[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by RJK at 21 Jan 2001 22:13:08: Re: 40 yo, never retracted foreskin.
As an answer to: Re: 40 yo, never retracted foreskin. written by UK Dude at 21 Jan 2001 13:49:51:
>I don't recall anything from my puberty or at any other time that could have caused my fear.
>I have tried in the past to retract my foreskin and touch the glans but I found and still find pulling back abhorrent and even a light touch on my glans is extremely painful.
>Can I ask, if take the advice given by all (thanks!) how long will it be before my glans looses it's hyper-sensitivity? ie if I apply the cream, have the slit if required, etc. I know in my head that not having that fear will be 90% of the battle.
>Is there anything that will help to cope while it desensetises, like drugs or some kind of truss?
>Also I work for myself and time off work will be a problem.
>
Ok, UK Dude, if you can contrive one way or another to keep the glans exposed to the open air (that is, uncovered or bare)for a relatively short time (like less than a week), the sensitivity problem should come to an immediate halt. No drugs of any kind should be needed. The problem, I submit, is just that your glans has been kept tightly covered inside a moist package for all your life, so that there are bare, uncovered nerves distributed about its surface. The membrane that covers the glans will normally thicken a bit upon the least exposure to the open air, to such a degree that hypersensitivity rapidly disappears, probably because the nerves that are unprotected when the glans remains constantly enshrouded become covered the least bit by the membrane as it dries out and slightly thickens, upon exposure. Few men if any find their enjoyment of sex impaired by this by this slightly reduced sensitivity -- on the contrary, it's usually much enhanced.
In order for this slight drying and thickening to take place, of course, it is necessary to be able to keep the glans uncovered at all times. For this reason it will be necessary to stretch the foreskin's opening wide enough to permit its full retraction, or have a short slit made to permit the same retraction. It will no doubt help a lot if you hold on to the thought that this procedure is going to end all your problems in this area and enable you to lead a fully normal sex life, rather than hold on to abhorrence and fear of exposing the glans, however this abhorrence originated. The point is that, once you get over the psychological barrier that you seem to have against proceeding with corrective action, you will be well on the way to getting over the difficulty. It's time to get on with it, man! Good luck, RJK.