Few questions

[brycekez]

Hey yall I have a few questions about pulling back. I've been doing this for about a week now.

1. What method do you use? What are your personal thoughts/experiences with the spoon method.

2. When should I expect my glans to flare? Why does the glan flare?

3. What's the point of the paper towel method? Is it to dry the inner foreskin? If so why should one dry the inner foreskin what does this help with.

4. When should I expect my head to start to dry?

5. How long can one go retracted for? Do you wash your foreskin in the shower or keep it pulled back.

[Sorangu]

For me personally:

1: I mainly use a glans ring made from an unused foam shoe insole - very durable, soft, has stretch, and thick enough to get good bunching for deep wrinkles. Spoon method certainly works and has the benefit of being the least "intrusive" (meaning there's no additional tools or anything on your dick) it works fairly well for me but isn't too great for sleeping or working out as I have to adjust it sometimes, currently trying to find the right double-sided tape that will hold it in place whilst being invisible, which personally will elevate the method much higher for me.

2: There's no real official time frame, some people report it faster than others. I've been pulled back roughly 80% of the time for about 3 months now and have noticed a good bit of flare around the ridge when compared to older pictures. Several years ago I was retracted for multiple months and my glans was much more flared, but since stopping it reverted, so good to see I'm gaining that progress back.

3: The paper towel method is a cheap, easy, method to keep foreskin back much like the glans ring method but has the added benefit of helping aid drying inner foreskin. Many others, including myself find a dry inner foreskin is much easier to stay retracted. The inner foreskin natural produces oils, but keeping it constantly dry seems to very much slow / stop this process. I also believe that drying in inner foreskin "shrinks" it in a away that makes it easier to deal with. Judging from your picture it does seem your inner foreskin isn't naturally super super moist which can be good.

4: Depends on the person, when I first re-started my journey a couple months ago, I mainly used taping to accelerate this process for both the inner foreskin and glans. Some people's glans dries out in a couple days, some takes weeks. Theres methods to further speed this up like using rubbing alcohol, bar soap in the shower, as well as gently but throughly drying the glans with a towel. Nevertheless, it will inevitably dry from just being exposed to air and being outside of the inner foreskin's moisture. Dryness really isn't the end-all-be-all however, as Keratinization is very important. This comes from the glans being exposed and slowly but surly being conditioned from fabrics and the elements.

5: You can stay retracted for as long as you want as long as you aren't having any unexpected problems. It may be difficult at first to stay retracted for extended periods of time so I would recommend a glans ring or taping. Most of the sensitivity will be in the first couple of days and if you stop you will most likely have to repeat that process, so I recommend getting it over with. Me personally there was zero pain, but you are psychologically much more aware of your penis as it is not used to be exposed, and may get erections, but it can quickly adapt. Even before starting this journey nearly 3 months ago, I have always pulled my foreskin back to piss and shower. I do now use bar soap on my glans and inner foreskin and always dry my glans directly with the towel. I find letting the water directly hit your glans as well as drying the glans thoroughly with a towel speeds up the drying/keratinization process.

[Nivek]

1. I'm using the "simply pulled back without tools" method. Which means the foreskin can stay back on its own. I like it because its the easiest. I don't like the spoon method because you'll need to do it every day and the inner foreskin doesn't get any exposure. I think the spoon method also creates a damp environment behind your glans which could be unhealthy.

2. Don't know if it does or not

3. The paper towel method firstly keeps the glans exposed and is simple because you can adjust the ring to the size you require to prevent the ring from slipping off. Sorangu's comment explains everything well.

4. Sorangu's comments explain it well.

5. PLEASE WASH YOUR FORESKIN AND GLANS!!!

[CuriousSkinner]

Nice pic!

Ive answered your questions the best that I can below:


1. What method do you use? What are your personal thoughts/experiences with the spoon method. - Its early days for you! The spoon method isnt something I have ever tried myself. I have always been pretty lucky with being able to pretty much just pull back when I want to.

2. When should I expect my glans to flare? Why does the glan flare? - Mine has not at all, but I only intermittently retract and spend more time rolled forward than pulled back these days.

3. What's the point of the paper towel method? Is it to dry the inner foreskin? If so why should one dry the inner foreskin what does this help with. - Not sure but I suspect that it is to help dry things out completely. I wouldnt be too fussed about that for now.

4. When should I expect my head to start to dry? - Mine I noticed a difference after only a couple of weeks.

5. How long can one go retracted for? Do you wash your foreskin in the shower or keep it pulled back. - I am still only really on multiple hours per day. I dont go longer than that really. Shower wise, if I have been rolled forward all day, I roll back for most of the shower and then wash things all over. Obviously if I am already pulled back I do the same thing, washing for me involves rolling my skin back and forth to get to it all if that makes sense.

Hope that helps a bit
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[Sorangu]

Also for #2, I forgot to answer "Why does the glans flare?"

Its kind of hard to give an exact reason, as I do not think anyone really knows for sure. It is very commonly reported though, as myself included have even experienced this. In my opinion it is due to several reasons -

1) The foreskin no longer lightly "constricts" the glans 24/7 so over time it spreads out more.
2) The ridge of the glans dries / keratinizes first and fastest (due to the shape it has the most contact with friction) leading to a thickened keratin layer around the glans ridge thus giving a more flared appearance.
3) The force from the bunched up foreskin sitting underneath the glans for an extended period of time will cause the ridge to over-time mold and become more flared

Not completely sure, but those are my theories