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Penis foreskin cracks during sex, peeling skin, dots and spots [documented]

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J0P1315
J0P1315

Hi,

First of all thank you for your time and sorry for the long post,

I'm a healthy 29y old male and in the past 8 months I've been having some problems when having sex. Around February I've noticed some cracks on my foreskin image, at the time i didn't thought much of it, and it eventually healed up, after that, every time i had my foreskin would always crack in the same spots with the same pattern, and it started to appear even more cracks imageimage, when they happen during sex, i can clearly feel them and it stings a little, but after the act, i would clean it with lukewarm water and i would only feel an occasional sting or 2, and, along with the cracks, i also feel the area where the cracks are very very raw and sensitive to the touch, the rest of the penis is fine. In the healing process, after 1 or 2 days, my skin would feel very dry, accompanied by some peeling skin where the cracks where imageimageimage, that area of the skin, eventually they would heal up, but the skin in that area looks a bit darker than the rest image, the dryness i would fight it with some moisturizer.

In all this months I've tried some approaches to tackle this without success, i used a cleaning solution with neutral PH and no fragrances, anti candida fungal ointment, topical steroid cream, fusidic acid and also elidel, already went to 2 different dermatologists, and the problem still persists, with a down side, that now, it seems to be getting worse as some dots started to appear on the glad imageimageimageimageimage and also on the foreskin area imageimage. Along with all of the this, the redder area of the skin sometimes when is dryer it also looks shinier. I'm posting here in hope of some advice of someone who has gone through the same thing. Before all of this, i had a normal sex life with no problems whatsoever.

Best regards, Thank you,

11 likes, 536 replies

536 Replies

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  • joe62800
    joe62800 J0P1315

    Edited

    I've had the exact same thing for at least 10 years on and off now. It's actually really reassuring to find other guys talking about this problem as I figured it was unique in that no doctors seem to be able to give a straight answer to what this problem actually is!

    To give some backstory to my situation, I was circumcised at age 18 because my foreskin was too tight to pull back. (I do remember having a patch of dry, cracked skin on the outside of my foreskin at a younger age too, and thinking back to where that was located on the shaft of the penis, it would make sense that the circumcision never removed it).

    Since then I've been to the doctor numerous times over the past 10 years and I've been prescribed steroid creams, moisturisers, anti fungal creams, anti bacterial creams etc.

    After abstaining whilst using these various creams, not abstaining whilst using them, doing nothing to see if that would work, sadly nothing has.

    Initially my GP thought it was eczema, hence the steroid cream, and that probably helped clear it up the best in my experience. About a year ago I visited a dermatology specialist privately, and he said that it was unlikely to be eczema as there was no inflammation and that the steroid cream had effectively acted to weaken my skin further. He prescribed me various moisturisers, to use in the shower, other times during the day and before bed, whilst abstaining for a month.

    I tried this and again, as soon as I had sex the skin on the shaft of the penis split again (my case is very similar to OP in that the area affected looks to be in the same place for me post circumcision - just below the head of the penis towards the right hand side).

    I'm in agreement with the majority of people here, in that I believe this is a deeply ingrained fungal/bacterial/microbial infection (The issue is, I've tried Canesten and Dermol 500 to no effect, and other anti fungals in the past whose names I've forgotten). I've been back to my GP recently and have been referred to have a biopsy done on the affected area so I'll make sure I keep everyone posted on the results from that as and when it happens.

    I'd be interested to know people's drinking habits here, as I stopped drinking for about 5 months late last year, and the skin seemed to regain some strength whilst I was with my ex, I remember being surprised that it didn't split on a couple of occasions! I feel like there may be a link, as alcohol (beer in particular) has a lot of yeast and sugar (further boosting yeast in the body) which may be fuelling the fungal infection.

    Hope this helps others out there, it's not exactly a guide to a cure (yet!) but I can honestly say that I've been the human troubleshooter for this issue over the last 10 years.

    • andrew28840
      andrew28840 joe62800

      Posted

      That's great news Joe! I have been really hoping someone in this chat would get a biopsy done and share the results. I have been following this thread for about a year now. Thank you for very much for sharing and Iook forward to hearing the results!

    • joe62800
      joe62800 andrew28840

      Posted

      Hey mate, just to update, got the biopsy done yesterday so will have the results in 4/5 weeks hopefully! I'll update the thread once I have some answers. One doctor recently said she thought it was likely eczema which can't be cured but only controlled. My hope is that the biopsy will tell me if it is or not as after 10 years I'm getting a little tired of trying to cure it! If we know that it's a case of something to control it should hopefully provide a little more clarity and peace of mind.

    • yan07572
      yan07572 joe62800

      Posted

      Interesting theory for the sugar/yeast. Strangely enough my latest outbreak raged out when I have spent about weeks if not an entire month binging coca-cola, candies, eating like trash or waiting to shower after the gym (once I get home from a car ride instead of the locker room). And when I say binging on coca cola, easily a liter a day. I disgust myself here.

  • daniel84726
    daniel84726 J0P1315

    Posted

    Hi there

    thank you for this post and all the other people who have also commented.

    I have developed these symptoms too and will let you know if I have anything of interest to add to the conversation.

    I dont know how this occurs im a clean boy and very conscious of hygiene so this has taken me a back a bit.

    but hope to keep up to date with this thread

  • noah63057
    noah63057 J0P1315

    Posted

    hi there, ive been experiencing a lot of the same issues. Did you have to get prescribed the anti fungal cream from your doctor or did you just pick it up at a pharmacy?

  • Jayo33
    Jayo33 J0P1315

    Posted

    This is f*****g crazy. Is there no doctor out there who wants to go to the bottom of this?

    Some people have been cured by cortisone, some by Pimafucort, some by just switching soap, some by a really good hygiene, some by a mix of antifungal and antibiotics+cortisone. And for some, nothing works.

    Please joe62800 , share your biopsy once it's done. It might shed some light to the situation. My doctor think's it's lichen schlerosus. I don't believe that, but if that is the case, there is a new way of treating that. The only way to make sure it is lichen is by biopsy.

    Best regards //J

    • andrew28840
      andrew28840 Jayo33

      Posted

      Hi Jay,

      Are you also getting a biopsy?

      Would love to know the results.

    • joe62800
      joe62800 Jayo33

      Posted

      Hi mate, had a biopsy performed yesterday. Will update everyone once I've got the results! It could take 4/5 weeks to get the results back.

      Cheers

    • E1a1
      E1a1 Jayo33

      Posted

      bro, cut off the cortisone (steroids) cream right away. we all becoming / became addicted tot hay s**t!

      that thins up the skin!

      and more over, when u stop using it, your dick skin goes on withrawal symptoms (yes like any heroine or any heavy used drug).

      the cuts are made due to thinning of the skin, then skin cuts get infected, then u apply more cream to ease the pain, more thining etc

      sometimes i was applying the cream the moment i felt an itch, to be "one step ahead of the game". fking idiot, the itch is my skin craving more steroids.

      here is the article:

      https://dermnetnz.org/topics/topical-corticosteroid-withdrawal#:~:text=The%20duration%20of%20acute%20topical,return%20to%20its%20original%20condition

      i took antibiotics (symptoms stopped), but the akin remained thin so it would crack whether i have sex or jerk off.

      i can't leave with antibiotics (oral or cream). i m opting for Turmeric and coconut oil paste. both for the antibacterial properties.

      also turmeric s good to reduce inflamations in general and some studies say that it also promotes collagen production

      good luck to you all. i might start a new forum

  • Knowldgeboy
    Knowldgeboy J0P1315

    Posted

    I have been suffering from this exact issue for years.

    what i discoverd was two things casing it.

    1 low testation. i had. normal male should be at 500+ test i was at five yup single digit 5. treatmet helps.

    2nd. was lack of vitiam D. i was put on 5000g a week. that cleard it right up.

    when i miss a few doses of ether the tearing comes back.

    good luck

  • ecd26761
    ecd26761 J0P1315

    Posted

    Consider irritant contact dermatitis. Stop using everything. Keep your hands off and keep it in your pants to rest. Apply triple paste. See a dermatologist ask for Pimecolimus 1% cream.

  • mike73930
    mike73930 J0P1315

    Posted

    OK folks... Nothing works. I tried every damn cream on this thread. Went to a urologist as well who said more creams or circumcision(which I am not too thrilled about). Urologists are surgeons and when you are a hammer everything looks like a nail.

    At this point I am supremely frustrated. Never had an issue for 42 years of my damn life and now I have had this on and off for a year now. Ugh!

    imageEnjoy the collection of my creams all of which are useless

    • andrew28840
      andrew28840 mike73930

      Posted

      Sorry to hear about your frustration. I think I've said it about 3-4 times now, but one of us needs to go for a biopsy and share the results. Have your urologist order a biopsy and say that you want to rule out a skin disease/ infection first before you go forward with a circumcision. I would go for a biopsy myself but I can't even see my urologist right now because of Covid.

    • E1a1
      E1a1 mike73930

      Posted

      man, stop using creams with steroids. this is the issue! it thins the skin and then it creates reactions (as it becomes dependant on it).

      search online or change to competent urologist.

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