Gently retracting the foreskin over time can help resolve phimosis and steroid creams can also be effective1 in softening the skin and making it easier to move back and forth.
If you are suffering from phimosis, regular exercise may be recommended by the doctor to help manage your symptoms. The doctor will suggest a few light exercises after examining your condition. Phimosis stretching exercises are helpful and may ease your pain to some extent.
Start stretching exercises on the foreskin, usually best by pulling the foreskin back until it feels tight (but not painful), and holding it back under tension for 10 minutes – usually after a bath or shower twice a day.
Although a tight foreskin does not always lead to serious medical complications, it may cause symptoms such as redness, pain, and inflammation. Symptoms like these can interfere with normal urination and a person's sex life.
In adulthood, the foreskin is normally loose enough to be fully retracted. In this case, the glans (including its root) should be fully exposed. During erection, the foreskin retracts by itself, exposing the entire glans or at least part of it.
Phimosis is normal for the uncircumcised infant/child and usually resolves around 5-7 years of age, however the child may be older.
Phimosis usually goes away on its own within the first few years of a child's life. If it causes problems – for instance, when urinating (peeing) – it may need to be treated. Using a special cream is often enough. Surgery is only rarely needed.
In men, circumcision is most commonly carried out when the foreskin is tight and won't pull back (retract), which is known as phimosis. But alternative treatments, such as topical steroids, are sometimes preferred.
Phimosis (Foreskin Problems) symptoms
Try not to force the foreskin back yourself, as this can lead to painful cracks on the inside of the foreskin. As these cracks heal, they will form scars, which could make your condition worse.
Maintaining good hygiene of the penis is very important if you are suffering from phimosis. Good hygiene practices help wash off the dirt and sweat and help in preventing the growth of microbes. The glans and the foreskin should be washed and dried gently. Cotton wipes and swabs can also be used for the purpose.
If you have phimosis, you are more likely to get penile cancer. If left untreated, it can lead to increased swelling, and in extreme cases, gangrene, and eventually the loss of your penis.
There is another classification of phimosis severity invented by Kikiros et al., which is as follows: Grade 0 is full retractability, Grade 1 is full retraction but tight behind glans, Grade 2 is partial exposure of glans, Grade 3 is partial retraction with meatus just visible, Grade 4 is slight retraction but neither ...
Leaving phimosis untreated can increase your risk of potentially serious complications such as balanitis (an infection that can happen when you don't keep the inside of your foreskin clean) and penile cancer.
Phimosis of the prepuce can be treated without performing a circumcision. The most common and most effective treatment option is the local application ofcorticosteroid ointment.
Phimosis only affects uncircumcised males and is more common in boys than men. Phimosis is normal in uncircumcised babies and toddlers, as the foreskin is still attached to the glans.
Prognosis. In most men, phimosis is not a serious problem and will not require treatment. However, it is not expected to improve on its own. As noted above, paraphimosis is sometimes a medical emergency, and the penis may become permanently damaged if you do not seek immediate medical attention.
Phimosis is where the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis (glans). Phimosis is normal in babies and toddlers. It isn't usually a problem unless it causes the symptoms described. Take your child to your GP if they have these symptoms.
Up to 10% of males will have physiologic phimosis at 3 years of age, and a larger percentage of children will have only partially retractible foreskins. One to five percent of males will have nonretractible foreskins by age 16 years.
How far back should the foreskin retract? Usually, you can retract your foreskin behind the ridge of your penis. You should move it far enough back while you're peeing to see the meatus (the hole where urine comes out).
For permanently removal of the foreskin a procedure called Circumcision has to be done. The procedure is a permanent removal of the foreskin, which would take 15-20 min. Recovery usually takes a week to 10 days. Was this answer helpful?
Phimosis is normal and present in almost all newborn babies. As boys age, their foreskin becomes progressively easier to retract over the glans. By adulthood, physiological phimosis affects between 1 in 200 and just over 1 in 8 men1.