So, I’ve been working on this post to help my mind (and maybe fellow circ bros) by getting it down ‘on paper’. I’m moving away from weekly updates (will continue with monthlies) and will try different post formats… this is the first one and is about things I wish I’d known. It’s all hindsight, but for others it might be helpful for foresight.
There are a lot of things I learned along the way, on my own and here, and experienced after having a circumcision at 40 years old. Hopefully, this post helps others in the early days/weeks and others about to have it… and maybe raise a few knowing nods/smiles from those well into or past the healing phase. It’s as much a list of things I wish I’d known or been told going in, as it is just some facts I learned along the way. Some will be quick explanations, others may be a bit more involved.
For The First Two Weeks It Will Look Its Worst - Just accept that it will look its worst immediately after you remove the bandage and for the next couple of weeks. Apply Vaseline on the stitch line and just try not to stare at it. Relax. Your body has been through surgical trauma, and you and your plonker just need to take it easy. The swelling is going to be present for some weeks, but at its worst in the beginning. Don’t rush to judgements on anything until you’ve gotten to 6-8 weeks healed. A lot happened during that time for me… from tenderness and discomfort, to pain-free nights sleep and a nice new willy.
Aftercare Instructions Are Not Great (Mostly) - I feel like I speak for several people here in that the aftercare instructions for your circumcision wound that are often provided in leaflet form aren’t great. Mine were a single paragraph in a 16-page leaflet about the procedure and possible complications. It said something completely different to the advice I was given by my surgeon. It said to keep it dry, not bathe for a week then shower up to once a day, that it would be healed in 7-10 days and that I shouldn’t fiddle with the stitches. I think most of us gents will agree that 7-10 days is optimistic and that we received different advice from different sources. My urologist said Vaseline on the stitches and keeping it aired was the way to go, so I did that, but it wasn’t in the leaflet. The rest I learned here on this forum or from individuals who’d had the procedure in the past. I say do what you think is best - keep it clean, don’t fiddle, have patience, and just be sensible and reach out to a doctor if you need to.
Dr Google Does More Harm Than Good - I drove myself round the bend with web pages showing images of what can really go wrong, and it was not great because I just upset myself and panicked, convinced that everything was going wrong. So, resist the call of Dr Google. Reach out to your actual doctor if you are ever concerned. Reach out here if you’re in need of reassurance from others who’ve had the operation. Dr Google isn’t helpful, ever, in my experience. We’ve been through a life-changing operation, the best thing we can do for ourselves is not scare ourselves silly for no reason.
“Healing Is Slower If You’re Older” Isn’t Always True - At 8 weeks I was where the timelines I could piece together said I “should be” at 6 weeks, which was depressing. But in the end I figured that we all heal at different rates and I was healing at my rate. Once I realised that, everything just fell into place and I just got back into the world at the pace my body could handle. You can’t rush healing. At 3.5 months healed, I’m happy with my progress so far and that’s how it should be. I’m no longer paying any attention to where I “should be”.
Normal Swelling Sticks Around - Boy does it. Most of the swelling has gone now at 3.5 months, but there were times I thought it never would. You will swell, it will stick around, but it will go down eventually. You’ll still be swollen at 6 weeks, and you’ll still feel it from time-to-time in the weeks that follow. Again, don’t panic. It is what it is. Swelling is about protecting your recently chopped bit and about getting blood to it to help it heal. You’ll stop swelling when your body is ready to.
The Frenulum Will Be The Last Place To Heal - So true. I’m still healing there for sure. It’s the only bit of my willy waggle dagger that still gets sensitive or swells post-sex or masturbation. I see a lot of guys saying the same thing, and it’s as true for me as it is them. My surgeon told me that in most circs that use dissolvable stitches they tie off the wound at the frenulum, so there’s more stitch material there… alongside the fact that the frenulum is often divided during the operation so it gets slightly rougher treatment. I found that very interesting and it explained why the more stubborn bumps on my wound line were to the left and right… it’s where the majority of the stitch material was/is. Which leads me to…
Dissolvable Stitch Material Stays In Your Willy For Months - When we say that stitches are falling out, it’s easy to think they’re gone once they do. They aren’t in the case of dissolvable stitches. So, my surgeon used Vicryl Rapid dissolvable stitches and I was told they would fall out in 4-6 weeks. So, the stitch ends (the visible bits) did, but here’s what my surgeon told me in a follow-up. Vicryl loses its tensile strength after 10 days or so… it’s done its job to hold your wound together so the wound closes and heals over on the top layer. That’s why night boners aren’t as painful as you get further into healing. By 4-6 weeks, the stitch ends should have fallen off and the little holes closed over. All done, right? No… the materials inside your wound are still there for as much as 6 months or more, and sometimes your body will push the bits out, or sometimes it will just dissolve it. Imagine my surprise at week 10 when two little stitch ends popped out of my frenulum… I thought they’d all gone! Nope, my body just pushed them out because it didn’t need the material anymore. I did a salt wash and they fell out immediately. So… don’t be alarmed if you notice anything like this. It’s all natural and your body is very good at keeping the stuff it needs and rejecting the stuff it doesn’t.
So, that’s what I’ve got for my first dump of ‘Things I Wish I’d Known”. I don’t intend to worry anyone with details, more provide a reflection of my experiences to-date for my own peace of mind and to pay forward some of the help I’ve received here. We all end up having this operation for various reasons and we deal with the healing in our own ways (and at our own pace).
I’ll add more posts like this if people find them helpful… and feel free to pop your things you wish you’d known in the comments. Also... if this stuff isn't helpful, let me know and I'll rethink.
Tom.
UPDATE - SURGERY of my lump/bump in my penis shaft
Does anyone have stitch tunnels after their (adult/adolescent) circumcision?
Day 7: completed a week after circumcision. Erections are making life hell. Am I healing well?
