Children

Foreskin, medical circumcision and other treatments

Learn what it is and what might happen

What is a foreskin?

Penises come is all shapes and sizes. The end of most penises (where pee comes out) is covered by a bit of skin called the foreskin. It’s there to protect the tip of the penis from rubbing on clothes or to stop any dirt or pee sticking to it that could make it hurt or feel not very nice. Some people are born with a foreskin that doesn’t go the whole way around the penis and is more like a hood.

When you are born, the foreskin covers the end of your penis all of the time. When you get a bit older, the foreskin can be moved backwards to show the end of the penis underneath, but it should always be moved forward again over the end of the penis to keep it covered. 

Every penis is different – sometimes the foreskin will be able to move backwards and forwards before starting school. Most boys will be able to move their foreskin by the time they finish primary school, but for some it will happen when they are teenagers.

You should never rush this or try to make your foreskin move if it isn’t ready – this will make it hurt and cause redness or swelling and can make it hard to pee. If you move your foreskin back, it is always important to remember to put it over the end of your penis, otherwise it can become sore.

It’s also really important that you always try to keep your penis clean by washing it in the bath or shower. This will help to stop it from getting sore, red or itchy. 

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Is my penis normal?

Penises come in many different shapes and sizes and change with age. Between being born and around the age of 14, your penis won’t grow very much at all. Some boys can get some ‘puppy fat’ in the area around their penis which can make it look smaller too.

When boys start going through something called ‘puberty’ their penis gets a bit bigger. This happens at different ages for different boys, but most boys will see their penis start to change by the time they are 14 years old. Penises grow in different ways, but they still work in the same way, no matter what size.

What happens if my penis hurts or it is difficult to go for a pee?

Like other parts of your body, sometimes you might injure or notice changes in your penis or foreskin – it might feel itchy or sore or look red. If this happens, you should always tell a trusted adult. You should also tell them if it is difficult to pee because your penis is sore or because it feels like it is blocked. They will be able to take you to the doctor to see how to make it better.

If this happens, don’t suffer in silence. You should always tell a trusted adult.

What can make my penis hurt or difficult to pee?

There are lots of things that might have caused this.  Some boys get a sore and red penis because a few drops of wee get caught between the end of the penis and the foreskin, this can sometimes make the end of the penis swell a bit. Something that can help is gently pulling back the foreskin a little (it shouldn’t hurt) to let any last drops of wee out and using some toilet paper to dab away the last few drops of pee.

Some boys get a little lump inside their foreskin. This could be a build-up of white or yellowy stuff called smegma which the foreskin makes to keep it soft. The lump will disappear when the foreskin can be pulled back.

Some boys’ foreskin can tighten and be difficult to pull back because of a skin condition. This is rare and would happen after you start school. If you feel like your foreskin is tight, you should tell a trusted adult so they can take you to a doctor to have it checked.

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How will the doctors and nurses make it better?

The doctors and nurses will ask some questions about what has happened and then need to have a look at your penis to be able to know how to make your penis feel better. They will only do this if there is an adult who looks after you in the room with them, unless you ask that adult to go outside. Depending on what is causing the problem, the doctors and nurses may offer you and the adults who live with you some choices. 

Sometimes no treatment is needed but doing some of the things mentioned above can help your penis feel better. 

Sometimes a steroid cream can help to loosen the foreskin or reduce any scarring or both. The cream is usually used for a few weeks and should be put on the part of the foreskin that is tight or narrow twice a day. Some boys need more than one course of steroid cream to help to improve things.

Sometimes a doctor may recommend that a small operation will help. There are two different operations that can be used to help with a tight foreskin, and you have a say in picking which operation you would like. All operations are performed while a boy is completely asleep with an anaesthetic so that they can’t feel what is happening and they can’t remember it.

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The first operation widens the foreskin so that it is easier to move backwards and forwards. This is called a preputioplasty. This lets boys keep their foreskin, so their penis looks very similar to how it looked before the operation. About two weeks after the operation boys are asked to pull their foreskin backwards and forwards twice a day, every day, to stop it becoming narrow again. For about 1 in 5 boys who have this operation done, the foreskin becomes narrow again and they can need another operation to help to fix it.

The second operation takes the foreskin away so that it cannot become painful again. This is called a circumcision.

What will my penis look like if I get circumcised?

After you have surgery, you will be able to see the end of your penis that was covered by the foreskin, and it will look something like this.

Lots of boys have circumcised penises, and for lots of different reasons, which will look similar to this, but not identical, because not everyone looks the same.

Will my penis be OK without the foreskin to protect it?

Sometimes boys’ penises feel quite sensitive after a circumcision because the end of it hasn’t been out before. This might mean that underpants can be irritating at first, but boys very quickly get used to the feeling and the skin becomes less sensitive.

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What happens if the doctor says I need surgery?

Usually you’ll only have to be in the hospital for a day and then you’ll be able to go home – you don’t have to stay overnight!

Your doctor will also tell you that you cannot eat or drink before the surgery, but this is something that will be explained to a trusted adult before-hand in a letter from the doctor.

After getting to hospital, the person who will be doing the procedure will come and explain what happens in more detail and you can ask them any questions. 

A doctor, called an anaesthetist, will come to see you before the operation. They will give you some special medicine to make you to sleep. Sometimes this is by a drip and sometimes it’s a smelly gas that you breathe in through a mask. It smells a bit stinky, but it makes you feel very sleepy very quickly! This is good, because it means you won’t be able to feel anything throughout the procedure, and when you wake up it will be all done!

Often after the operation your penis will be a bit sore and swollen. The doctor might give you some special cream to help the penis to heal and to stop it sticking to your pants. After the cream runs out putting some Vaseline on your penis can help, if it is still a bit swollen. 

The adults who you live with will keep an eye on your penis after the operation. If you or they have any worries about it, they can always speak to the doctor.

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