The problem of "purification": the "wasted" effort on "Ding Ding"

Author: Shen Lei, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

Yuan Yifeng, deputy chief physician, First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine

Reviewer: Peng Jing, Chief Physician, Peking University First Hospital

Many men have encountered this situation in their lives: some white dirt often appears on the glans penis, which looks like it is covered with a layer of "white frost". After washing it, it will appear again 1-2 days later. Although there is no itching or pain, it always feels unclean and may smell a strange odor.

What is going on? What is this layer of "white frost"?

This layer of "white frost" is actually smegma

This layer of "white frost" is generally called "smegma" in clinical practice. Smegma is the accumulation in the foreskin cavity between the glans penis and the inner plate of the foreskin. It is a combination of the secretions of the sebaceous glands on the foreskin, the normal shedding of the epithelial cells of the glans penis mucosa, and a small amount of urine remaining in the foreskin. It appears as yellow-white tofu-like dirt adhering to the foreskin skin.

Generally speaking, every male will have more or less smegma. Under normal circumstances, the smegma of men should be very small, easily excreted from the body, and will not have any odor. If large pieces of smegma adhere to the skin, accompanied by odor, redness, swelling and itching, it is most likely caused by external genital diseases, such as balanitis caused by infections such as Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Trichomonas and fungi.

Why can't this layer of "white frost" be washed off?

Many men find that smegma is difficult to wash off and tends to reappear. Why is this? This is related to the cause of smegma.

Generally speaking, men with long foreskin are prone to smegma accumulation. This is because the foreskin is too long, which prevents the glans penis from being fully exposed, and makes it difficult to turn the foreskin up, which prevents the secretions of the sebaceous glands in the foreskin from being discharged and easily stays in the foreskin cavity. In addition, when men take a bath, few people will deliberately turn over the foreskin to clean it carefully, which makes it easy for smegma to proliferate in large quantities in the foreskin.

When cleaning the external genitalia in daily life, men should turn over the foreskin and wash it carefully with clean water. Do not use soap, lotion or liquid medicine, because these external lotions can also irritate the glans penis. If you want to use shower gel to clean, you can choose some shower gels with less irritation, such as baby products. During the cleaning process, the action should be gentle and try to reduce irritation. If you find milky white or slightly yellow smegma on the penis, do not pick it directly with your hands to avoid local pain and wound infection. You can use a relatively soft cotton swab, dip it in warm water and wipe it, and then gently remove it after the smegma becomes soft.

Figure 1 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

What is the effect of "white frost" on the penis

If the smegma is not cleaned up, it will have a variety of effects on the penis.

First of all, the smegma will produce odor. This is because the smegma will breed some harmful microorganisms in a hot and humid environment. If you don't pay attention to cleaning, it will cause the glans penis to produce odor.

Secondly, smegma is prone to infection. When the smegma hardens, it will irritate the mucous membrane of the glans penis, and the growth of external bacteria may cause infection, leading to balanitis.

After the glans penis is infected, edema, exudate, erythema, erosion, pain, itching and other discomforts will generally occur, and even the foreskin and glans penis will become adhered. If the smegma accumulates for a long time, it may cause repeated infection and long-term chronic inflammation, leading to stenosis of the external urethral opening or even stenosis of the entire urethra.

Thirdly, smegma may also cause male sexual dysfunction. The smegma tightly attached to the penis and foreskin will also affect the penis erection, causing increased friction, increased pain and reduced sensitivity during sexual intercourse, which can further lead to male sexual dysfunction and ejaculation failure.

Figure 2 Copyright image, no permission to reprint

Finally, smegma may lead to penile cancer. Studies have shown that smegma is a chemical carcinogen, and its long-term inflammatory stimulation to the penis can cause local tissue cell degeneration and deterioration of the penis, and even precancerous lesions, which can further transform into penile cancer.

In addition, when men have sexual intercourse, smegma may bring bacteria and microorganisms into the female body through the vagina, increasing the risk of female partners suffering from a series of gynecological inflammations.

Therefore, it is best for men to remove the excessive foreskin so that the smegma will no longer accumulate and bacteria will lose their place to live, thus effectively preventing the occurrence of various diseases. When men find that their smegma increases and cannot be completely cleaned, they should deal with it in time.

If a man finds that he has genital inflammation or a sexually transmitted disease, he should go to the hospital for a check-up in time to check the type of inflammation and the cause of infection, and take symptomatic medication under the guidance of a doctor. Do not take medication blindly. At the same time, men should avoid sexual intercourse during treatment to reduce the risk of infection for their female partners. For those with excessive foreskin, if they do not want to undergo circumcision, they should also pay attention to keeping the penis clean and hygienic, such as changing underwear frequently and washing the penis, so as to reduce the harm of smegma to the body.