Dry cracked foreskin

Posted , 4 users are following.

I was wearing trousers last week which were rubbing against my penis when I was walking. The next morning, my penis was sore and the foreskin had swollen up like it had some fluid inside. Since then I have had dry skin in that area which has cracked open - this is painful whenever the foreskin is retractred to urinate.  

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Posted

    That's either bad balanitis or lichen sclerus (aka balanitis xerotica obliterans or BXO).  I wouldn't normally recommend that people see a doctor about balanitis, but in your case, I think you should.  You could either see your GP, or if you're in the UK, you could go to a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic - google "GUM clinic near me" for details.  If you could update this thread and tell us what the doctors say, it would be appreciated.

    If you don't see a doctor, it may well just fix itself, but I'd get it checked out if I were you.  Are you diabetic or taking any antibiotics btw?

    • Posted

      If it is balanitis, then these links may help:

      https://patient.info/health/balanitis-leaflet

      https://patient.info/doctor/balanitis-pro  ;

      (written for doctors)

      Washing (with water, no soap) daily, and taking a leak and washing after masturbation or sex will probably help, and you could also try Canesten cream or Daktarin cream.  Loose fitting cotton underwear may help, and some sites recommend washing underwear with non-biological washing powder or liquid.

    • Posted

      Thanks for the quick reply!

      The swelling went down the next day and the dry skin is only really like that first thing in the morning - as soon as i've been in the shower everything looks a lot better, though the two cuts are still there and I'm guessing they're healing as the day goes on until I interrupt the process with a toilet break. I used Nivea moisturiser cream on it and that made a huge difference to the pain when retracting.

      No to diabetes and not had antibiotics for a long time but I did bite my tongue last month (badly... ouch!) which ended up swollen with a white thrush-like coating all over. Guess I should've seen the doc after that.

      I'll try Canesten and see if there's any change over the next few days but if it gets worse then I will make an appointment with the GP.

  • Posted

    Sounds as if you are doing some good with the Nivea cream. As I'vee aged (now 67) I've found it more necessary to keep my foreskin moisturised. I'm in the UK and have used Boots Smith's Cremolia with considerable success. 

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.