If the foreskin is forcibly retracted, it can lead to severe pain, bleeding, skin tears, and scarring. Most boys are around the age of 5 when they can retract their foreskin on their own. Some boys are unable to retract the foreskin until they are adolescents, and this is still considered normal.
Some men and boys may experience a redness and swelling of the head of the penis. This is called balanitis. Males of any age who develop this condition should be seen by a pediatrician or doctor to make sure it is not being caused by one of the following:. If the penis is not cleaned regularly, smegma can build up and may become smelly, infected, or prevent foreskin movement.
Boys and men with a retractable foreskin should take the following steps when cleaning the penis to remove smegma:. Remember to speak with a pediatrician or doctor if there is difficulty with pulling back the foreskin. Never force the foreskin back, as this can lead to both immediate and long-term problems. In women and girls, smegma may build up between the labia and around the hood of the clitoris. In most cases, it is nothing to worry about, and good hygiene practices should take care of the buildup.
In female infants, smegma may develop in the vulva sex organs outside of the vaginal area , where it acts as a protective barrier. A pediatrician will be able to explain whether, how, and when to clean.
With infants, it is best to speak with a pediatrician about their recommendations on hygiene practices, including management of smegma. While smegma is normal, it can lead to problems if it is left to build up. For both men and women, practicing good genital hygiene as mentioned above is essential. Smegma is normal in both men and women and is due to the buildup of skin cells, oil secretions, and moisture.
Practicing good genital hygiene may help prevent or reduce smegma buildup in both sexes. While it is okay for uncircumcised men and older boys to retract their foreskin, it is not recommended for infants and younger boys.
For those with a physical disability and who have people that can help bathe them, everyone must understand how critical it is to clean the foreskin each time.
Depression can make bathing less of a priority, but regular bathing can prevent yeast infections in the skin from buildups like smegma or bacterial overgrowth. It will appear as a paste between the foreskin and the head of the penis, or the folds of the labia and vulva. It occurs most commonly in uncircumcised men, but because of the common rate of circumcision among men in the US, women are more likely to develop smegma. For men, smegma occurs most commonly around the underside of the head of the penis and the underside of the foreskin.
The biggest thing to understand with smegma is that once it develops, it needs to be rigorously and regularly cleaned until it's gone. After that point, you need to improve your hygiene so it doesn't come back, and the best way to do that is to bathe frequently. Particularly in the summer when you're sweating a lot, or if you're very overweight, regular bathing can prevent a lot of skin-related conditions, including smegma.
Use a mild, unscented soap - fragrances and colors commonly found in body washes can irritate the sensitive skin of your penis. Ensure that you're completely drying your genitals as well, as remaining moisture can further increase the incidence of smegma on your penis. Gently pull back the foreskin to reveal the entire head of the penis, using your fingers to wipe down every nook and cranny. Try to avoid spreading anything into your urethra, but ensure you're gently cleaning each space between the foreskin and head of the penis so that there is no remaining smegma.
As smegma sits for longer periods, it can harden or become tacky, both of which will cause pain and discomfort. If you are having trouble properly cleaning your smegma because of a narrowing of the foreskin, making retraction and cleaning difficult, then you may have a condition known as Phimosis.
You could also have a condition known as Balanitis. If you thoroughly wash your genitals at least twice a week , regular bathing and a quick clean should be enough to maintain smegma-free genitals from that point forward.
PH-balanced cleaning wipes that are widely commercially available can be a great tool to use to keep your most sensitive skin clean and smelling fresh. They're also a good reminder of how important hygiene practice is while keeping your genital skin PH-balanced to prevent bacterial overgrowth. Women have more skin surfaces that are folded in which smegma may develop, so regular hygiene is even more imperative to prevent this from occurring.
While there are many products and substances on the market specifically targeting women to " balance the PH of their vaginas ", your vagina is very good at doing that itself.
These products also will not help with smegma build up in most cases, since the incidence is topical, not intervaginal. Bathing regularly is the best way to resolve smegma, requiring you to gently pull apart the folds of your genitals and cleaning with mild soap and warm water. Paying specific attention to your labia and vulva for the first week after you notice and want to resolve smegma will ensure you get all of it.
After that, it's best to make sure you're cleaning your genitals thoroughly, but you don't have to every day - a few times a week is enough. Once you've resolved the smegma build up, a quick wash each time you bathe should be sufficient to get rid of it all. For both men and women, the easiest thing you can do to prevent smegma build up is to wash thoroughly and regularly with mild soap and warm water.
Once you have resolved the initial problematic build up of smegma, you can create a hygiene routine that keeps it from accumulating:. The diligence of a cleaning routine is the easiest and fastest way to get rid of and prevent smegma for both men and women.
Cleansing wipes in particular are a great stand-in for bathing when you're coming home from the gym, or doing other physical activity that makes you sweat and potentially chafe. Unfortunately, smegma will only get worse if you don't address it. Not only will the smell become overwhelming and embarrassing, but smegma will also harden and become very sticky over time.
This can lead to your vaginal folds or foreskin sticking to your body and causing pain, discomfort, and potentially damage to the surface of your skin. If your skin is damaged in this way, especially with smegma build up, it can lead to an infection. Smegma can also enter your urethra or vagina, and cause problems inside. Fact 5: The production of smegma occurs in waves.
It is most actively produced during adolescence. Then, as humans get older, the production levels decline. As well as being malodorous, the accumulation of smegma can actually result in more serious health issues.
Balanitis inflammation of the glans penis and balanoposthitis inflammation of the foreskin can result from smegma build up. These conditions can be very painful and often require medical treatment.
In general they resolve with little long term consequences, but repeated episodes can result in scarring and possibly phimosis.
This is a condition whereby the foreskin becomes stuck over the head of the penis and is unable to be retracted. Phimosis can be a distressful condition and may even require surgery for resolution. Fact 6: People who are prone to oily skin or acne are far more likely to have problems with smegma. As mentioned the main factor we can control in the smegma cycle is time.
By reducing the time any smegma is allowed to fester, we can directly reduce the intensity of the odor and likelihood of secondary health problems. The best way to manage smegma is to clean the area under the foreskin once to twice daily with warm soapy water.
It is as simple as that. Fact 7: The most severe cases of smegma problems are called hismosis. This condition can be quite painful. The thought that smegma can lead to a higher incidence of penile cancer is a medical myth that was perpetuated after the publication of an outdated study from The results and conclusions of this study have never since been substantiated and more recent evidence suggests there is no link between smegma and penile or cervical cancer.
As explained the combination of smegma, a warm moist environment and time result in thriving bacterial colonies and the distasteful smell that most people know smegma for. In general smegma only causes a problem when it is allowed to accumulate for too long. Fact 9: The exact chemical composition of smegma remains a scientific and medical mystery. There is always some element of smegma production, but it becomes most prominent in adolescence aged 14 onwards when it becomes required for sexual function.
Smegma production then remains constant for several years before reducing in middle age and declining to almost nothing later in life. Fact In a man released a patent for a product specifically designed to treat problematic smegma. You can see the patent here.
Smegma is a naturally occurring accumulation of dead skin cells and oily secretions around the foreskin in males and clitoris in females. It is beneficial as lubrication during sexual intercourse but if allowed to accumulate can lead to a distasteful odor as well as other health issues. Smegma can be controlled easily by a good hygiene regimen and this should be encouraged to all.
Website theme is by modafinilresearch. You may have a skin condition or a socially transmitted disease…I would suggest you have a competent physician check your condition. Too bad I did not know that females also produce smegma and I am now
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