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Last Updated: Jan 10, 2023
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Tight foreskin
Tight foreskin
The foreskin is the hood of skin that covers the head of the penis. If you have been circumcised, you will not have a foreskin.
In small children the foreskin is tight and stuck to the glans, but normally begins to separate at about the age of 3 or 4. If the hole in the foreskin looks abnormally tiny, ask your doctor to check.
After the age of 7, it is usually possible to pull the foreskin back over the head (or glans) of the penis, but in some boys this is not possible before the age of 14 or 15. So if you are 13 or 14, do not worry – this is perfectly normal.
If you are 15 or over and cannot pull your foreskin back, it may be too tight.
A tight foreskin is called phimosis . If you have phimosis, you will not be able to wash under your foreskin properly, so a white, cheesy material called smegma can accumulate. Also, if the condition is severe, it may be painful when the penis is erect.
Some men have phimosis from childhood, but it can also occur late in life, perhaps as a result of several thrush infections affecting the head of the penis. Another common reason is a skin condition called balanitis xerotica obliterans, which makes the foreskin pale and thickened. The cause of this condition is not known; it is not an infection.
The foreskin is the hood of skin that covers the head of the penis. If you have been circumcised, you will not have a foreskin.
In small children the foreskin is tight and stuck to the glans, but normally begins to separate at about the age of 3 or 4. If the hole in the foreskin looks abnormally tiny, ask your doctor to check.
After the age of 7, it is usually possible to pull the foreskin back over the head (or glans) of the penis, but in some boys this is not possible before the age of 14 or 15. So if you are 13 or 14, do not worry – this is perfectly normal.
If you are 15 or over and cannot pull your foreskin back, it may be too tight.
A tight foreskin is called phimosis . If you have phimosis, you will not be able to wash under your foreskin properly, so a white, cheesy material called smegma can accumulate. Also, if the condition is severe, it may be painful when the penis is erect.
Some men have phimosis from childhood, but it can also occur late in life, perhaps as a result of several thrush infections affecting the head of the penis. Another common reason is a skin condition called balanitis xerotica obliterans, which makes the foreskin pale and thickened. The cause of this condition is not known; it is not an infection.