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Irritated Penis Head

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daniel79287
daniel79287

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Hi, so i've had this irritation on my penis head for the last while where the glans becomes red and wrinkled/flaky (especially after masturbation). Does anyone have any idea what this could be? It isn't an std either as i haven't been sexually active.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Wee_Dugie
    Wee_Dugie daniel79287

    Posted

    Daniel, the most common cause of this is the things we expose the penile skin to on a regular basis: the most common is soap, then shower gel. Once males start masturbating they often put something like a skin cream or baby oil, or sometimes some form of a Lube on the penis to enhance pleasure.

    Essentially, it can be anything that is in regular contact with the head of the penis, in particular, as the skin is very sensitive, in addition to this during masturbation it experiences a great deal of friction. What may have started off as being irritated to one particular thing, such as soap, eventually can become a general intolerance to anything chemical based.

    When the head develops an intolerance like this you can get to a point where almost anything irritates it further, and this includes the presence of urine, pre-ejaculate and semen. I am going to post my general guide as to the broadest aspects of what you need to think about and put in place to combat this.

    If you have any further questions simply hit the Reply Button ....

    .

    Penile Hygiene Regime to Combat Specific Skin Problems

    .

    The best approach is not to use ANY SOAP on the Glans / Head of your penis - wash with water only EVERY time you have urinated, after sexual arousal, and ejaculation. If you are not circumcised, protect the Glans of your penis every time you take a shower by drawing the foreskin as far forward as you can, then wash everywhere else, thoroughly rinse off all the gels / shampoo and suchlike, then expose your glans wash it with the water only using the inside of your hand, then each time you have washed it you must make sure to 100% pat dry immediately afterwards with a clean towel.

    .

    After you have put this in place and you still have the situation going on you need to look at what else your penis is coming into contact with on a fairly regular basis.  The likely suspects are:-

    • any chemical compounds such as skin cream / lotions, baby oil, oil based lubes, chemicals inside condoms (e.g. easy-on and spermicides) you need to exclude these one by one to discover the culprit, the easiest approach is to exclude everything to start with, then once things are on the mend, introduce each individual item to discover what has caused this in the first place.
    • if non of these make any difference you need to look to things such as washing powder in which you wash your clothes, and underwear in, in particular.  The simple alternative to washing powder is Liquid Soap Flakes, most sizeable supermarkets stock this in their own brand names - and you use this in your washing machine instead of powders or ANY fabric conditioner type additives.

      .

      If all this produces no resolution to what you have, or your condition dramatically worsens, seek medical advice from your regular Doctor - but please note, many do not fully understand the differences between the potential skin conditions you may potentially have.  Therefore, the better course of action may be to see a Dermatologist, or alternatively, go to a Specialist Sexual Health Service and ask to see the duty Dermatologist if they have one, or ask how you get to see a Dermatologist that specialises in Genital Skin Disorders.

    • Wee_Dugie
      Wee_Dugie daniel79287

      Posted

      There are a number of potential fungal / yeast infections this could potentially be. It is most common to get these infections and they become a problem after unprotected vaginal sex. However, it is possible to have these infections even if you are not, or ever have been sexually active. This is usually linked to hygiene issues, such as the basic ones of not showering regularly, or changing underclothes. The other source can be if there is sweat in the area on a regular basis, such as if you are active, run around, but still have the same underclothes on all the time.

      So, what I detailed in my initial response to you was the typical sources of irritation for the skin on the head and foreskin of the penis and what you can do to combat these issues.

      If you take these issues on board, such as not using soap and shower gel on the penis, then making sure you are completely dry after showering or washing the penis, this all helps combat any potential source of irritation. Again, as a specific example, you need to think about when you have masturbated - are you applying any oils, skin creams, baby oil, that kind of stuff.

      Essentially, when the skin on the head of your penis looks as yours does basically anything can irritate it further, or certain cause the irritation you have already to remain in place.

      Often, it is impossible to isolate one thing as being the definite cause, such as treating any cause of thrush that you are suggesting, for example - you have to look at the bigger picture of all the potential sources of irritation and do everything possible to eliminate them.

      This is why after masturbating you need to do a full clean up, then afterwards, check for the presence of semen or pre-ejaculate on the head, and particularly, under the foreskin as if either are present they can be a real source of irritation.

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