Circumcision is a commonly performed surgery in the U.S. on male babies. As more and more information becomes available about circumcision and its after effects, less and less parents are electing to have this done on their male children. However, there are hundreds of thousands of boys and men out there that have been and continue to be circumcised. What happens when a boy becomes a man and decides he wants his foreskin? Can he get it back?
Benefits Of Having An Intact Penis
You might wonder why a man would decide, after being circumcised his whole life, would decide he wanted to have an intact penis. While the U.S. has made a circumcised penis the “social norm” over the years, circumcision surgery is actually not commonly performed in other parts of the world. Studies have shown that the procedure is extremely painful for male babies and carries a high risk of infection when the wound is exposed to urine and feces in a diaper.
Sexually, there are many benefits of having an intact penis. For example, the penis is much like the clitoris in how the tissue is. The tissues of both the head of the penis and the clitoris are moist and packed with hundreds of thousands of sensitive nerve endings. In a clitoris, the hood of the clitoris protects it from chafing, which can be extremely uncomfortable because the tissue is so sensitive. The foreskin (also called the prepuce) functions much the same way. It protects the moist head of the penis (called the glans) from chafing and when an uncircumcised man has an erection, the glans is exposed and he can experience sexual pleasure and orgasm.
So what happens to the glans once the penis has been circumcised? The exposed tissue rubs up against a diaper or clothing, chafing it. The glans is designed to stay moist, but without the foreskin, the skin of the glans dries out and becomes tough like the outer surface of the skin on a person’s arms. The sensitive nerve endings become less sensitive, and in some cases, a man is unable to achieve climax because the head of the penis has lost so much sensitivity due to being exposed to air and clothing instead of being protected by the foreskin.
What Is Foreskin Restoration?
Foreskin restoration is the process of restoring the prepuce on a circumcised penis. This can be done a number of different ways and although none of them provide a man with his true foreskin back, they help provide a protective covering over the glans so the penis can regain its sensitivity. Successful restoration will also provide a man with a natural, uncut looking penis. If successful, it would be very hard to tell the difference between a penis that has never been circumcised and circumcised penis that had underwent foreskin restoration. Men who have had this done report that sex and oral sex feel better.
Non-Surgical Restoration Methods
Non-surgical restoration methods are more popular than surgical restoration, simply because it is less invasive (a huge plus) and there isn’t any chance of infection or malformations after surgery. However, the drawback of non-surgical methods is that it takes a very long time for the foreskin to actually be restored. This can take several months or even years depending on the method used.
Basically what happens here is a device or tape is used to stretch the skin on the shaft of the penis up and over the glans. The device or tape will hold the skin there, allowing it to stretch. There are actually some devices made for this, such as the Dual Tension Restorer, that are available on the market for men to purchase. The stretching is usually done for several hours at a time and it is a similar concept to surgeons who use skin stretching techniques to create more skin to use for a graft. Studies show that stretching the skin stimulates a process known as mitosis, which will help regenerate new skin with similar properties of the old skin.
If you wish to restore your foreskin using a non-surgical stretching method, patience and determination are required. This is something you will need to be dedicated to, since it may take several months or even years to see results. However, with non-surgical methods, you are able to continue having sex as you normally would.
Artificial Foreskins
Artificial foreskins are available for purchase as well, which are simply placed over the penis and help cover and protect the penis from chafing like a normal prepuce would. The most notable model is the SenSlip, which comes in a variety of sizes and natural looking colors. It is worn almost like a condom would be, and can be moved back and forth just like a normal foreskin. This keeps the glans moist and protected, while still allowing the wearer to retract the device to use the restroom or to clean the penis. Manufacturers of the device report that after several weeks of wearing the SenSlip, sensitivity during sex is restored.
Surgical Restoration Methods
Surgical prepuce restoration is not desirable, but has immediate results. Unfortunately, procedures to surgically restore the foreskin leave undesirable results and are extremely invasive. The procedures are usually followed by pain, swelling, inability to have sex for an undetermined period of time and a significant risk of infection.
Usually what happens during a surgical foreskin restoration is a skin graft is removed from somewhere on the body (usually from the scrotum) and stitched on to the shaft of the penis, covering the glans.
Foreskin Regeneration
Regenerating the prepuce is a possibility, but not something routinely done in the medical community. This would be done surgically, under anesthesia. An incision would be made at the scar of the circumcision and the scar tissue would be surgically removed. After this, a special chemical solution would be applied to stimulate the penis to regrow its own, true foreskin. Presently, this procedure has not yet reached the clinical trial phase.
After Restoration
Men who have had successful prepuce restorations report that not only are sex and masturbation better, but they also feel emotionally satisfied that they now have their foreskin back after having it taken from them without their consent as babies. It can give a man a sense of feeling like he’s gotten back something he’s lost. Female partners of men who have had this done are also pleased with the results, because sex feels better for them too.
Rethinking Circumcision
Choosing to be circumcised or having your child circumcised is a difficult decision to make. Ask your doctor questions, but remember that a circumcision is a completely elective procedure. It is not required and an uncircumcised penis will remain healthy and will function normally. Men who have been circumcised report:
- 33% have prominent, noticeable scarring
- 27% had too much skin removed, making getting and keeping an erection uncomfortable or painful
- 16% report curvature of the penis due to an uneven amount of skin being removed
If you’re considering circumcision, rethink it. Ask questions and get information. Whatever decision you make is up to you, but be sure you’re making an informed decision.