Foreskin restoration
Foreskin restoration is the process of expanding the skin on the
penis, via surgery or stretching methods, to replace the
foreskin (prepuce) covering the
glans penis. It may be useful for men who have been
circumcised, who have a naturally short foreskin, or who have sustained an injury to the foreskin. Males with
phimosis may also use techniques similar to non-surgical foreskin restoration to remedy their condition.
Men attempt foreskin restoration for many reasons. Some attempts to restore the foreskin, usually through
tissue expansion techniques, are aimed at improving sexual sensation. Other men have cited a desire to appear natural, or to regain a sense of control over their sexual organs.
Foreskin restoration is attempted mostly by circumcised
adult men, sometimes with the assistance of support groups who share information and ideas. Many believe foreskin restoration should be delayed until sexual development is completed at around 18 years of age and in some cases the early 20's.
A form of foreskin restoration, historically known as
epispasm, was practiced among some
Jews in
Hellenistic and
Roman societies.[
1]
European Jews, along with men circumcised for medical reasons, sought out underground foreskin restoration operations during
World War II as a method to
escape Nazi persecution.[
2]
The practice was revived in the late
twentieth century using modern materials and techniques. In 1982 a group called Brothers United for Future Foreskins (BUFF) was formed, which publicized the use of tape in non-surgical restoration methods. Later in 1991, another group called UNCircumcising Information and Resources Centers (UNCIRC) was formed [
3]
The
National Organization of Restoring Men (NORM) was founded in 1989 in
San Francisco, as a non-profit support group for men restoring their foreskins. It was originally known as RECAP, an
acronym for the phrase Recover A Penis. In 1994 the group UNCIRC was incorporated into this group[
4] Since its founding, several NORM chapters have been founded throughout the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Germany.(
See NORM Locations worldwide)
Surgical methods of foreskin restoration, sometimes known as foreskin reconstruction, usually involve a method of grafting skin and/or
mucous membrane taken from elsewhere on the body, typically the
scrotum, onto the distal portion of the penis. Another method involves a four stage procedure in which the
penile shaft is buried in the
scrotum for a period of time
(1). Such techniques have the potential to produce unsatisfactory results, with some
patients experiencing serious complications.
Nonsurgical methods of foreskin restoration are performed by means of stretching the
skin and
mucous membrane covering the shaft of the penis. Tissue stretching has long been known to stimulate mitosis, and research shows that regenerated human tissues have many of the attributes of the original tissue [
5]. Penile skin contains a muscle known as the
dartos, also found in the skin of the scrotum. The rate of expansion of the skin may be different due to its presence; research on this subject is needed. While the stretching does stimulate new growth, it requires patience and dedication; the process may take several years to complete.
Varying degrees of success have been reported by males employing stretching techniques.
The most common method of restoring the
foreskin is to use tape to provide adhesion to the skin. The tape can be attached to elastic straps or weights to apply tension to the skin, directing the skin, along with any remnant of inner mucosa, over the glans. An example of a taping method is
T-Tape, which was developed in the 1990s with the idea of enabling restoration to take place more rapidly. Specialized
foreskin restoration devices that grip the skin without tape are also commercially available.
The amount of tension produced by any method should be adjusted so as to never cause pain or discomfort, and is often the limiting factor in any tissue expansion. There is a risk of damaging tissues from use of excessive amounts of tension or applying tension for too long. Websites about foreskin restoration vary in their recommendations, from suggesting a regimen of moderate amounts of tension applied for several hours a day[
6], to recommending periods of higher tension applied for only a few minutes per day[
7][
8].
The natural foreskin has three principal components, in addition to
blood vessels,
nerves and
connective tissue:
skin, which is exposed exteriorly;
mucous membrane, which is the surface in contact with the
glans penis when the
penis is flaccid; and a band of
muscle within the tip of the foreskin. Generally, the skin grows more readily in response to stretching than does the mucous membrane. The ring of muscle which normally holds the foreskin closed is often completely removed in the majority of circumcisions and cannot be regrown, so the covering achieved via stretching techniques is usually looser than that of a natural foreskin. According to some observers, however, it is difficult to distinguish a restored foreskin from a natural foreskin because restoration produces a "nearly normal-appearing prepuce" [
9].
Nonsurgical foreskin restoration does not restore portions of the
frenulum or the
ridged band removed during circumcision. Although not commonly performed, there are surgical "touch-up" techniques that can re-create some of the functionality of the frenulum and dartos muscle.
The process of foreskin restoration seeks to regenerate some of the tissue removed by circumcision, as well as providing coverage of the glans. According to research, the foreskin comprises over half of the skin and mucosa of the human penis [
10].
In some men, foreskin restoration may alleviate certain problems they attribute to their circumcisions. Such problems, as reported to an anti-circumcision group by men circumcised in infancy or childhood, include prominent scarring (33%), insufficient penile skin for comfortable erection (27%), erectile curvature from uneven skin loss (16%), and pain and bleeding upon erection/manipulation (17%). The poll also asked about awareness of or involvement in foreskin restoration, and included an open comment section. Many respondents and their wives "reported that restoration resolved the unnatural dryness of the circumcised penis, which caused abrasion, pain or bleeding during intercourse, and that restoration offered unique pleasures, which enhanced sexual intimacy."(see full text of poll at
NOHARMM or original source as a
PDF file from the
British Journal of Urology)
Foreskin restoration can be a means for man (and his sexual partner) to experience the rolling and
gliding action of the penile shaft skin along the erect shaft. This mode of stimulation is not available to circumcised men without restoration.
Some men who have undertaken foreskin restoration report a visibly smoother
glans, which they attribute to decreased levels of
keratinization following restoration. However, a study that investigated the effect of glans coverage on levels of keratinisation found no difference in keratin levels[
11] within the group studied.
Although research studies have found no measurable difference with respect to glans sensitivity [
12] [
13], some men have reported a qualitative improvement in sensitivity of the glans. Some have suggested that the perceived sensitivity gains of the glans are psychological, with glans sensitivity itself being unaffected[
14][
15]. According to some, however, protecting the glans from dryness and abrasion with clothing can allow the glans texture to change to a quality similar to that of intact
genitalia among men who undergo this process.
Foreskin restoration has been reported as having beneficial emotional results in some men, and has been proposed as a treatment for negative feelings in some adult men about their infant circumcisions (see
Penn,
Greer,
Goodwin, and
Boyle et al.). Such claims are not supported by all medical authorities, however.
Such negative feelings were discussed in the poll mentioned above. Respondents suffered from: emotional distress, manifesting as intrusive thoughts about one's circumcision, including feelings of mutilation (60%), low self-esteem/inferiority to intact men (50%), genital dysmorphia (55%), rage (52%), resentment/depression (59%), violation (46%), or parental betrayal (30%). Many respondents (41%) reported that their physical/emotional suffering impeded emotional intimacy with partner(s), resulting in sexual dysfunction. Almost a third of respondents (29%) reported dependence on substances or behaviors to relieve their suffering (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, food and/or sexual compulsivity).
In "Prepuce Restoration Seekers: Psychiatric Aspects," a 1981 report published in the
Archives of Sexual Behavior, four men seeking surgical foreskin restoration were examined. The report provides descriptions of the motivational forces behind the desire for foreskin restoration among these four men (see full text at
(Mohl et al)).
Tinari, who recently had a surgical foreskin restoration, reported that he "is very happy 'in every way' with his new skin."[
16]
*
Foreskin*
Penis*
Circumcision *
Phalloplasty"Decircumcision: Foreskin Restoration, Methods and Circumcision Practices" by
Gary M. Griffin, ISBN 1879967057.
"The Joy of Uncircumcising!: Exploring Circumcision: History, Myths, Psychology, Restoration, Sexual Pleasure, and Human Rights" by
Jim Bigelow and
James L. Snyder, ISBN 093406122X
*
National Organization of Restoring Men*
Foreskin Restoration Chat*
Foreskin restoration for circumcised males*
Frequently Asked Questions about Foreskin Restoration (PDF file)*
Celsus's decircumcision operation*
Surgical methods of restoring the prepuce: a critical review (PDF file)*
Foreskin Restoration - Organizations*
Foreskin Restoration Mailing List* Jim Bigelow, PhD.
Uncircumcising: undoing the effects of an ancient practice in a modern world.
Mothering 1994; Summer: 56-61.
*
Mohl PC, Adams R, Greer DM, Sheley KA. Prepuce restoration seekers: psychiatric aspects. Arch Sex Behav. 1982; 10: 383-93*
Foreskin Restoration, contain pictures.
