Expert: Mark Behar - 3/13/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi there.

i am not in my teens but couldnt see anywhere to ask advice

over the last 8 or 9 weeks ive developed Smegma, and have read that this can be washed away dailly and dabbed dry as its caused by a build up of moisture

but even though i do that in the morning (7am) but 12 am there can be a buildup beginning to happen again

my question is, is there anything else i can do?

im at a lose end and dont want to go and get checked out.

also i can pull back my foreskin, when soft and erect.

ANSWER: Hello Kenny,
Smegma is a normal consequence of having a foreskin over the penile head. It is a collection of normally shed skin cells (which occur over the entire body) and the oils that keep the head of the penis from drying out. The only thing you can do is wash it once or twice daily. It really shouldn't be a problem for you unless you are showing off your penis to someone else (sex partner, for example), and you are shy!

The absolute cure is rather radical-- circumcision-- cutting off of enough of the foreskin so that the head (glans) of the penis can dry out and become "keratinized." I'm not aware of any medications or cosmetics that will effectively dry out the smegma or reduce it's quantity.

Good luck!
--mark


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi there

thanks for the response, i have also read elsewhere that pulling the forskin back and securing it safely and loosley for a few hours could also help as it helps it to dry out naturally etc, is this recommended? or indeed helpful? or would it be a case of when you release the foreskin it would just happen again.

ive also read that it couldnt be smegma and indeed a bacterial infection.

oh the joys

thoughts appreciated.

kenny

Answer
Hi Again, Kenny,
Think of your foreskin as another type of skin covering a chronically moist area. Like the inner surface of your eyelid; or the inside of your cheek against the inside of your mouth.  If you were to allow these areas to dry out, there would be unpleasant consequences! Dry eyes or mouth! Difficulty with seeing or swallowing!

The same discomfort may occur with recurrent dryness of your foreskin & glans (head) penis, especially from "securing" the foreskin in its retracted state. The natural function of the foreskin, among other things, is to keep the skin smooth, water repellant, moist, and resistant to the effects of residual urine, which can irritate the skin. Defeating the purpose of the smegma therefore can cause irritation. Just like a person can have a lot of ear wax, which protects the ear canal, a person can also have a large amount of smegma.  

If you have any body piercings, such as ear rings, tongue or nipple or eyebrow piercings, than you may wish to consider a penile skin piercing, that may help to keep the foreskin in place, so that it won't retract over the head unless you unfasten it. I am not an expert in this practice, and am not sure it will accomplish what you would like to do. You may wish to direct your comments to a piercing specialist in New York, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. Check out this web site for more info: www.tribalectic.com

Good luck, and let me know your thoughts about this.

--mark