As the title suggests, I'm on the fence about getting circumcised, and wondered if you guys here had any advice on this topic.
Some context:
- I'm 25 years old.
- I've always had a somewhat tight foreskin; I can retract fully when soft, but when hard, it is more difficult.
- I cannot pull my foreskin back behind my head, as the skin tends to bunch up in a big band at the ridge.
- These problems have gotten worse in recent years, with recurring irritation around the end of my foreskin.
- These bouts usually resolve themselves in time.
- Ironically, this sometimes starts after I've tried stretching.
I've been given a topical steroid cream by my GP to start stretching, but a mixture of struggling to establish the habit and occasional irritation mean I haven't seen much progress.
I'm not set on circumcision by any means, but I'm a bit concerned that stretching won't resolve my issue:
- If my foreskin bunches up around my head when I peel it back, will any amount of stretching really fix this?
- I've heard stories of guys who could originally retract their foreskin easily, but recurring irritation and micro-tears cause them to develop phimosis later in life.
As for circumcision itself, I guess the main thing that's putting me off is the recovery. The operation itself I've heard is pretty routine as things go, but I don't like the idea of rushing to a busy, understaffed hospital in the weeks after the operation if something goes wrong when I'm healing. Also, I wouldn't know what style to pick, and there seems to be a wide range of results for guys.
I can share pics privately if I trust ya.
So that's it. Hope this post isn't too much of a ramble, and intrigued to see what you guys think.
Obviously, I'll seek proper medical advice when the time is right, but I hoped some guys here might be able to give me their two cents.
Thanks!
