Foreskin

[JesseFrank]

My son of age 11 can't retract his foreskin that it uncovers his penis head.

Is this normal at this age or should I take steps like teach him how to stretch the skin ?

[VocalNeal]

I seem to recal this happening to me. Just tell him it is normal and he has to practice while sitting in the bath. Noting to worry about.

I haven't been circumcised, I have been circumnavigated

Edited July 6, 2014 by VocalNeal

[lopburi3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phimosis

[h90]

If I recall right, I always could.....I think my mother told me if it is connected the doctor makes a small cut, but I think as baby. (No not cut it off, just a small cut where it is connected).

But my knowledge is limited to my own one.....don't know what other is still normal.

[FBN]

At 11 it could be considered phimosis and really should be evaluated by a urologist the extent of the mobility of the foreskin will determine the intervention. It may still be possible for it to resolve.

[JesseFrank]

From Lopburi's link it says that it is something that can reach into adolescent age, which I think is 17 - 18 years, is that right ?

He can uncover his glans, but can't retract it behind the neck of the glans

[FBN]

If he can retract it this far, it should resolve over the next few years but the problem, at adolescence, is that secretions (smegma) may build up and lead to infection (balanitis) and then would need treatment which may include circumcision. Best to get a urologists opinion on this.

[Water Buffalo]

It just needs some stretching. I grew up with this and managed to figure it out myself at about age 15. Its usually the result of an eary childhood urine infection i think.

And then strangely enough at age 22 while in Thailand i had a reaction to some antibiotics and my foreskin tightened. I went to the doc and he gave me an ointment to use while stretching. Either that or i would need to be circumsized apparently. Well, the ointment helped a lot (sorry i dont have name).

Just take him to see the doc

[Jingthing]

It's a case by case. Sometimes with phimosis surgery is the only realistic option.

[Deacon Bell]

Normal.

Mine wouldn't retract until about 14-15 yrs of age. Even at age 12 I could barely pull it back to see the j@p's eye (as we call it).

By 18 it was so retractable I don't think it would have been possible to retract it any more.

Friends were the same.

Tell him to massage and lightly stretch it with hot sudsy water during every shower. Might even awaken him to the next step of his development.

Make sure you do not do one thing at this stage - no, absolutely no type of medical procedure to remove or operate on it. No need to do anything like that until he is a fully formed adult and then if he still cannot (unlikely) then the decision is his to go for a medical solution.

Edited July 11, 2014 by Deacon Bell

[Deacon Bell]

Just to reiterate, don't do anything medically (except perhaps for lotions etc) until puberty is completely finished.

The amount of pulling on it he'll be doing from age 14-18 will have it looser than a clown's pants.