[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 23 Sep 2001 09:23:04: Foreskin attachment
As an answer to: Foreskin attachement written by G. at 23 Sep 2001 07:09:31:
> I spoke to a GP, and their response was that I suffered from complete phimosis,
I take that to mean that you could not see any of the glans through the opening.
> that my choices were to leave it alone, or surgery (circ. or dorsal slit).
Well, at least they gave you more options than just circumcision. Given the options of removing a whole piece of skin and its function, or making a larger opening so it works "as designed", which would you prefer there?
> I asked about steroid creams but were told that they were ineffective.
I wonder what they meant by that? If they (why was it a "they"?) were suggesting that it might be difficult to stretch such a small opening using steroid, then that is true. If they were saying that steroid alone will not produce the stretching required, that is certainly true. However, if you want to know about stretching, have you not seen some of these enthusiasts who, not satisfied with ear piercings, proceed to enlarge the openings to a centimetre or more? And that is a somewhat thicker piece of tissue (note that they use dilators which stay in the hole to effect the stretching).
If they meant that many people are insufficiently motivated to make stretching work, then of course, they are correct here too, but to say something, specifically stretching, "does not work" and discount it, is not intelligent.
> Needless to say, I wanted to avoid surgery.
Quite a healthy response! (;-)
>I then proceeded to do more research. I attempted stretching.
The word is "began". I submit to you that it is not complete until it works for you, or you truly give up.
> Unfortunately, after just a very small amount, my foreskin 'blends' into the glans, and is unretractable past that point.
OK, so you can see part of the glans, including the (vertical) pee opening. Right?
> I assume that they have not separated past this point.
May be correct. May be you're looking at it wrong.
> Now 20, I am wondering what my non-surgical options are.
Plenty of time.
> I do not suffer from any pain,
Good.
> except a very mild case in the event of very hard erections, which may simply due to overstretching the inner foreskin.
Not sure about this.
OK. Two simple tests. Go in the shower. Hold the end of your foreskin shut, and pee into it. It will inflate like a balloon, wherever there is space between the foreskin and the glans. If it is indeed stuck all around, it will only inflate in the part in front of the glans. If however it inflates on one side or both, above or below the glans, that demonstrates it is not attached in each of these areas, and you may "map" such attachments accordingly.
Second test: Get a "cotton bud". Apply some Vaseline to one end and use that end to probe the expected space between foreskin and glans whilst pulling the foreskin forward. If you understand that there should be a space all the way to the back of the glans, except directly underneath, you will again be able to "map" that space, and if there are some small areas of attachment, lift them (but with some discomfort).
Note that pulling the (end of the) foreskin forward to put these attachments on the stretch and progressively free them, is what little boys tend to do naturally, so that is something you could do. (Did you perhaps not do this as a child?)
And again, having a foreskin stuck to the glans may require surgical separation (given it would be least uncomfortable to have it all separated at once), but is still, not a reason to cut it off. It would obviously have to be separated to cut it off, but the converse does not follow in any sensible way.