Healing a rip on the penis

March 16, 2009 8:20 AM

I'm a circumsized adult male. Being an idiot and not listening to my body, I ripped the skin under the tip of my penis (the foreskin?) during sex a few days ago. Do I need to see a doctor or will it heal on its own?
posted by anonymous to health & fitness (12 comments total)

see a doctor see a doctor SEE A DOCTOR now now now
posted by cheapskatebay at 8:22 AM on March 16

if you are circumcised you by definition have no foreskin. You must be referring to the frenulum? Seems the pain would drive you screaming to an ER. Perhaps if you fell no real pain, wash often, apply an antibacterial ointment and don't play with it.. Might be good to phone a person really qualified to help, but other than a stitch I can't imagine what more they would do. But hey, I'd at least call a nurse or whatever.
posted by dawson at 8:30 AM on March 16

torn frenulum?? (do a google image search)

been there and done that within the last 6 months.

Go see a doctor. The doctor will tell you to go home, rub some antiseptic cream on it, and come back in a week if it still hurts. Or he may offer to lengthen the tear and this reduce the tension on the current tear.

It will be uncomfortable either way for a few weeks.

And lay off the sex for a few weeks

Mine stopped hurting after 3 weeks, sex still was sensitive for two months, but then every thing is back to normal
posted by jannw at 8:42 AM on March 16

It will heal on its own. Just keep it clean and it'll be fine. There's no need to see a doctor about this.
posted by glider at 8:43 AM on March 16

"Ripped" is an imprecise word to use here so everyone is going to guess based on what that word means.

Whatever the injury is, pretend you have it on your wrist, say, and treat it that way. Since you say you were "not listening to your body", I'll guess that it's just from, um, abrasion. In that case, it will heal on its own. An actual cut? Similar but probably a lot less comfortable.

Keep it clean, use some bactine or something if you're worried about infection, and let it heal.
posted by rokusan at 8:49 AM on March 16

Do you mean that you have a skin tear? A small (and by small I mean around or smaller than the size of a grain of rice) tear? Clean it with water and put a tiny dab of antibiotic cream on it. If it's rubbing against your clothing you can always roll the skin of the penis forward and secure it with a bandage (think of it like pulling a turtle neck up and securing the top to cover your head.)

While this isn't directly related to the topic, you might consider engaging in foreskin restoration to avoid those skin tears int the future. Tearing the skin of the penis during sex is generally an indicator of a tight circumcision. You don't have to completely restore to gain the gliding motion that a foreskin provides.

Lots of information at NORM (National Organization of Restoring Men): http://www.norm.org/
A great product to use: http://www.tlctugger.com/

While the main page of the above sites isn't NSFW, within the site there are obviously pictures and diagrams of penises.
posted by JFitzpatrick at 9:03 AM on March 16

Yeah "ripped" and "abrasion" are entirely different. I've never ripped part of my penis, but abrasion or "rubbed raw" is not uncommon at all. If there is an actual rip or tear as in one piece of sking became two, go to a doctor. If it's rubbed raw I would personally just keep it clean and let it heal. I'm not a doctor though.
posted by Science! at 9:20 AM on March 16

what everyone here's trying to say, myself included, is here:

The frenulum is a strip of skin which attaches the foreskin to the shaft of the penis on the undersurface of the glans. This can be torn during sexual intercourse, particularly if it is a bit tight. This can lead to bleeding which can be a bit alarming!

The tear usually heals naturally and you just need to keep it clean. An antibiotic cream may be necessary.

Sometimes the tear heals but with the formation of scar tissue causing a painful tethering effect, especially in the erect state. If this occurs surgical intervention may be necessary.

A complete tear of the frenulum usually settles on its own. If scarring occurs, or if the tear is incomplete and the frenulum remains tight causing discomfort during sex, a surgical procedure called frenuloplasty might be indicated. During this operation, the surgeon essentially lengthens the frenulum to allow greater freedom of movement. This eliminates the discomfort during intercourse and reduces the chance of any further tears.

http://www.studenthealth.co.uk/index.asp
posted by dawson at 9:43 AM on March 16

It will be fine. (it has stopped bleeding, yes?)
posted by HFSH at 10:27 AM on March 16

Recommendation for future: more lubricant. :)
posted by rokusan at 11:08 AM on March 16

I had my get caught in a thong and it tore, and bled profusely. It's healed up fine on it's own, and I didn't seek medical attention. I kept it clean and bandaged until it stopped bleeding. Needless to say it's no longer attached but things are a-okay during sex. This was a few years ago.

Also, don't ever, ever, ever attempt to use liquid bandage on your penis.
posted by glip at 4:27 PM on March 16

Needless to say it's no longer attached but things are a-okay during sex.

glip, I hope you are referring to your foreskin.
posted by yohko at 8:03 PM on March 16