Blotchy red rash/irritated skin on penile head (lasted for over 3 moths now)?

40 year old uncircumsied guy here...I had this condition in 2016, cleared it with otc hydrocortizone cream. It started again in June 2017 and has persisted up till now. Just like all of you, it fades in and out, tried every balanitis cream and lotion on the market. The only thing that has helped long term is Skin Fix for babies, Suragel and cleaning a few times a week with only cool purified water. I thought Suragel was a gimmick, it seemed like a fraud company but I finally got a few vials and tried it out of desperation... and it went from bad to 80% resolved! This was after seeing a derm who prescribed hand lotions (which just made matter worse). I also got diagnosed with low risk hpv last year but the warts were no where near my gentials (thankfully not yet anyway). They showed up in the skin fold area in the groin. The orginal derm said that HPV was not related to the irritation and he took biopsy of the warts to confirm they were not cancerous.(he also refused to call the irritation balanitis).

Now, it started coming back a little more so I have a new derm on schedule in two days because the red area seems to look like lichen or psorisis (white if I don't moisturize every other day). I really hope he says psorisis or exzema like the other derm! However, here is an alternative bit of hope... our common link by reading the thread is... gut health!

I also recently got diagnosed with SIBO via a breath test (positive for hydrogen and methane). I am on a round of gut specific antibiotics (Xifaxan and Methylecn) and my gastro doc thinks getting my bacteria under control may help to resolve the issue. I have two weeks on the treatment and one week off afterwards, I'll update this thread on my progress. By the way, I also got tested for HIV, Siph, hsv2, etc. last year... all were negative (thankfully). Blood tests (gluclose, etc.) is also normal so diabeties is not the issue for me.

A GI hydogen/ methane breath test may help you too... one of the main symptoms of SIBO is roseca, rashes, exzema and or other skin infections! Wish me luck and I'll do the same for all of you.

guys, been using this childfarm cream for 4-5 days now and there does seem to be an improvement already... it's the best i've seen it in a good while. Check it out... I'm starting to believe this is a miracle cream... Was only £3.99 from Boots!

- http://www.boots.com/childs-farm-baby-moisturiser-250ml-10215533

My Doctor 6 months ago did say it looked like a form of eczema so maybe it does only need this sort of cream. 

I'll post another update in a week.

Hello,I got 23years and i have problem with penis head for two years now.It started like mycose then change to balantis.I´ve been healed to both but problem still persisted.Last tests were clean to everything except for staphylococcus aureus.I decide to circumcision a month ago.After surgery all looks fine and nice for 2weeks then it´s back.I got one red rash on the middle of penis head.During day it changes.Once its very unseen then go dark then go very red and so around.I feel last few days little burning and discomfort.Im very frustrated and my doctors dont know help me.Then prescribe me lot of ointments which one doesnt help but make it worse.I try change a boxers to 100%cotton 2 days ago but i dont see any change to better.If you can help me please.I lose my taste to life for that. Thank you and sorry for my bad english,im not native speaker.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having very similar ongoing symptoms to you all. However, I have found something that so far seems to be working. It’s not 100% better but I’d say a good 95%.

I’ve started taking probiotics daily. Aswell as this, I’ve started cleaning with Sanex, one that restores natural PH levels. From what I can tell it seems to be an imbalance in PH levels. I’ll keep you updated if I have continued success.

Here’s my 2 cents (since everyone seems to have the same problem as the person who first posted including me) to the story. I have the same exact issue for over a year. I have been driving myself insane with anxiety and stress because of this matter. I’m uncircumcised and I have had Balanitis or whatever drs call as Balanitis 25 years ago as a child. My symptoms showed up after I was on a high dosage of corticosteroid treatment for my Crohns. Long story short and after reading all the crazy stuff online I stumbled upon a post that said to “submerge” my penile head in hydrogen peroxide for 10 mins and then use a blow dryer to dry the area well. I did it and I freaked out! Small white pimples started showing up and like mushrooms that grew from the inside. I was so terrified that never tried it again but the next couple days my condition seemed so much better. I think I will go back to that “treatment” and see what’s the outcome. Has anyone ever tried that?

Just thought I'd give everyone a quick update. To be honest I've been quite lazy with the whole situation recently as I'm pessimistic by nature, but I'm now ready to at least have a serious go at improving things.

I've never used any kind of moisturizer on the glans, so I have bought one to start using called 'Palmer's Shea Butter Formula Cream'. It's actually a hand cream, but I think it has the ingredients/properties that can possibly help the penile skin issues. And the great thing is it only cost me £2.49, so I reckon its worth a shot. Hopefully this will have a positive effect on the redness and texture of the skin.

I also sometimes get this annoying itch/irritation feeling in the urethra right near the tip. To try and counter this I'm going to start submerging the glans in a salt water solution everyday.

That's as far as I've got really. 

?Absolutely overwhelmed by the response to my post. Never thought it would generate such interest. Very much appreciate each and everyone of you that has contributed to the thread in one way or another. Any notable changes I experience will of course be posted here.

Hi Jason 

I have exactly the same issue  since 3 months 

it started  suddenly  after I took long time in masterbation  in the shower using  new  kind of soap .

I went to a doctor  and he told me it is eczema  and i used   hydrocortisone for one week but it didnt work

I went to another doctor  and he told me it is Balanitis and i used anti fungal  cream for 1 week  and didnt work 

I went to third doctor  he told me  this Chronic Perineal Pain  might  be Caused by Pudendal Nerve Entrapment and i need to do MRI  to check 

Hi Jason

Sorry to bother you did you have any joy with your rash outcome? I appear to have similar thing and having major health anxiety I am working myself about it, have been to see the doctors and the rash almost goes when I went so the doc said nothing was wrong

Look forward to hearing from you or anyone that can help

Hey guys, just an update about that childsfarm cream... after a week or so of applying 2 a day, the rash has come back... still have that blotchy redness around the from of the glans. I will stick with this cream though, and try it for a few more weeks.

i have been drinking more beer and chocolate/biscuits lately and i wonder if it's a reaction to that. 

it would be a great idea if people list foods/drinks they tend to have everyday. 

Alcohol i've had this week... weds - glass of wine, thurs - IPA beer, friday - 2 bottles of cider... Anyone else drink much alcohol?

Hello, I've read this discussion in its entirety, I am suffering from the same exact symptoms as the OP.. Although I'm sure there are variances in each case we all agree on one thing, that this is some sort of sub-dermal inflammation that comes and goes throughout the day.

My situation started with receiving oral sex from a stranger (which of course is the cause of my extreme anxiety regarding this rash). Immediately after the oral encounter I soaked my entire genitalia in hand sanitizer including injecting a large amount down my urethra!!*I don't recommend!!

4 days later I noticed this blotchy inflammation of the glans. During first week it was almost constant, accompanied by a slight discomfort on glans and in urethra.. I went and had full panel std test all negative... doctor immediately suggest it's contact dermatitis from the hand sanitizer! Of course my hypochondria sets in and I fear the worst, hiv hsv or hpv...

I am now 5weeks post incident and should get retested for stds on m onday, but i have alleviated the flare ups quite a bit but rash still comes and goes at times.. I have noticed that my glans is extra oily each morning when I wake (possibly overcompensating from when I stripped all natural oil with sanitizer), I am circumcised...

Things ive started with successful at subduing the flare ups:

Organic diaper rash cream with zinc oxide...

Organic 100% aloe...

Anti-viral herbs (elderberry, astragalus root, olive leaf extract, Echinacea, and Cat's Claw)

Not sure which of these treatments is helping the most but I have experienced less symptoms since I started that...

I have also noted the flare ups come when I have high stress/ anxiety attack about it, which can be considered consistent with a dermatitis rash...