It's normal for babies and young boys to have a tight foreskin (phimosis), but adults can also be affected. See a GP if your or your child's foreskin is sore or swollen.
A tight foreskin is common in baby boys who aren't circumcised, but it usually stops being a problem by the age of 3. Phimosis can occur naturally or be the result of scarring. Young boys may not need treatment for phimosis unless it makes urinating difficult or causes other symptoms.
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.
The foreskin should be able to retract readily at all points in life after infancy. It should be able to retract to allow for full erections. Unfortunately, there are no exercises I can recommend to help with this. There is a steroid cream that can be very helpful to relax the tissue and allow for better retraction.
Phimosis will occur in less than 1 percent of teenagers between 16 and 18. It is most likely to occur in older boys with: repeated urinary tract infections. foreskin infection.
If your child can't pull back the foreskin or has concerns about it, you should take them to see your GP. At any age, it's important for your child to know that the foreskin always needs to be put back to cover the head of the penis.
At birth, the foreskin is attached to the head of the penis (glans). It is attached by a layer of cells. Over time, the foreskin will separate from the head of the penis. This is a natural process and occurs over 5 to 10 years.
By age 17, most boys will be able to fully retract their foreskin. Phimosis can also occur if the foreskin is forced back before it is ready. This can cause a fibrous scar to form. This can stop the foreskin from retracting in the future.
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 normal for the uncircumcised infant/child and usually resolves around 5-7 years of age, however the child may be older.
Foreskin retraction may happen right after birth. Or it may take several years. Most foreskins can be fully retracted by the time a young man is 18 years old. Retracting or pulling back the foreskin from the tip of the penis should not be forced.
A healthy penis foreskin should be easy to pull back over the head of the penis and put it back again without feeling too tight or painful. “This is important so that you can clean underneath it – so a good time to try it is in the shower,” says Dr Ranj Singh.
It may take a few weeks, months, or years. Once this happens, the foreskin can be pulled back away from the tip of the penis. This is called foreskin retraction. Most boys will be able to retract their foreskins by the time they are 5 years old, yet others will not be able to until the teen years.
By age 17, most boys will be able to fully retract their foreskin. Phimosis can also occur if the foreskin is forced back before it is ready. This can cause a fibrous scar to form. This can stop the foreskin from retracting in the future.
Circumcision of older boys and men
Some older boys and men need to have a circumcision due to medical problems such as: scarring of the foreskin that stops it from retracting (phimosis) recurring inflammation or infections of the penis (balanitis or lichen sclerosis)
If you or your child has a tight foreskin, it will be difficult to pull it back from the end of the penis. A tight foreskin is normal in babies and young boys. Most boys' foreskins do not pull back (retract) before the age of 5, but sometimes it's not possible until they're 10 or older.
Over time, the foreskin will separate from the head of the penis. This is a natural process and occurs over 5 to 10 years. It slowly loosens up (retracts) a little at a time. Normal erections during childhood cause most of the change by stretching the foreskin.
Physiologic phimosis: Children are born with tight foreskin at birth and separation occurs naturally over time. Phimosis is normal for the uncircumcised infant/child and usually resolves around 5-7 years of age, however the child may be older.
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.
But over the first few years of life, the foreskin gradually pulls back more easily. By the time a boy is 5 years old, his foreskin usually can be pulled all the way back. Some boys' foreskins cannot be pulled all the way back until they are 10 to 17 years old.
What is phimosis? Phimosis is a condition in which the foreskin can't be retracted (pulled back) from around the tip of the penis. A tight foreskin is common in baby boys who aren't circumcised, but it usually stops being a problem by the age of 3. Phimosis can occur naturally or be the result of scarring.
A redundant prepuce means that there is an excess amount of foreskin – the foreskin completely covers the head of the penis when it is not erect. In some boys and men, this extra foreskin can sometimes lead to health problems if it can't be fully drawn back from the head of the penis.
The NMC group included 72 patients (29.0%) who were circumcised during the newborn period; the non-NMC group included 176 patients (71.0%) who were circumcised after the newborn period. There was no significant difference in height, weight, and second to fourth digit ratio between both groups (Table 3).
Boys born with phimosis, and it can last through puberty. With time, the skin retracts off the head of the penis naturally. You need treatment only if it happens after your foreskin has become fully retractable.