Looking After Your Penis

The penis is the body part that most men value the most. To keep it in tip top condition, it’s essential that you keep it healthy and clean.

Not only will you benefit, your partner will thank you too

This article looks at the simple, basic ways to keep your penis fit and healthy.

Cleaning Your Penis

It might seem like common sense, but your penis needs to be washed on a daily basis, gently wash it with warm water. 

If you have a foreskin, make sure that you gently pull it back and wash the penis head underneath.

It’s amazing just how many men ignore this last bit and do not wash under the foreskin. 

If left unwashed it can allow increased amounts of a substance called Smegma to develop – this has the appearance of a cheese like substance and if allowed to build up it can start to smell.

Smegma is a natural lubricant secreted by the oil glands in the genitals, in men it appears under the foreskin and helps to keep the penis head moist. 

It allows the foreskin to be pulled back easily. It can also be found in women, largely between the folds in the vaginal labia and the hood surrounding the clitoris.

Smegma can be easily identified by three distinct characteristics:

• It has a thick, cheesy consistency
• It can have an unpleasant smell
• It is generally white in colour but can appear darker in those with darker skin colour

In small amounts its perfectly normal, but if allowed to build up it can restrict the foreskin, stopping it from being pulled back, it can also encourage other bacteria to develop which aside from the foul smell can cause redness and swelling of the penis head. 

This is a condition known as Balanitis [source].

Smegma is not a disease or STI in its own right, and rarely becomes a serious problem.  It is directly caused by personal hygiene ( or lack of it) and can easily be treated by daily cleansing of the penis

For those who are circumcised, it’s just as important to wash your penis every day, avoid heavily perfumed soaps or body washes as they can cause irritation. Not having a foreskin will mean that the risk of other infections is drastically reduced.

When washing, make sure that the base of the penis and testicles are also cleaned thoroughly. The combination of sweat and hair can accumulate to cause strong smells, very similar to what you can get from your armpits.

While washing your testicles, its the perfect time to feel for any unusual swellings or lumps that weren’t there before.

Is It Healthier To Be Circumcised?

This a question that has caused much debate over the years, for some cultures and religions, it’s a requirement where boys are circumcised within a week of being born. 

For others it is performed for medical reasons. Constant penile infections or a condition known as phimosis which stops the foreskin to be pulled back [source] are the main reasons.

Once circumcised, you are less likely to get infections, its easier to keep the penis clean and are less at risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases. 

There are findings in the US that also tell us that a man who is circumcised is marginally less likely to pass on the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) which is the main cause of cervical cancer in women.

Caring For Your Foreskin

If you do have a foreskin it’s pretty straightforward looking after it. 

As mentioned above, just gently pull back the foreskin and wash under it with warm water. 

Avoid using any harsh soaps or anything heavily perfumed as these can dry the delicate skin on the head of the penis and cause irritation, possibly leading to infection.

On another subject, when masturbating, it might be beneficial to use a lube to help the foreskin move freely. 

Just remember to wash it off after as if any gets trapped under your foreskin, it cause problems.

There are a couple of conditions that guys with foreskin need to be aware of. 

They are at more risk of infections and STI’s. 

Posthitis [source] is an infection that is responsible for swelling, redness and an unpleasant discharge.

More serious is Balanposthitis [source] which has the same symptoms as posthitis but also causes uncomfortable inflammation and irritation.

Just one final word of warning, foreskins can easily get caught in your zipper, especially if you are a fan of wearing no underwear, so take care.

Wash Your Hands Before and After Urinating

It might sound strange but wherever possible you should always wash you hands before and after urination. 

Just in the course of your day to day activities, you can pick up bacteria on your hands, and they can become contaminated with things like chemicals, chilli, ink or oil, in fact anything that you might use at work. All of this can be transferred to your penis.

Treating Penile Infections

Most penile infections can easily be treated, especially if caught early.

Depending on the condition, your doctor might recommend a steroid cream ( for treating Balanitis for instance) an anti fungal cream can be used to treat candida (thrush). 

Antibiotics can be used to treat other bacterial infections such as posthitis.

A thorough, daily cleaning regime can help alleviate the risk of most penile problems. 

Use It Or Lose It

A major factor in keeping your penis healthy is having regular erections. 

To maintain healthy penile tissue, the muscle at the base of the penis and the internal blood vessels need to be enriched by the flow of blood into the penis that occurs during erections. 

Failure to have regular erections can actually make your penis shorter. 

Without being stretched during erections, the internal penile tissue can in time become less elastic and may shrink, reducing the penis length by up to 2cm.

Doctors do recommend that using a penis vacuum pump to force blood into the penis, generating a solid erection is an excellent way of maintaining not only penile health, but also erection strength and with regular use – penis length.

More About Penis Pumps And How They Work

Other Factors Affecting Blood flow And Penis Health

Your Diet – Eating high fat, calorie laden foods can cause a build up of plaque deposits in the blood vessels that can clog and restrict blood flow to the penis. This can greatly impact the ability to get an erection and overall sexual function. A diet consisting of wholemeal and natural foods can drastically improve blood flow.

Reduce Stress – Perhaps easier said than done, but stress releases the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Both cause the narrowing of blood vessels, and too much cortisol can also drive your appetite, causing weight gain, another cause of erectile problems.

Stop Smoking – Side from the published risks of cancer etc, smoking tobacco also causes the blood vessels to narrow, this reduces the flow of oxygen around the body compromising not its the penis, but every organ in the body.

Alcohol – Drinking alcohol has its benefits and disadvantages. In small amounts it has been shown that alcohol can actually dilate blood vessels and improve erectile function. When taken in excess it can have the opposite effect, causing erectile dysfunction.

Get Some Sleep – Sleep is extremely essential for your body, your brain and every cell recovers and rejuvenates while you sleep. Lack of sleep causes a disruption in endocrine, metabolic and immune functions. It can increase cortisol levels and higher sugar levels, all leading to reduced body performance blood flow and overall health.

Exercise Your Pelvic Floor Muscles – These muscles play a crucial function to both your ability to ejaculate and get erections. When you get sexually stimulated these muscles activate and engage to provide penile rigidity and the correct erectile angle. 

Many scientific studies have shown the importance of exercising your pelvic floor muscles [source]

Your Underwear

Believe it or not, your underwear plays an important part in your penile health. 

Choose underwear that is lightweight, and wherever possible, made from a breathable material, you are very likely to sweat in your genital regions, and the build up of warmth and dampness can encourage the development of infection causing bacteria. 

It’s also essential to change your underwear daily and makes sure they are fully washed, rinsed and totally dry before putting them on.