It is prudent to apply the petroleum jelly on glans and meatal area of circumcised boys after each diaper change for 6 months post-circumcision.
Even after the dressing is no longer needed, put a dab of petroleum jelly on the penis or on the front of the diaper for 3 to 5 days. This can help your baby avoid pain from rubbing and sticking to the diaper. Most of the time it takes between 7 to 10 days for a penis to heal.
Place a quarter-sized amount of ointment, Aquaphor, petroleum jelly, A&D, or antibiotic (bacitracin, Neosporin, or generic), on the penis or in the diaper to keep the raw surface from sticking to the underpants or diaper. It is important to use this for 5 to 7 days.
After your son's circumcision is done, petroleum jelly or gauze impregnated with petroleum jelly is usually applied. The gauze can be removed after 24 hours. To do this, apply Vaseline to the gauze with a diaper change, then at the next diaper change take the gauze off.
Normal Circumcision Healing
The scab at the incision line comes off in 7 to 10 days. If a Plastibell (plastic ring) was used, it should fall off by 14 days. 10 days is the average. While it can't fall off too early, pulling it off can cause bleeding.
Incision care
Wash the area daily with warm water and pat it dry. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. You may cover the area with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and gauze bandage if it weeps or rubs against clothing. Change the bandage every day.
Recovery and Outlook
Recovery from circumcision takes about eight to 10 days. While the penis heals, it may look swollen and red.
If a gauze was used and doesn't fall off on its own, remove it after 48 hours. Begin retracting (pulling back) the foreskin between 4 to 10 days after the circumcision (see instructions in next section).
If you need to remove gauze from the penis, use warm water to soak the gauze and gently loosen it. The doctor may have used a Plastibell device to do the circumcision. If so, your baby will have a plastic ring around the head of the penis. The ring should fall off by itself in 10 to 12 days.
Clean the circumcision site with warm water and a cotton ball once or twice a day. Apply Vaseline for several days. This helps keep the area clean and keeps the wound site from adhering to the diaper.
The tip may be sore, and the penis itself may look red and swollen. You may see a yellow crust on the tip as well. This is normal and should go away on its own in a few days. It will take a week to 10 days for your son's penis to heal completely.
Newly circumcised men are counseled to abstain from sex for at least six weeks, as the unhealed wound provides a route for transmission of HIV; however, data from the three trials indicate that some men ignore this recommendation.
The extra skin covers the head of the penis, and it can cause mild adhesions or completely cover the penis to the point where it no longer looks circumcised. It depends on how much extra skin is left behind. The redundant skin also can be uneven with more extra skin on one side versus the other side.
It usually takes between 7 to 10 days for a circumcised penis to heal. Initially the tip may appear slightly swollen and red, and you may notice a small amount of blood on the diaper. You also may notice a slight yellow discharge or crust after a couple of days. This is part of the normal healing process.
Pat the cut (incision) dry. You may also take short baths if you wish. Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, for 4 weeks or until your doctor says it is okay. You can return to work and normal activities, including driving, when you are comfortable doing them.
With non-vascularized adhesions the foreskin naturally adheres to the head/glans of the penis and sometimes happens again after circumcision. This type of adhesion often resolves without treatment because of natural exfoliation of the skin.
Foreskin restoration is something that you can do if you were circumcised as a child. It is a method or practice to regrow your foreskin. There are a few different options for foreskin restoration including surgery and skin stretching tools.
What do I need to do to take care of the area that is healing? No special care is needed except placing petroleum jelly (Vaseline/A&D ointment) on the penis. Apply a lot, this will protect the area that is healing and prevent the penis from sticking to the diaper.
Clean the penis by gently blotting or squeezing warm water from a washcloth or cotton ball onto the penis. Do not use soap, lotion, powder or diaper wipes to clean the penis because they may cause stinging or irritation. Reapply a new piece of gauze with pure petroleum jelly.
It's important to keep the tip of your penis clean. The area should be kept dry for 48 hours after the operation. After this, take warm baths or showers once or twice a day. Don't use bubble bath or scented soaps, as these may irritate your healing wound.
OTC skin creams containing vitamin E may help reduce scarring. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for a specific recommendation. Scar oils. Some OTC products, like Bio-Oil and Mederma, hydrate the skin and help ease scarring.
Cuts and grazes
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends petroleum jelly for keeping a wound moist and to help prevent it from drying out and forming a scab, because they take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.
After the bandage is off, leave your penis open to air and apply Vaseline or bacitracin ointment around the sutures, several times each day. This will prevent the dry edges of the incision from sticking to your clothes. Avoid tight clothing, which can put pressure on your penis.
Removal of too much preputial skin may lead to an unsatisfactory cosmetic and functional result. Patients with a congenital anomaly known as 'buried penis' are particularly susceptible to this.