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Tighter Foreskin post RT

User
Posted 08 May 2026 at 16:54

Since my RT a couple of years ago, my foreskin has become tighter. I’m in my late 60s and continue to enjoy sex but I do not want a circumcision.

From a hygiene perspective, I’m happy as I can full retract when showering and I don’t get infections. However, with an erection my foreskin doesn’t retract fully so I have to use a Vaseline product during sex or masturbation. In fact, I find using a thin layer of Vaseline after showering helps generally.

I haven’t spoken to my GP. From what others have said on another thread, it seems that if I tried a steroid cream the problem would return as soon as I stopped using it.

Ideally, I’d like to loosen the skin permanently. Has anyone with a similar problem had any success?

Thanks

Dave

User
Posted 08 May 2026 at 21:53

Dave, not quite the same thing but after surgery I could retract my foreskin but sometimes couldn't get it back over the bell end. One morning I showered and couldn't get it back over the bell end. I went off to work and half way through the day the foreskin had started to swell up. A call to my urology nurse and she suggested putting a bag of frozen peas around the penis until the swelling went down and then pull the foreskin back over the bell end. It happened again a couple of times in hospital, the nurses filled a surgical glove with ice cubes. 

Doesn't matter if they are garden or processed peas, sweet corn is not very effective.

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 11 May 2026 at 09:46

Be brave and talk to your GP and see what they have to say.  You have nothing to lose and you might get the result you are looking for without the circumcision.  I did try my GP and got the referral to the Urology dept. Unfortunately, all he was prepared to offer was surgery hence my thread elsewhere with the Betnovate option which seems to work for me but must be checked by a professional.  Don't just take my word for it.  Good luck.

User
Posted 12 May 2026 at 11:55

This seems to happen with hormone therapy and with prostatectomy. (I don't know if radiotherapy alone can cause it). I don't know the cause, and neither does any urologist I've mentioned it to. Possibilities might be lack of frequent erections for a while, possibly urine leakage, or loss of Testosterone. If it's any of those, it pretty much must be caused by more than one of them (not in the same case), because just one doesn't explain all the cases. If the cause was known, there might be some preventative action possible.

There is some suggestion that forcibly stretching might make things worse, because it causes micro scarring which leaves the tissue even less elastic. Stretching with a steroid cream might reduce this, I don't know.

It does also happen with men who've never had prostate cancer treatments, but it does seem frequent after prostate cancer treatments, although I have no stats to know if it's really more frequent, or maybe just we're all so open we're more likely to talk about it.

It shouldn't be ignored because it increases the risk of acquiring Lichen Sclerosus which in turn is a risk for penile cancer (albeit rare).

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User
Posted 08 May 2026 at 21:53

Dave, not quite the same thing but after surgery I could retract my foreskin but sometimes couldn't get it back over the bell end. One morning I showered and couldn't get it back over the bell end. I went off to work and half way through the day the foreskin had started to swell up. A call to my urology nurse and she suggested putting a bag of frozen peas around the penis until the swelling went down and then pull the foreskin back over the bell end. It happened again a couple of times in hospital, the nurses filled a surgical glove with ice cubes. 

Doesn't matter if they are garden or processed peas, sweet corn is not very effective.

Thanks Chris 

User
Posted 11 May 2026 at 09:46

Be brave and talk to your GP and see what they have to say.  You have nothing to lose and you might get the result you are looking for without the circumcision.  I did try my GP and got the referral to the Urology dept. Unfortunately, all he was prepared to offer was surgery hence my thread elsewhere with the Betnovate option which seems to work for me but must be checked by a professional.  Don't just take my word for it.  Good luck.

User
Posted 12 May 2026 at 11:55

This seems to happen with hormone therapy and with prostatectomy. (I don't know if radiotherapy alone can cause it). I don't know the cause, and neither does any urologist I've mentioned it to. Possibilities might be lack of frequent erections for a while, possibly urine leakage, or loss of Testosterone. If it's any of those, it pretty much must be caused by more than one of them (not in the same case), because just one doesn't explain all the cases. If the cause was known, there might be some preventative action possible.

There is some suggestion that forcibly stretching might make things worse, because it causes micro scarring which leaves the tissue even less elastic. Stretching with a steroid cream might reduce this, I don't know.

It does also happen with men who've never had prostate cancer treatments, but it does seem frequent after prostate cancer treatments, although I have no stats to know if it's really more frequent, or maybe just we're all so open we're more likely to talk about it.

It shouldn't be ignored because it increases the risk of acquiring Lichen Sclerosus which in turn is a risk for penile cancer (albeit rare).

 
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