Hi, I'm 17 years old and have a very tight foreskin. I have some general questions.

1. A while ago I used betamethasone 0.05% cream for my foreskin stretching, but my foreskin got really irrated and itchy when I applied it. Does this mean I can't use the cream because I had a reaction?

2. What kind of stretching do I start with? I can't see the head at all when I pull back my foreskin, maybe just the tip. Do I start like this: ?
Or do I pull it back until I make progress? Or do I do the frenulum stretch?

3. Do I need to use something like vaseline to help with my stretching? Do you recommend it?

4. When I try to touch the tip of the head, it's very sensitive and it hurts. Do I need to keep touching it to make it less sensitive?

5. How long should one stretch for? How many minutes per day?

I appreciate the help.

You might have a yeast problem. Let's see how you react to stretching. Pulling back in an attempt to retract won't hurt, but you won't make a lot of progress doing just that. The glans does not offer sufficient resistance, so if you can do what the picture shows, that's where to start.

A lubricant might hinder your grasp. Since the foreskin is composed of two layers and an internal lubricating nature, it's hard enough to get hold of. Now for touching the glans, it's a different story. A lubricant may allow touching it without the reaction you're currently getting. Be patient with this, as eventually, as you progress in your retraction process, the sensitivity issue will sort out.

I suggest doing this no less than twice per day, each period to last ten minutes. If you can work in more sessions, do it.

Good show!

1. If your foreskin got badly irritated and itchy when you applied betamethasone 0.05% cream, it is pretty unlikely that you are actually allergic to it; unfortunately it does have a tendency to increase susceptibility to Candida ("Thrush") infestation (which is not catastrophic - you just get some cream for this from the pharmacy). For this reason I always suggest the use of the ointment, applied only to the tight ring of the foreskin (as you pull it back to expose this tight part to the outside) and after the stretching. The thing you must not do is to use it as a lubricant for the stretching, which would spread it over much of the foreskin and increase the risk of Candida.
   
   
2. If you can roll back the foreskin to grip the tight part, that exercise is a fair "starter". I suspect that getting a finger inside, and working up to the largest finger you can in order to get the two little fingers in and pull outwards, will be the most profitable. I think that if you can see the tip of the glans, then you will be able to get a finger in - note that to do so, you pull the foreskin forward (as in the picture you cite) and then introduce the finger.
   
   
3. Lubrication will help - Vaseline is probably OK, or perhaps vegetable oil. You would want just a tiny touch on the finger(s) you are going to slip inside, but not the ones you use to grip the foreskin.
   
   
4. Of course it's sensitive. Clearly you have never tried to touch a young lady's clitoris or you would realise. It's supposed to be that way. Lubrication is the secret (after all, you can move your foreskin over your glans and it feels just fine - how do you suppose that does not hurt?) Just bear in mind that you do not need to touch it without lubrication and it will sort itself out in due course.
   
5. Stretch for as long as you can, as often as you can. I like to remind people - how much exercise and how often does it take to get fit, or perform "body building"? Why would you approach this problem in a more cavalier fashion - is it not just as important?

Have a good read back through the message board - and I mean a good read!

How long does the Betamethasone 0.05% cream usually last before it expires?

Pharmaceuticals are labelled with an "expiry date" - you will find this on the pack (both the box that the tube came in, and on the tube itself). These may sometimes be embossed such that you need to read them in good light and adjust the direction of the surface against the light to see.

Now what this expiry date means is not that the medication is no good after this date, but that it is not warrantied to work; that is, if it does not work correctly after this date, the manufacturer takes no responsibility. For most medications, as long as they are properly stored (generally kept in a dark cupboard well under 25° Celsius), they will be perfectly functional for at least double the warranty period (the difference between the DOM - Date of Manufacture - and the specified expiry date) and generally many years - five or more.

There are exceptions such as nitrates (angina medications) or indeed any other life-critical medications which should never be relied on beyond the expiry dates and should always be kept strictly in the recommended storage temperature (or the upper part of the refrigerator door by preference). It is particularly important with these - and tablets in general - to open the container for the briefest possible period, with dry hands and reseal it promptly to avoid humidity getting in.

At the other extreme, preparations involving simple substances, such as my great favourite, Zinc and Castor Oil cream, generally do not degrade at all if correctly stored and will last for decades or more though they may separate out (more rapidly if subjected to heat) and require re-mixing after some period (which is difficult if it is in a toothpaste-style tube).

Unless you have kept the Betamethasone in the car or a hot cupboard, it should be just fine up to say, five years.

I've read that it is bad to use soap on the penis. Is this true? The head on my penis isn't exposed so whenever I shower, I'm basically washing my foreskin with soap, not the head. Is this fine or bad?

The inside is composed of mucosa, the same tissue which lines your mouth and nasal passages. The outside is skin. If soap is used on the outside only and is rinsed thoroughly, it should pose no danger. However, if you were to develop a problem with yeast, this could be the reason. Some people have a problem with soap around the anal area, so I recommend some caution, especially when you have some issues with retraction.

A while ago, I had to get my tongue frenulum cut by the doctor because I couldn't stick my tongue out very far. It was a "tongue-tie" he said.

Can this mean that I also have a short frenulum in my penis? Do they relate in any way? I'm thinking that if I had a frenulum problem in my tongue, I might also have the problem in my penis.

For countless generations, people have been trying to find a link between different parts of the body, and especially that of the length of the penis compared to length of fingers and toes. No one has ever been able to accurately make such a connection. I highly doubt there is a correlation, but perhaps there is.

That having been said, I'm hoping you won't jump to conclusions now, thinking you'll need another snip to make your foreskin go back. For one thing, the foreskin situation doesn't affect speech and other things as the tongue does. It's also pretty darned hard to get hold of the tongue to do some stretching exercises. In the case of the penile frenulum, you have all you need to make this work manually.

Ah, well, AFAIK there is nothing especially "structural" about a frænulum, it's more a "leftover" from the development of the other adjacent parts. I should be interested to know how long ago you had the tongue fixed and indeed, just how much trouble it was causing you to actually require such attention. And incidentally, how much you actually tried to stretch it (as there is no reason to believe that persistent deliberate stretching would not help that problem also - the problem is always - the matter of persistence)?

So there is no obvious connection here, in fact the (penile) frænulum is short simply because you had not developed the practice of retracting, say, every time you went to pee. I recommend parents teach this to boys from an early age (and where the foreskin will not yet retract, simply to encourage them to try it and expect it to retract at some stage, just as children are keen to achieve all sorts of other milestones, sooner or later). There is no reason to expect that sensible encouragement will do other than lead little boys to desire a normal function of the foreskin. When I hear that someone such as some of the other posters here, was made to dislike retracting the foreskin, I am pretty certain that there was some other problem in the parent-child relationship and I think we have all seen plenty of examples of parents whose manner immediately results in deliberate resistance from their child.

The situation is, you (almost certainly) do have a short frænulum, because you have not been able to retract your foreskin and in doing so, stretch your frænulum. This is why it will be short, and no relationship to your tongue (unless perhaps you have also developed a habit of never projecting your tongue from your mouth!). You will need to do the "exercise" to stretch it as well as stretching the foreskin opening - have you started?

And incidentally, I always ask; you have not explained - why have you not been retracting your foreskin since childhood? When did you discover this to be "abnormal"? What else is happening?

Thanks for the responses.

Paul, I discovered this problem probably a year ago. I always used to think my penis was normal, but then I came across porn and random topics of foreskin on the Internet.

Some more questions:

1) How would I know if I have a yeast problem on my penis? What can indicate that I have a yeast problem?

2) I can't put my fingers inside my foreskin to stretch it. It is much tighter than normal cases of phimosis. Not even my pinky can get inside. Is there any sort of household tools or something that I can use which are thinner than fingers to stretch the foreskin? The stretch I am talking about is when you insert 2 fingers and stretch in opposite directions (sidewards).

3) Where exactly do I apply the betamethasone cream? Do I apply it on the outside skin part of the foreskin? Or do I pull back a little and apply it on the inside part of the foreskin?

Unless you were to get a lab test, it might be hard to tell for sure, but treating for it won't hurt,and it's cheap.

Any smooth cylindrical device which is unbreakable and cleanable could be used. Perhaps the cap from an inexpensive ball-point pen would work. Skin tunnels are also a possibility. This is the most productive way to do it if you can figure it out.

Put the cream on the tight ring near the end of the foreskin. It may be slight inside the opening. Apply very sparingly and try to rub it in if you can. If it's really tight, a cotton swab might help, or as you suggested could work too.

Can a yeast infection prevent me from making progress by stretching? Does it have any affect on stretching for phimosis?

Sometimes it leads to cracking of the skin also.

Well, as I pointed out two threads ago to "co", if you really think you have a Candida or "Thrush" infection, then you use the creams sold for this specific purpose (generally those sold for vaginal Candidiasis in women). If you do not have either a really bad itch, a gooey whitish "cottage cheese" discharge, or fissuring (cracking) of the foreskin, (and have not been having intercourse) then there is nothing to suggest an infection and it is most unwise to go "fiddling" with purported "cleaning" or "antiseptic" products; that is only asking for trouble. A bit of dry smegma does not count, nor does an itch the same as you often get in the groin area anyway.

To get a finger inside, you "pout" the foreskin as in Jim's illustration at the top, and slip your little finger (may need to be lubricated) into the "funnel" whilst holding it open. You will not be able to do this unless you stretch your foreskin away from the glans, so if you have been trying any other way, that is why it didn't work.

On the other hand, to apply the betamethasone, you do pull your foreskin back as far as you can; when you do this, the tight part will be at the tip (except that a little inner foreskin may "squeeze" through the tight part like toothpaste) and that is where you dab a tiny bit of the preparation. Do this after stretching so that it stays where you put it and nowhere else.

Well, I'm glad to hear that you've read that it is bad to use soap on the penis - that is one of the messages we are keen to convey. Of course, the outside skin on the penis is much the same as anywhere else, and unless you have a general problem with dermatitis - in which case you would know to use soap very sparingly in general - there would be no concern about using soap on that.

It is very unlikely that your penis actually gets dirty. A quick wipe with a soapy hand from the base to the tip would be quite adequate "cleaning" of the penis, followed by a rinse under the running water and then you can pull the foreskin back and run the water over the glans and exposed inner foreskin, so that any soap that got in the opening was washed away promptly.

Taking a bath is a bit more of a problem, and the tendency to put children in baths is responsible for many problems, for both sexes as both suffer from genital irritations from soap and some from dermatitis in general. Obviously soap in a bath is going to penetrate into all areas and since the water is soapy when getting out of the bath, the soap will be left as a coating and not rinsed off as in a shower. The worst situation of all is when the bath is loaded with what is essentially dishwashing detergent (under another name - "bubble bath") which is as advertised, designed to "penetrate and lift grease".

Clearly some people are never troubled by dermatitis in any area, and can bathe and use soap with gay abandon. Good luck to them, but wherever anyone has a problem, the first thing to examine is how (much) soap is used.

Paul,


You mentioned zinc and castor oil cream previously.

Is this the brand below. What do you recommend it for?
Metanium zinc and castor oil cream (with castor and peanut oils)

I would guess that its used like a mild antiseptic plus relatively thick moisturiser. Please advise.

I am always willing to be educated on products that clearly do a good job and I know that you would not recommend it without a LOT of use..

These products are basically made for baby bottoms, to prevent diaper (nappy) rash.

You are correct that the zinc and castor oil cream is intended as a mild antiseptic plus a relatively thick moisturiser, but also it is a very effective barrier cream to prevent penetration of not just water, but irritants.

Now what it is for, is to settle chemical irritations, such as ammoniacal dermatitis caused by the breakdown of urea in urine into ammonia by bowel bacteria. Note that it is the combination of urine and the bowel bacteria that causes the problem. Unless contaminated by the bacteria, urine on its own is no problem and indeed, the urea is itself a useful "moisturiser" (and is sold as such in creams!). So urine under the foreskin is actually not a problem unless bowel bacteria are introduced (such as by retracting the foreskin whilst sitting in a bath).

This cream is therefore useful for foreskin irritations - if you can retract the foreskin, you just dab it on liberally underneath (as you do with a baby with napkin/ diaper rash). The excess that rubs off is messy, but harmless. If you cannot retract your foreskin but have an irritation underneath, then you can contrive to squirt a little down the foreskin opening and massage it back into the preputial space and all around inside (any amount that enters the urinary meatus/ opening should be harmless also).

Incidentally, when I say a mild antiseptic, Castor Oil is actually mildly toxic (if swallowed). By definition, antiseptics are toxic both to bacteria and (the host) animal tissue; the use of them on a wound is based on the concept that they actually do destroy the surface tissue of the wound along with the bacteria, but you expect the wound to heal, so this is allowable.

Antiseptics are to be used once for initial cleaning of a wound, but should not be used repeatedly as they actually delay or prevent healing. A preparation that selectively destroys bacteria but not the (host) body tissue (or incidentally, the other way around!) would be described as an antibiotic.

Now I know what the primary two ingredients of this cream are of course, but I cannot readily imagine why it would be desirable to add peanut oil to the mixture. Peanut oil is a foodstuff, and it seems to me that it might just have that function to bacteria as well (in contrast to the "inedible" Castor oil) and so would be less effective than the basic mix. For this reason I point out that one should be cautious about "branded" products as additives intended to distinguish a product for marketing purposes (such as perfumes) are not only mostly unnecessary, but pose an additional risk of allergy or adverse reaction.

Does that answer your question?

I`ve read that applying unsweetened and unflavoured yogurt on the penis can get rid of a yeast infection. Can yogurt really treat it?

If it can, where exactly do I apply it?

The yogurt helps to rebuild the bacterial colonies to combat the yeast. Try to get it inside the preputial cavity. It's going to be messy! Be sure it has live cultures.

It's a lot easier to use the yeast control preparations, but try this and let us know what kind of results you get.

1. So do you recommend I stop using the betamethasone now and try the yogurt?

2. Where is the perputial cavity? Should I pull back the foreskin as much as I can and put the yogurt there, or on the outer foreskin? Or both?

3. And just a little side question, my betamethasone is called "Betamethasone VAL 0.05% RPH." Just wondering if that is the right prescription.

Thanks for the help guys.

Most people will react well to the over the counter preparations for treating yeast. I think that is where to start. Unless your budget prevents that and yogurt is the only possibility. Since you had a reaction to the prescription, stop using it for now. Progress actually comes from manipulation, not some magical power of the steroid, so you can try stretching while you're treating for yeast.

The preputial cavity is the space inside the foreskin (prepuce).

The name sounds correct.

Paul,

Thanks for the zinc and castor oil clarity.

I should get some simple - zinc and castor oil mix from a pharmacist for future benefit.