If your son's foreskin separates before he reaches puberty, an occasional retraction with cleansing beneath will do. Once your son starts puberty, he should clean beneath his foreskin as part of his daily routine, just like washing his hair and brushing his teeth.
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. The end of a boy's penis may bulge or balloon when they pee, particularly if their foreskin is tight.
Phimosis is when a foreskin can't be pulled down (retracted) from the tip of the penis. This is a common problem in young boys. Paraphimosis is when the foreskin is retracted but can't move back up. This can prevent normal blood flow in the penis, and may cause serious problems.
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.
Normally, if you have a normal penis with a normal prepuce you should be able to pull the skin back fully so that it exposes the head of the penis. If that is not possible then you need circumcision, might not necessarily. If you are able expose the head, then you need not do anything.
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.
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.
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.
It can happen at up to around 10 years old, in some boys. The foreskin can be pulled back behind the glans in about 50 percent of 1-year-old boys, and almost 90 percent of 3-year-olds. Phimosis will occur in less than 1 percent of teenagers between 16 and 18.
In addition to other answers concerning the frenulum, it may be that the foreskin is simply not fully detached yet. There's a layer of skin - similar to the layer between your skin and fingernail - that holds the two together. This gradually dissolved between puberty and in some boys takes as long as age 18.
In most guys, the foreskin stays attached until puberty. The growth of the glans during puberty, and other changes causes the adhesions to dissolve over time. Jumping to circumcision is pretty drastic… at 13 it is not abnormal that you may still have an attached foreskin.
Smegma in children
This change requires skin cells to be shed. These skin cells may form smegma. This change can occur at various ages; however, it tends to occur before the age of 5. The change may, however, occur earlier – even before birth or shortly after – or later – around the teenage years.
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.
What are the main treatments? A doctor can manually retract the foreskin under local or general anaesthesia. You may also be shown how to gradually retract the foreskin after a bath, using petroleum jelly (Vaseline) or some other form of lubrication. But if the problem persists, circumcision may be necessary.
Tight foreskin
But if you or your child has concerns about phimosis, check with your GP. The GP might prescribe a corticosteroid cream to help treat the phimosis. If the foreskin is still tight after puberty, it's best for a doctor to check it.
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.
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.
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.
If your child is having difficulty, their provider might make a small cut in the foreskin so you're able to pull it back. If you're an adult with lots of scar tissue, your provider will probably recommend circumcision. This procedure will remove the foreskin and free the glans.
It takes 4-6 weeks to heal after teen circumcision.