Ask Doctor T

View Original

I’m past puberty, but my foreskin still doesn’t seem to go all the way down. Is this okay?

It’s tough to say exactly what’s going on without an exam, but there may be a couple of things going on.

First, you may be indicating that your foreskin doesn’t completely cover the head of your penis. That’s okay! It’s likely just the amount of foreskin you were born with, and there’s nothing wrong with this.

Second, you may actually be completely retracting the foreskin! The way to tell is if the skin is smooth and you don’t have any folds on the shaft of the penis. Some folks just have less foreskin than others, and that’s okay.

Third, it’s also possible that you have some phimosis (tightening) of the foreskin that doesn’t allow full retraction. This would indicate that the base of your penis is just wider than the tip of your penis. This may be okay. As long as it doesn’t hurt and you are able to clean underneath it shouldn’t be an issue. If it does hurt or you can’t clean under the full extent of the foreskin, it’s worth trying gentle stretching on your own or talking with the doctor.