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.
It's important that you speak to a doctor about this. 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.
It sounds like you are suffering from a phimosis, where the foreskin cannot be pulled back to expose the head (glans) of the penis. This can be caused by a few conditions but most commonly, a skin condition known as BXO (otherwise called lichen sclerosis) is responsible.
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.
Redundant prepuce is an excess amount of foreskin – the foreskin completely covers the top of your penis when it's not erect. Not being able to fully withdraw the foreskin from the head of your penis could lead to health problems.
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.
After puberty, children should be able to pull back the foreskin. It's common for foreskin tips to get irritated.
That is normal, frankly— you are only 14 and the average age of detachment and being able to retract it is 15. And it might even be longer. Your foreskin is still developing, and once it is fully developed it generally can be retracted with ease.
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.
Normally, by the time a boy reaches 16 years of age, he should be able to easily retract his foreskin. This is true in 1% to 5% of men. If they cannot retract the foreskin by this age, they may possibly have phimosis.
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.
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.
Penile adhesions happen for a variety of reasons, including: Too much foreskin left behind after circumcision. Not pulling back the foreskin often enough, or a foreskin that cannot be retracted at all. Fat pushing the penile skin forward.
In adults, risk factors for phimosis include sexually transmitted infections. Phimosis may be caused by a skin condition, such as: Eczema: A long-term condition that causes the skin to become itchy, red, dry, and cracked. Psoriasis: This skin condition leads to patches of skin becoming red, flaky, and crusty.
Circumcision can be done at any age.
If your foreskin is very tight, it's advisable to speak to your GP. There are creams available on prescription, but if these don't work you might need a circumcision (don't worry, it's harmless, in America almost everyone is circumcised).
Most boys will have a retractable foreskin by the age of 10, and forcibly pulling the foreskin back before it is ready to do so can cause scarring that can go on to cause paraphimosis.
Phimosis is defined as the inability to retract the skin (foreskin or prepuce) covering the head (glans) of the penis. Phimosis may appear as a tight ring or “rubber band” of foreskin around the tip of the penis, preventing full retraction. Phimosis is divided into two forms: physiologic and pathologic.
There are a few ways to go about self-circumcision, but it is generally not recommended. The most common method involves using a sharp object to remove the foreskin, but this can be extremely dangerous and result in serious injury. Even if done correctly, there is a risk of infection and scarring.