Foreskin Pulled Back Hurts- Retraction Pain and Tightness

Q: Hi, I am a 13 year old male. I have noticed that there is skin at the top of penis, which is attached to the foreskin. Because of this I can only pull my foreskin down a bit before it hurts. There is also a line of skin going down my penis and to the top of the penis. The top portion is wider when erect and is an oval in shape.

Reply:

Your condition is absolutely normal for this age. Medically speaking, you don’t have any problem.

The foreskin is not just some flap of skin. It is a highly important part of nature’s careful attention to sex and procreation.

Purpose of Foreskin

At birth, the foreskin is completely fused to the glans.The opening of the prepuce acts like a sphincter and only releases to allow urine to pass. This design serves very important functions:
  • It protects the developing penis from feces, bacteria and other harmful pathogens.
  • It protects the developing glans and keeps it from becoming desensitized and keratinized before time.
As the boy becomes older, they gradually separate of their own accord, a natural process that may not be complete until puberty or even into early adulthood. This happens in a natural way while bathing or otherwise. The average age of separation allowing full foreskin retraction is 14-15 years.
Never forcibly retract your foreskin or allow anyone else to do so! It is painful, and can lead to infections and adhesions. Adhesions are found in all wounds. When you hurt your penis, it gets wounded and fibrous tissue gets formed beneath the foreskin. This can permanently fuse the foreskin to the penile tissue.
There is a lot of confusion over this issue and some practitioners consider retracting the foreskin early. Some even excise it out surgically. This is not right.
You should be the first and only person to retract your foreskin. Let this happen in a natural way, in a year or two. Let it happen without any pain. There is no hurry at all. You are very young.
Take Care,
Buddy M.D.

Medical Advice (Q&As) on “Foreskin Pulled Back Hurts- Retraction Pain and Tightness

  1. AA

    I am 27 and unmarried. My problem of foreskin sound completely similar to the retraction problem we always hear. But this is gross as puberty and time have not proven to be helpful at all. My foreskin is way too tight like a baby boy, and just let me pass urine normally. There is no problem in erection, ejaculation. But, my foreskin does not go down even 1 MM. I do not want to go for circumcision. I tried to pull it, but no use at all. Used oils to make it soft and stretchable, but again back to same stage. I talked to my friends of my age, who all said that their skin do not move much but still it moves an inch or something downwards. Mine does not move at all. Please guide.

    Reply
    1. Buddy M.D. Post author

      Though your situation is a variation from normal, you do not seem to have any problem, like infections, burning or difficulty in urination, ejaculation etc.

      This age is too late for corrections by stretching exercises. Such options are possible during teenage, when the skin is extensible enough.

      You may still try retracting the foreskin gently with steroid creams applied on it. However, there is little hope.

      Do not try to forcibly retract the foreskin, this will only damage it and may traumatize and infect it.

      Accepting this variation would be the best. Since you have no functional problem, you may let it be as such. The other option is surgery, where the foreskin can be excised (circumcision).

      Reply
      1. Buddy M.D. Post author

        That’s normal for your age. Retract it gently using any lubricating oil or gel. Give it time. Over months, you may find it going further backward without pain.

        Reply
  2. Antonio Valdez

    When I go to urinate my penis hurts and I can’t retract the foreskin, I’m a diabetic person.

    Reply
    1. Buddy M.D. Post author

      Apply some bland oil or any other lubricant over your penis. This may help retraction.

      Self examine to see if there’s any bumps or rashes over it. Let us know.

      Reply
  3. Wai keong

    I am a 19 year old guy that has a problem with my penis. When I tried sex for the first time recently, I was in so much pain that I lost any interest of it. My foreskin was retracted but there were sensations of pain every time the head is touched, which meant impossible for intercourse since I would be in so much pain and wouldn’t be enjoyable.

    My normal ways of masturbating is not by mainstream methods. I masturbate with the foreskin intact. Then I put my penis between my legs, squeeze my legs and release again, putting pressure and friction on the tip.

    Are my masturbation methods causing this problem?? Help will be appreciated. Thank you

    Reply
    1. Buddy M.D. Post author

      This is normal. Use plenty of lubrication when you masturbate. Don’t force retraction, be gentle. The skin out there is very expansible and would surely stretch with time. This may take 3 to 6 months.

      Reply
  4. kay foster

    I pulled back my foreskin recently.it has some kind of seemingly extra wing-liked meat around my penis head’s rim
    should I cut it?it doesn’t seem normal.it makes my penis really weird shaped

    Reply
  5. Nathaniel

    Hi I’m 19 my foreskin is kind of tight, when I’m erect it wont go past the head and if it try to do so it hurts. Its always been like this but recently sometimes it hurts and feels sore if I try to pull it back even when flaccid, if I wet the penis with oil or something the foreskin loosens up and doesn’t feel as sore. Is this a cause for concern, also about a few weeks ago my penis was smelly but I dont think i was washing it enough and that cleared up with washing it more often.

    Reply
    1. Buddy M.D. Post author

      Not a cause of concern at all. You may slowly try to retract your foreskin, with adequate lubrication each time. Be very gentle and give it time, may be months. Let it gradually stretch up and grow in size.

      Reply
  6. John

    My foreskin is Closed up tight And hurts when I pull back. but can still go pass the head! When should I contact the doctor?

    Reply
  7. Chad davis

    Im the age of 20 and one night of having sex I felt a sharp pain on the bottom side of my penis head and went to the restroom to check it out and was a bloody mess I cleaned the tore on my frenulum and it healed good but I can’t go any lower passed the bottom of head of penis because the frenulum starts to hurt and and kept tearing but was less blood then the first time is there any stretching exercises I can do or will have to go to get surgery.

    Reply
    1. Buddy M.D. Post author

      Wait till the wound heals completely. This may take time .

      Once healed, you may start stretching it gradually and gently. Be gentle and slow. It’s likely to stretch. The skin out there has immense capability of stretching out.

      Many stretching exercises may be searched on the net. Follow any. Just use a lubricant while doing it for better results.

      Reply

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