The frenulum in men is represented by an elastic fold of skin that connects the head of the penis to the foreskin and is needed to hold the latter in place. Her injury is accompanied by severe pain and bleeding.
Usually its damage occurs due to a congenital short frenulum or its scar deformation. This can also occur in an infant when parents try to forcefully expose the head of the penis.
Rough sexual contact and masturbation are among the most common causes of frenulum tearing and rupture. Men with genital piercings are also at risk. A foreign body or jewelry causes injury during sexual intercourse, changing clothes or hygiene procedures.
Short frenulum of the penis
The pathology is common among men who have not undergone circumcision (circumcision). In this group, its incidence is 5%.
Shortening the fold leads to impaired retraction of the foreskin. This, in turn, may be accompanied by painful sensations during sex, masturbation, and the inability to completely expose the head of the male genital organ.
Rough attempts to retract the foreskin can lead to the frenulum breaking. The tear is accompanied by acute pain and can cause a man to fear repeated sexual contact and erectile dysfunction.
Symptoms of a rupture
Regardless of what the causes of the torn frenulum on the head were (congenital pathology or excessive exposure), the symptoms are the same. This is evidenced.
- Minor bruising or minor bleeding from a vein. These manifestations are not considered complex, but can still cause a lot of discomfort.
- Swelling that occurs as a result of trauma to the skin and hematoma.
- The presence of pain when opening the head of the penis.
- Difficulty urinating.
- Irritation of the flesh due to urea getting on its surface.
Damage options
- 1Microtear is characterized by severe pain and is rarely accompanied by bleeding. Subsequently, the injury site heals with the formation of a scar, which further reduces the extensibility of the tissue. Thus, a new injury occurs with less load.
- 2Tear is accompanied by bleeding of varying intensity.
- 3If the elasticity of the skin fold is significantly impaired (with repeated tears, inflammation), it may completely rupture with bleeding.
Operation techniques
There are two methods of performing tongue frenuloplasty: traditional (classical) and laser. This is a more modern and safer method. The laser allows the operation to be performed with great precision and does not cause bleeding after the procedure. In addition, there is no need for stitches, and healing time is significantly reduced. This is especially important if you need to perform laser frenuloplasty on a child: the baby will tolerate the procedure much easier.
Depending on what pathology of the frenulum is detected, the doctor uses one of three techniques: cuts the frenulum, removes it, or changes the attachment site. The number of cuts and their shape depend on the choice of technique.
Treatment of microtears
With a microtear, the patient complains that the head of the penis hurts during sex/masturbation, retraction of the foreskin. Bleeding usually does not occur.
Microtears appear as small, red cracks in the frenulum area.
They do not require emergency medical attention. Basic measures in case of acute pain:
- Refusal of sexual activity.
- Treatment of skin folds with solutions of Chlorhexidine, Miramistin.
- Returning the skin of the foreskin to its normal position.
The first episode of damage to the frenulum leads to the formation of a small scar, which reduces its elasticity. Repeatedly, as a rule, it breaks in the same place. As a matter of routine, it is recommended to consult a urologist.
Method one: done by the child himself
Many parents wonder whether it is possible to stretch the frenulum on a child’s head? In the process itself, however, it is only possible if you follow all the advice of a professional and begin treatment as early as possible.
So, the most common method of performing this operation is that the boy needs to carefully climb into the preputial sac with two fingers and lower it, pulling it in different directions. In no case should adults carry out such impacts, as their fingers are much larger.
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If it is not developed and is short, then the following exercises should be used:
- “Mushroom” - you need to open your mouth wide and smile. Then suck your tongue to the roof of your mouth so that the tip does not curl up. And you still need to smile. Exercises should be done for one minute, then increase the time every day. This way, the ligament will gradually stretch and will not be damaged.
- “Painter” - you need to open your mouth and smile. Run the tip of your tongue across the roof of your mouth from your teeth to your throat and back. And this needs to be done several times without moving the lower part of the jaw.
- Smiling, open your mouth. You need to stretch your tongue to your nose, then to your upper lip. The tongue should not be constricted; it should be in a relaxed state. It won't work out right away, but over time everything will work out. During this exercise, you need to make sure that your lips and lower jaw do not move.
- Smiling, place your tongue as in the “Mushroom” exercise and open and close your mouth. There may be some pain in the ligament area, but this is normal as this exercise helps stretch the hyoid ligaments.
- “Horse” - you need to put your tongue in the “Mushroom” position and click your tongue, as if imitating the clopping of a horse. You have to suck your tongue and click, suck and click. In this exercise, only the tongue works, the lower jaw is motionless.
- "Kitty". This exercise is reminiscent of how a cat laps milk. So a person needs to try this, sticking his tongue out.
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All these exercises will bring results only when a person does them every day and several times.
If you don’t want to perform this complex, then you can simply stretch your tongue to your nose. This exercise should be done frequently over a long period of time. It’s not for nothing that they say: “If you suffer for a long time, something will work out.” Therefore, you need to put in as much effort as possible.
This is the main way to lengthen your tongue at home; exercises can be done at any age. Kids will be able to cope with them from the age of two years.
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The most favorable and best treatment is excision of the frenulum immediately after birth in the maternity hospital. In the first days of life, this area of the mucous membrane does not have nerve endings and significant blood supply. The operation is quick, painless for the baby and easy for the doctor.
Tear or complete rupture
Symptoms of a frenulum tear:
- Severe pain in the area of the head and torn frenulum.
- Bleeding.
- Swelling of the skin in the area of injury.
- Change in color of the head and surrounding tissues. They may be red (hyperemic).
- Changing the contours of the skin flap covering the head.
First aid:
- 1In first place in terms of importance is stopping bleeding.
- 2All activities are recommended to be performed under sterile conditions (using antiseptics and sterile gloves).
- 3After treating the damaged area with Chlorhexidine/Miramistin (vodka or alcohol solutions cannot be used), the rupture site must be pressed with a sterile gauze pad for 15 minutes.
- 4After the bleeding has stopped, apply a sterile bandage to the wound area and visit a urologist within the first 24 hours.
- 5If the bleeding cannot be stopped, you must urgently contact the emergency department of a urological hospital.
What to do if you have such symptoms?
For many men, the relevant question is when the frenulum on the head is torn - what to do? There is no need to panic initially. All actions must be extremely careful and safe. If bleeding and bruising are present, you need to treat the damaged surface with peroxide or other antiseptic preparations on hand (with the exception of iodine solution) to minimize the risk of infection. First, you need to pinch and press the frenulum against the penis with your fingers to stop the bleeding. The manipulation must be done carefully, since strong squeezing and pressing is fraught with negative consequences. You can keep your penis in this position for no more than 10 minutes. Next, you need to apply a bandage at the site of the tear, but do not wrap the penis completely. This can cause stagnation of blood in the vessels. After this, you can perform hygiene procedures, but we must not forget about the obligatory trip to the hospital.
In case of swelling, a compress of gauze soaked in cool boiled water will help relieve symptoms.
Surgical treatment
The indication for surgery is the presence of a short frenulum in combination with:
- Difficulty in completely removing the skin from the head.
- Pain during sex, during erection.
- Tears and bleeding during sex.
- Curvature of the penis during erection.
Types of operations:
- 1Plasty of the frenulum (frenuloplasty, in everyday life - “cutting”).
- 2 Its complete removal (frenectomy).
Tissue dissection can be performed with a conventional scalpel, laser or radio knife. The use of laser and radio wave surgery is accompanied by less tissue trauma and a decrease in the postoperative recovery period.
6.1. Frenuloplasty
Rice. 1 – Frenuloplasty. Source — [1]
- 1Local anesthesia is required. With a short frenulum, an incision is made in the transverse direction, followed by stitching longitudinally.
- 2The duration of the operation is about 30 minutes.
- 3The postoperative dressing is removed after two to three days.
- 4The wound heals in the absence of complications on the 10-12th day.
- 5 The stitches are removed on the 10-14th day.
6.2. Frenectomy
Rice. 2 – Penis after frenectomy. Source — [1]
- 1The operation consists of complete excision of the frenulum and suturing of the skin defect with separate sutures.
- 2The duration of the operation is 30 minutes.
- 3The bandage can be removed on the second day.
- 5 The stitches are removed on the 10-14th day.
If treatment is not done in a timely manner, undesirable consequences may occur:
- Psychological problems (fear of sexual intercourse, erectile dysfunction).
- Repeated tears, up to complete rupture.
- Attachment of infection with the development of severe inflammation and swelling of local tissues.
Rehabilitation period
The rehabilitation period after surgery takes about 14 days, which should take place under the supervision of the attending physician and with the participation of the patient himself. Adequate antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy is carried out. The key role is played by daily dressing changes for a short period, which help to avoid adverse events. In the vast majority of cases, patients return to sexual activity within 3 weeks after surgical treatment of a short frenulum of the penis.
Preventive actions
In order to prevent the problem from occurring, experts recommend taking a few simple preventive actions.
- Contacting a hospital for circumcision before phimosis manifests itself.
- If you experience discomfort during sexual intercourse, you should immediately contact a specialized doctor.
- Do not neglect the use of optimal positions for sexual contact with your partner, in which there will be minimal friction of the head against the vaginal walls.
- Before sex, spend enough time on foreplay so that your partner develops a sufficient amount of lubrication. If necessary, use special lubricants.
- Avoid sudden friction during sexual intercourse.
- It is important to show children over 3 years of age to a urologist in a timely manner.
- The rules of genital hygiene should not be neglected.
If you are still wondering whether the frenulum on the head should be torn, seek additional advice from a urologist. Although, taking into account the above information, we can say that such a measure will become a serious complication in the functioning of the reproductive organ.
