Sticky foreskin/glans makes retracting foreskin over penis head uncomfortable

Posted , 53 users are following.

Whenever I have sex or masturbate, I find that I experience discomfort when my foreskin moves up and down. I think this is caused by the inside of my foreskin being sticky. This means that the foreskin doesn't glide smoothly, it kind of peels down like a sticker when I retract it over the glans.

This isn't caused by any fluid or discharge. I used to use soap to clean my penis but for a while I've just used water as I read this was preferable, however it hasn't got any better since the change.

My penis has always been quite sensitive and it is still sometimes uncomfortable when the exposed head rubs against clothes, which tends to happen occasional when wearing boxers as my foreskin is relatively small and sometimes retracts behind the head on its own. I used to think that my discomfort was caused by the foreskin being too small and have worked on stretching it before, however I am now thinking that without the stickiness it would function okay.

I am 21 years old and used to produce a lot of smegma before I started actively washing my penis but I don't get it any more.

Any help would be much appreciated, this has been causing me considerable distress.

It's really hard to describe, almost like the skin is sticky or tacky but not wet. When I retract the foreskin with my fingers, it doesn't slide down instantly, it kind of slowly follows.

p.s. circumcision is certainly not a valid answer at this stage so please refrain from any such debate.

Edit: I have also tried proper lube before. While this helps for a couple of minutes, I find it quickly dries out/becomes thick and makes the discomfort worse.

Another thing I have noticed is that my penis head has a textured feel and does not look as smooth as other uncut penises I have seen.

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  • Posted

    Hi buddy, sorry to hear that you are suffering with this it's such a pain.

    I am not a Dr but my suspicion is that soap, cleaning products, etc cause the problem, or make it worse, so washing your dick only with clean water and drying it well afterwards may well help.

    I guess any medication - antibiotics or otherwise - is likely to affect the functioning of your body which may also be a factor. Obviously you can't / shouldn't stop taking them if you need them, so it's trying to find a way of managing the situation as best you can.

    I see you have seen my previous comments about using oils (my preference is still Evening Primrose Oil - in capsule form - prick one with a pin and rub it in gently).

    The good news is eventually the problem does seem to resolve it's self for most people. I hope that's the case for you. Julian.

    • Posted

      hello jullian i am having this problem i am 15 and i think its because i used to have phimosis since i could pull i foreskin back i was using a bar of soap so i think the natural oils have wash away so for the past 2 days i have stopped using soap etc and jusy water and drying after washing but does not seem to help should i give it more time or the oil your talking about thank you for your time 😃

    • Posted

      I don't know anything about that condition and I am not a Dr so you probably should seek a professional opinion. But soap certainly does seem to be an irritant. I don't think using the oil would be harmful to you but seeking professional help is probably from a Dr the best option.I hope it works out ok for you. Julian

    • Posted

      okay thanks yeah the pulling foreskin back isn't an issue now just have the same issue as what it sounds like you had so i am going to give the primrose oil a go

  • Posted

    Hey there, I've been struggling with the same exact issue for the last months. Got circumcised three weeks ago and whenever precum pops out or I pour saliva on it the skin becomes sticky seconds after it dries, always taking away the magic of sexual pleasure. The glans looks wrinkly and dry. I have dry and sensitive skin in general, my balls were terribly dry and scaly, and a cream my dermatologist prescribed to me fixed it, as well as my dry lips. It's called Cicaplast Baume B5 by La Roche Posay. Have you guys tried it on the glans? it seems to attack all our symptoms. How are you guys now? Has the primrose oil, coconut oil, anything helped? I decided to stop washing the glans with soap, is this okay?.

    • Posted

      hi man did this Cicaplast Baume B5 thing work in the long run an update would be very helpful

  • Edited

    Experiencing similar symptoms (reddish color, dry foreskin that almost peels when retracts, white spot that i assumed was bxo at first but turned out to be smegma dried to head), the more times i retracted the skin, the drier it got. realizing that an absence of moisture is the most likely cause consistent with all symptoms, I followed JULIAN'S advice and purchased capsules of primrose oil for topical application. upon retracting after letting the oil sink in for about 20 mins, there was a noticeable improvement in color with no difficulty retracting except where patch of smegma was present even then with hardly any difficulty. I will update as updates present themselves but hoping this will work.

    Improvements have lasted through the hour so far.

    Any advice, julian?

    • Posted

      hi anon, i have the exact same conditions although i'm only 14 and only started washing my under my foreskin about 5 months ago as i didn't know it was nessesary. Could u please respond and tell me how you are doing and what you are doing its giving a lot of anxiety to be completely honest. Please try and respond asap, thanks a lot

    • Posted

      hi Andrew I'm 18 and had similar experience to everyone here too. I wouldn't panic as it seems to be what we all have is a bit of a mystery but doesnt seem to be anything to worry about more of a nuisance. I mean you are 14 so it might go away with time but it might not like me. I'm in the process of just trying different oils as it seems to be mostly a lubricantion issue. coconut oil and primrose oil seem to be ok so far but I haven't used them for very long. If I where you I would get antifungal creme(clotrimazole) and use that to see if it goes away as it might be a yeast infection which would make it go away. but if that doesnt help like I said just try coconut oil or evening primrose oil. which should help. I know it's not a permanent fix. but dont worry about it.

    • Posted

      Thank you so much for getting back to me I might just be overthinking it all as i usually do with everything although i do use antifungal cream now and it is starting to help a lot i think. Again thank you so much!

    • Posted

      Hi you say antifungal cream is helping a lot, is your stickiness problem resolved/significantly better? if so what cream are you using i have the same problem, Thanks

  • Edited

    Not sure if everyone is having the same problem, but perhaps someone will relate to mine. I will get deep in what I think it is. I guess I have balanitis/balanopostithis because I have had tight foreskin for a long time, a few years ago paraphimosis happened to me after I had sex and fell asleep with retracted foreskin. Before that I never had left retracted foreskin for so long, I masturbated only with my foreskin over glans, otherwise it would be painful. When I woke up I saw swollen foreskin and it was scary because on google it only showed worst cases (surgery required etc.) and all that happened while I was working abroad so imagine how anxious experience that was. Luckily swelling was gone in a day or two. After that, my foreskin loosened up with time by masturbating, and now in flaccid state I can easily retract it, but in erect state sometimes it can feel tight and painful when the glans and foreskin are dry and sticky. When the glans is wet I have no problems fully retracting foreskin. I am also worried about that lump on the upper part of the shaft which I will show in the 1st picture, and my glans sensitivity (on touch is not that unpleasant, but when glans is sticky it is; also started keeping it retracted a bit to get used to rubbing clothes so it doesn't hurt in the future when I have sex) because I'm not used to having it retracted I started thinking of autocircumcision exercises to help loosen it more, I even thought of buying phimostretch rings. Also I have a bit watery semen (not sure does balanitis/balanoposthitis affects it, or I am masturbating too often and just overreacting). I didnt't go to the doctor yet, mostly because he will probably advice circumcision (it may help, but it's my last option as I want to try some things first). I am not sure if I can have sex with this state without any discomfort.

    Has anyone tried diflucan, clotrimazole, organic lavender oil, extra virgin coconut oil, evening primrose oil as I read some of them cured themselves with it?

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  • Posted

    did anybody find any solutions to this problem or any treatments?

  • Posted

    hey matt i do have the same prblm... i always wash my penis after retracting, with baby soap which i bought from the market because its not too harsh and its pH is balanced..after that i pat dry my penis's glans with clean towel and leave the glans for few seconds to dry up naturally. then i apply coconut oil over the glans and stroke it very smoothly not too fast and not too slow then after 1 min. or so i retract my foreskin it goes smoothly and it didn't casue any prblm either...but the very next day the same prblm occurs i.e. sticky foreskin ....so this remedy is for temporary relief..if anyone know any other remedies that can help plz share we need it

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