The pseudo-diagnosis of "phimosis" (muzzling) is often used as an excuse to circumcise a child or adult. Phimosis is generally defined as the inability to retract the foreskin behind the glans. At birth the foreskin is usually (but not always) fully attached to the glans, and can not retract at all. For that reason:

Do not retract your son's foreskin or allow anyone else - doctor, nurse, grandparent or babysitter - to retract it. He will retract it himself in his own good time. When he does is the time to teach him to wash underneath it. You can download a sheet of stickers with this message in Word (*.doc) format or in .pdf format (which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader ) (with a circumcision refusal form):

The age at which it "ought" to be able to retract is contentious. Certainly far too many "authorities" have defined such an age based on nothing other than their own prejudice, usually much earlier than the statistical average, one "authority" even saying it must be retractable by the end of the first week of life! Forcing it before it has detached creates a wound that unites the foreskin and glans in a so-called "adhesion" (that the forcing itself was intended to correct). The damage this causes is then often used as an excuse to circumcise.

The inside of a non-retractable foreskin can easily be cleaned by sluicing with water or squeezing the opening shut during urination and allowing it to "balloon". "Ballooning" in childhood is normal, and harmless unless it causes pain.

So at what age should it retract?
The anecdotal evidence is that the foreskin can almost always move freely behind the glans by puberty. (When the first retraction coincides with the first adolescent erection, it's a memorable experience!) But a significant number of men never experience full retraction, and have no complaints. One has sent pictures, and his story.

By entering, you acknowledge that this is what you want to see.

ALTERNATIVES

Do-It-Yourself Devices

A mechanical retractor, "the Glansie", is designed for self-treatment of phimosis.

An Australian-made device, the GFS (Gentle Foreskin Stretcher), involves a tiny balloon that is inflated within the foreskin.

A navy surgeon successfully used small artery forceps for 2-3 minutes a day for two weeks.

Surgery

Kaye et al. describe how skin-grafting is successful where phimosis is combined with frenulum breve.

Related pages:

• Care of the intact penis
• Paraphimosis
• "It's a Boy!"
• Functions of the Foreskin
• Anatomy of the Intact Penis
• How the Foreskin Works
• Not Just a Flap

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