[ ARC forum 2 ]

Update

Written by Paul B. at 01 Aug 2003 12:53:33:

As an answer to: update on my stretching progress written by Dan at 01 Aug 2003 00:00:50:

> hiya guys, i promised i would come back after a few weeks and let you all know about my progress with the stretching exercises i've been doing.

Dan, it seems to me that your original post must not have been under the pen-name "Dan". Was it under something else? I've looked back three months, and cannot find it by name.

> i try to do it at least 2 times a day (or sometimes once a day, but sometimes i accidentally forget and don't do it for about 2 days -is that bad?)

I think things must be practical - there really is no hurry. It is true that the speed of your success will depend on how often you do the stretching, and there are certain "thresholds" over which it will be much more effective. These are threefold - how often you do it, how firmly you stretch, and how long you hold the stretch.

Of course, it is rather hard to indicate what these thresholds might be - but in terms of how often you do it, certainly two or three times a day would seem to be right, and less than once a day is probably gong to be much slower. However, if you miss out the occasional day, it probably isn't going to matter, so don't get upset about it.

In terms of how hard you stretch, I can only suggest you need to exceed what the skin is normally going to experience in "everyday" use. If the part you are pulling on feels tight and just a little uncomfortable but not painful, that - which you have to judge for yourself - is probably about right.

In terms of duration of stretch, then I would suggest the threshold to be about a minute (but this is just a guess, or indication). However, if you can apply the stretch for most of the day - using a "dilator", even if the force is quite minimal, you are going to be in a whole "new ball game" - this is indeed, a quantum leap in effectiveness. Examples of this in the medical field, are the various treatments for burn scarring such as "pressure suits" and the silicone "scar films" for softening and smoothing scars, and a most obvious and familiar one - orthodontic braces to move teeth about in the mouth.

> and i'm seeing some good progress happening.

Naturally. You do the work, it will happen. It may slow down at some stage however, so you will need to be persistent.

> i was just wondering, what would happen if i left it the way it was now?

I don't think it is as bad to do so, as some might suggest, but I think you need a "keeper" exercise, such as pulling your foreskin back for at least part of the time when you have an erection. I don't however advise keeping it back when you don't, including at night.

> is it dangerous for when having sex? ... just wondering if sex is something that shouldn't happen at this time due to my unretractable foreskin.

You obviously refer to "paraphimosis". For two reasons, this should not be a problem at all. One is that "If it is possible to get it back, it is equally possible to get it forward again". If you can pull it back over an erection, including when you have intercourse (which is not really that forceful anyway, else the lady will not keep on with it), then you will be able to reverse the process, generally by grabbing the mobile penis skin behind the tight constriction, and pulling that forward to "roll" the tight part forward over the glans. You might need to dry the part you are gripping, but lubrication still on the glans will be an advantage.

Secondly, if your foreskin will pull back when flaccid, then if it gets stuck when erect, losing the erection (which will happen automatically if it is painful) will allow it to come forward again. When the part behind the restriction goes limp, the part in front will also empty through the restriction and shrink/ become soft. If the foreskin was too tight to retract (comfortably) without an erection, then there is certainly no way it will be pulled back during an erection.

Please remember that where people get into trouble with paraphimosis, is if for whatever reason they do not think to fix it when it happens, but leave it (hoping it will go away?). That is when it can become more swollen (in front of the restriction) with tissue fluid (oedema) to the extent that it becomes more difficult to pull the foreskin forward, than it was when it happened. Simple awareness of such a potential problem, will make sure you fix it straight away, and paraphimosis will not happen. (Warning - do not however, get yourself drunk - this is one of the causes of hospital presentation with paraphimosis - as well as STDs, pregnancy etc.).


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