Penis marks/ looks like dry skin but isn’t. Like a layer of white marks aroun the head of my penis. Please help.

[Ninobrown]

Hi any help would be appreciated. I am 22 years old and un-circumcised. It’s not about pencil cancer sorry but I couldn’t find any other tag regarding this area. The head of my penis when dry looks like it has a layer of white stuff all around it , it’s not dry skin it’s something else I really don’t know. Because Of my foreskin when I bath shower etc or go to the toilet or even a bit sweaty it will kind of get damp down there and won’t show meaning it’s very hard for me to actually show this to a doctor or anyone near impossible. It sort of only springs up at random times and trying to book an appointment to accommodate for this is very hard especially with covid .

My theory and I have no evidence on this is because I get drip backs from pissing maybe the wee is drying on my skin and causing this reaction? I have no idea if this even makes sense I’m not a doctor . I’ve been to doctors and some say it’s fungal , give me cream and it still doesn’t go. Some say it’s dry skin, give me cream and it doesn’t go.

I know this is a long one but please any help would be appreciated, if I could post a picture you’d be able to see what I’m talking about i really need some help I don’t know what to do anymore. Thank you.

[Hidden]

You need a diagnosis and this is not the place to get one. Members may be able to offer experiences of something similar but there is no guarantee that your problem is the same as theirs. You really need to keep at your doctor or get a referral to a specialist.

Would it help to retract your foreskin regularly and clean and dry your glans?

[Ninobrown in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply mate. Yes I completely understand but I’ve been going to doctors for ages they just don’t help . Yes I regularly clean my penis, never use soap just water. This doesn’t do anything to the white rash/marks in question ?? The head of my penis appears normal 70% of time just a normal red colour when wet / after shower etc. Then it’s times when I wake up and sit on the toilet it appears. Its like a weird layer of white stuff that looks a bit like dry skin but i really don’t think it is. Doctor’s telling me it’s dry skin then it’s fungal infection to me proves it’s something else . Thanks for taking time to read however I appreciate any help

[MrMac99]

Hi, as Osidge said you need to have it diagnosed and probably a dermatologist would be your best option if the GP has done there best? They should refer you on then. It is difficult when the symptoms are not always there I would suggest you take photos and show them to the doctor it could be fungal infection they can be difficult to clear but it could be something else. Can you retract your foreskin fully and easily?

[Ninobrown in reply to MrMac99]

Thanks for the reply. Yes I have many photos. Yes it retracts easily and fully. Do you know how to post pictures on this app I can show you it would make it 10x easier to understand. Thanks

[MrMac99 in reply to Ninobrown]

Unfortunately photos are no longer allowed on this site but if you show them to you doctor they will help them to understand your concerns. You might have to wait an see if it gets worse so it's more noticeable or maybe it will clear up on it own?

[circblog]

Do you have a sexual health clinic nearby? They might be the quickest and most expert option. They don't just diagnose STIs. Is it itchy or sore? Does your foreskin roll fully back when erect? When dry the head of the penis can be quite pale and blotchy. It's quite a delicate ecosystem in there which can be upset by chemicals in soap etc.

[Ninobrown]

The lady in my local sexual health clinic is nasty . I’ve gone about this problem a few times and because of the nature of the issue (my foreskin making it near impossible to show the doctors this dry skin thing due to showering etc sweating etc the marks go) The lady is so rude she says it’s in my head.

It’s not itchy or sore at all.

Yes my foreskin rolls fully back when erect.

It’s not pale and blotchy when the mark is there? It’s like a completely different colour (dusty white like you’d get when your skin is dry) with like loads of other white marks . It’s so hard to explain seeing a picture may help do you know how I upload one ?

I never wash down there with soap, just water

[jimfromcalif]

Sounds like smegma. Does it wipe off?

[Ninobrown in reply to jimfromcalif]

It’s definitely not smegma. And no it doesn’t wipe off

[Hidden]

I’ve just commented on a similar post, I have the same albeit seems to have cleared for the moment, I’ve now changed from a fragranced shower cream to a non fragrance Sanex sensitive shower gel, I note you say just rinse/wash with water but soaps can run from other parts to your penis, I also retract my foreskin after peeing and pat dry the head, after showering I do the same with a dry part of towel and mine seems to have gone at the moment, again as per others your GP should be helping you, try to request a different doctor at your surgery or if in UK try to find a walk in NHS surgery and take pictures with you if it’s a intermittent problem.

[Ninobrown in reply to Hidden]

So you would suggest actually scrubbing the penis head with a non fragrance sanex sensitive wash ? And yes, after peeing I pay dry with a tissue

And the same when showering

[Hidden in reply to Ninobrown]

Don’t scrub, just gentle washing with hands mate

[Ninobrown in reply to Hidden]

Which soaps would you recommended ? The doctor prescribed ‘Dermol 500 lotion ‘ this didn’t work at all

[Hidden in reply to Ninobrown]

Try sanex sensitive if you can get it, use every other day, on the rest day from using just rinse with warm water, see how it goes but revisit the doctor or sexual health clinic

[Brazilian33]

I think I have the same problem for 3 years now and spoken to a dozen urologists. None of them were able to make a proper diagnostic.

I hope you sort it out!

[Ninobrown in reply to Brazilian33]

So do you just live with the problem? Has anything seemed to work or have you gone to doctors or anything?

Are you also un-circumcised like myself ? Maybe that’s the problem ?

[Brazilian33 in reply to Ninobrown]

I avoided intimacy in the first year. Coitus, actually. For I thought I had some sort of rare STD.

Then I began experiencing signs of erectile dysfunction. Slowly progressing for 2 years until making me unable to have sex. Last week I found that I have a couple of spine conditions that might explain the ED and maybe, just maybe, the odd aspect of my glans due to lack of blood irrigation.

Probably not your case, though.

My advice to you is: use 'it' while it lasts. Keep seeing doctors, but do not refrain yourself of having sex or masturbating. Also, try using neutral soap to wash your buddy. I have no ideia why I became allergic to normal soap, but avoiding them makes a big difference.