the foreskin". Now it sounded stupid to me too that I wouldn't be able to do anything... the conversation went something like "Well, when can you come, I mean because of the school?"... I thought he was asking me for the next week - about morning or afternoon. I said I'm going to school in the morning and he said "Ho ho ho, no I meant when you have a free week or so, that's quite an operation you can't go to school after that, it's pretty painfull and you'll have to stay at home" :s Well whatever he meant, I'm really glad I found this forum haha :p Anyway here in Serbia, it depends only on your luck will you find the good or bad doctor, or lawyer, or anything else, since most of them can do whatever they please...

About the glans, here is chronologicaly what I can/could/want to do :p First I could normally pull the foreskin when not having eretion, but couldn't at all when having it. After some time (don't know why it 'widened' or anything), when I have an erection, the skin stays over the whole glans although I CAN pull it back with somewhat more force but not anything too much, but when I let it go it goes back to cover the whole glans. So I don't need my glans out all the time, only to make the skin stay 'pulled' back. That's why I am not sure about the tight foreskin because I can pull it over the whole glans and it comes back - I don't know, does it come back over the glans really because of a tight foreskin or it COULD possibly be only because of the fraenulum... since while having erection and pulling the foreskin back, it doesn't look too comfortable for the fraenulum so it might be getting the foreskin back?

Anyway, started with stretching (for fraenulum) today, and will wait for a reply if I really need to do the foreskin stretching

The frenulum does play a part in the recovery process, but the shape and size of the glans also play a role. If the glans is similar in diameter or smaller than the shaft, it will be difficult or impossible to keep the foreskin back. What I don't understand is why this is important to you. Has someone implied to you that you should be able to do this? If it retracts with an erection, it's working correctly Is it easily accomplished? How far back does it retract in the erect state? Can you see the little grove?

No one implied anything I'm just trying to have a common sense... Well that's the thing, it doesn't retract on erection until I retract it (that is, it can be done but not automatically), and it goes back. And why do I want it to stay back, well, imagine I put on a condom, and as soon as I let the foreskin, it'll go back or 'try' to go back or something..? Geez can't believe I didn't even try to put it on yet :s and another thing is, I don't know if I should do the foreskiin stretching cause maybe it is already wide enough, and I only need to do the frenulum... If I did the same with the foreskin which is (possibly) already wide enough compared to glans, it wouldn't do any good..?

And sorry for bothering you with quite a few posts with similar things :/

We here because we wish to help you, and if it takes some doing to come to understanding of each other, that's the essense of life. No, your posts are appreciated.

I see your point about the condoms. Have you tried putting one on? Now, have we ascertained that you have no difficulty in retracting when erect? If so, then you are right about not having to work on the opening. In that case, concentrate upon the frenulum.

How do the sizes of your glans and the shaft relate? Is the glans considerably larger in diameter than the shaft is where the foreskin would rest upon retraction? There should be a quite prominent depression immediately behind the corona (edge) of the glans. This is called the sulcus, and generally, that groove is sufficient to lock the foreskin back, especially during an erection.