Every newborn baby must undergo a thorough examination and diagnosis under the supervision of doctors, including checking the condition, development and structure of the genital organs. Further, if the indicators are normal, parents should monitor all the necessary nuances. And an important question that parents ask is: at what age do boys’ heads open?
The head of the penis has been closed since birth and for some time to come; it is covered by the foreskin. In medicine, this area of skin is called the prepuce; when the penis swells, it will necessarily move away, exposing the head. For the baby, this is a kind of protection against pathogenic flora entering through the urethral canal; doctors say that at a certain age the foreskin should fully open the head of the penis.
Many people do not fully understand why nature created the foreskin on the head of the penis. In medicine, it is believed that such a two-layer flap of skin, equipped with blood vessels and innervated, is intended for the response of the genital organ to stimulation. When the foreskin begins to slide over the glans, it reduces friction and also increases the sensation of stimulation.
But not every parent knows for sure at what age a boy’s head should usually open completely without excessive extensibility and injury. This process is extremely important for a man’s future sexual life; it will provide pleasure and vivid sensations from sexual intercourse in the future. Initially, the foreskin serves as a protector of the head of the penis and urethra from the penetration of pathogenic microflora.
In infants, the foreskin does not separate
The question of how old a boy’s penis head should fully open is not without reason for parents. It is known that in newborns and infants the foreskin is not separated from the head at all, acting as a serious protective barrier between the delicate skin of the head and pathogenic microorganisms in the environment. Thanks to the foreskin, the head is protected from infections and contamination.
Also, with the help of the foreskin, the urethra of babies is protected. If suddenly there is an inflammatory process in the urethral area, due to the foreskin and the closed head, narrowing of the urethral opening is prevented. Doctors also note another important fact: the foreskin produces lysozymes and other substances that, through their action, destroy any pathogenic microorganisms.
Expert opinion
Elena Druzhnikova
Sexologist. Family relations expert. Family psychologist.
In every newborn boy, doctors diagnose such a structural feature of the foreskin and head of the penis as physiological phimosis. That is, the impossibility of retracting the foreskin from the head of the penis, which is an absolute indicator of the norm. The main thing is that normal urination is observed, otherwise this condition will change over time.
At what age does the head of the penis open in boys?
The foreskin is attached to the glans of the penis with special delicate adhesions, which are designed to partially or completely open the glans at the right time. It is these petals that are a consequence of physiological phimosis of a temporary nature. As the boy and his genitals grow and develop, the foreskin will gradually separate and reveal the head.
When and at what age should a boy’s glans penis open, retracting the foreskin, is a purely individual indicator. It will depend on the structure and functioning of the child’s body, as well as personal factors. In this regard, not a single experienced doctor can name the exact age of the child when parents should see changes.
In one child, the opening of the head can occur at 3 years, in another - at 7 years, and episodes of opening during puberty at 16-18 years are less common. Despite the lack of recommendations and clear boundaries in this matter, parents should monitor the condition of the genital organs from an early age. Otherwise, there is every chance of developing infectious diseases and inflammatory changes against the background of narrowing of the foreskin.
Diseases associated with impaired opening of the head
In addition to the structural features of the boy’s genital organs and how and when the head will open, parents should be aware of possible pathologies associated with the foreskin in children. Today, medical specialists distinguish two pathologies - phimosis and paraphimosis. Every disease can be prevented by knowing its characteristics, course and causes.
Phimosis
If a boy's head of the penis remains completely covered by the foreskin for a long time, one can assume the development of phimosis. Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, so it is important to get diagnosed at the first warning signs. The presence of phimosis will be indicated by the following stages of its development and clinical picture:
- first stage- the foreskin cannot be pulled back, exposing the head, you can only push it slightly without pain or discomfort for the child;
- second stage- you can see the head under the foreskin, but it will be impossible to open it by pushing;
- third stage- under the cover of the foreskin you can slightly see the head of the penis, or rather, a small part of it;
- fourth stage- any movement of the foreskin over the head is impossible, and it will also be impossible to see even parts of the head of the penis.
As practice shows, the last stage of development of phimosis threatens the health and life of the child, since it in every possible way contributes to the development of infections and the inflammatory process. In the absence of timely treatment, phimosis can be accompanied by complications, such as:
- suppuration;
- pain and itching;
- change in color of the foreskin;
- unpleasant odor;
- burning and pain during urination.
Only in a clinical setting, under the guidance and clear actions of a doctor, will it be possible to painlessly and safely open the head, eliminating all the consequences of phimosis. Typically, the risk of developing the pathology of phimosis is observed in boys aged 6 years and older when it is impossible to open the head. By missing this age limit without taking any measures, parents doom their child to serious diseases of the genitourinary system.
Paraphimosis
Another serious pathology of the development of the child’s reproductive organs is paraphimosis. In this case, there is a shifting of the foreskin to expose the head, resulting in its compression. Over time, compression of the head causes blood to accumulate in this area of the genital organ, which is expressed by the formation of severe edema.
If paraphimosis is not diagnosed in time, the child may urgently require surgery. Therefore, if such a disease is detected, you need to urgently call a doctor or take the child to the clinic to prevent necrosis of the tissues of the head and the appearance of ulcers. The reasons for the development of paraphimosis may be the following factors:
- phimosis in a boy and forced release of the head;
- child masturbation;
- all kinds of medical manipulations in this area;
- catheterization;
- swelling in the head area;
- cystoscopy;
- allergic reaction of the genitals.
Paraphimosis can be identified by the following signs and clinical picture:
- attacks of acute pain in the head area;
- severe swelling and enlargement of the head;
- bluish tint of the head;
- the appearance of the head resembling a compression ring;
- discomfort;
- low sensitivity of the head or its complete absence;
- the formation of black or purple ulcers.
It is especially important to take seriously the fact that 10-15 minutes after the onset of such symptoms, the boy may experience no pain. This may be a consequence of the onset of tissue death and necrosis of nerve endings, which is a serious complication of paraphimosis.
Treatment
As practice shows, in the case of phimosis in a child, doctors perform surgical intervention on only one patient out of 2,000 children presented. The best treatment option for phimosis is complete or partial circumcision using a surgeon's scalpel. This manipulation is carried out when diagnosing stages 2,3 or 4 of phimosis; at a conscious age the child needs anesthesia.
Have you ever encountered phimosis or paraphimosis?
YesNo
In case of paraphimosis, it is important to quickly take the child to the doctor, after which the treatment will be carried out by a surgeon. Its task is to reposition the foreskin to its natural position. To avoid causing pain to the child, the doctor usually administers anesthesia. Reduction of the foreskin is carried out no more than once every 3 years of a child’s life. If the surgeon was unable to manually set the flesh, they resort to a surgical method - incision and excision of the compressive ring of the foreskin.
Conclusion
The foreskin serves as a protective barrier between the environment, pathogenic microflora and the organs of the genitourinary system. All children have a covering of the head with the foreskin at birth, but with age it will gradually expose the head. Doctors do not name the exact age when the head should open. At the same time, parents are warned that failure to open the head can lead to the development of phimosis or paraphimosis.
A newborn boy who is born is necessarily examined by a doctor and, of course, checks whether everything is in order with the genitals of the future man. But then their parents will have to keep an eye on them. And in order not to miss the emergence of any problems, it would be good for them to know some of the nuances of the development of their heir. For example, at what age the head of the penis opens in boys and what is behind the inability to expose it.
We will talk about this and some other problems in this article.
A little anatomy: what is the foreskin for?
Probably everyone knows that the head of the male penis is covered by the so-called foreskin (in medicine - prepuce), that is, a movable area of skin that, when the penis swells, moves away and exposes it.
Many people believe that the foreskin does not perform any functions in the body, but this is not entirely true. This is not just a two-layer “flap” of skin - it is richly innervated and supplied with blood vessels. During sexual activity, the prepuce helps respond to stimulation. And its sliding along the skin of the head of the penis additionally affects the nerve endings, which increases sexual arousal and reduces friction, creating additional comfort for partners.
So, to correctly understand at what age a boy’s head opens completely, and to prevent problems with stretching of the foreskin - this means providing a man with more vivid sensations and a lot of pleasure from sexual intercourse in the future.
In infants, the foreskin does not separate
But the functions of the prepuce are not only increasing sexual sensations. In babies, the foreskin is a serious protective barrier that protects the delicate head of the penis. It prevents contamination and infection of both the head itself and the urethra, as well as its narrowing as a result of inflammatory processes. To do this, the foreskin produces lysozymes and other substances that can destroy pathogens.
This is why almost all healthy boys are born with a condition called physiological phimosis - the skin of their foreskin cannot be retracted from the head of the penis.
Mothers, having discovered this, begin to worry and find out at what age boys’ heads open, fearing that something is wrong with their man. But they should not worry, and if the baby urinates normally, and during this process the foreskin does not swell, becoming like a ball, then there are no obvious problems.
What determines at what age the head of the penis opens in boys?
We already remember that the foreskin has two layers. From birth, its inner leaf is fused with the head of the penis by delicate adhesions, which in medicine are called synechiae.
Do not try to roughly push back the baby’s foreskin and break the adhesions, this can lead to scarring and, as a result, the development of paraphimosis. As your boy gets older, the ring of flesh will become wider and wider, and the prepuce will gradually be able to separate from the head, causing it to open more and more.
But remember that for each male child this happens at different times and depends on many associated factors. So there is simply no single answer to the question of at what age the head opens in boys, although approximately we can say that in many children this happens by the age of 4, although the process can last even up to 11-15 years, and, mind you, this will also be the norm!
How to determine that the inability to open the head is pathological
Pathological phimosis, unlike physiological one, does not go away on its own and therefore requires consultation with a surgeon. Signs that something is wrong with your baby’s genitals are inflammation, for example: redness of the glans (balanitis), inflammation of the prepuce (posthitis), swelling, pain and difficulty urinating.
In order to distinguish pathological phimosis from physiological one, one should definitely pay attention to the state of the prepuce. In the first case, it is scarred, and this is the most important sign of such a problem, which requires consultation with a specialist.
Parents need to remember that to get rid of it it is absolutely not necessary to immediately remove the foreskin. There are many conservative treatment methods that lead to excellent results. Whether it is worth resorting to the help of a surgeon can only be decided during the treatment of pathological phimosis.
Separately about hygiene
For mothers who try to wash their child as cleanly as possible, doctors strongly advise not to overdo it. In a baby, until the moment when the foreskin can be separated, the process of caring for the genitals is only external washing and nothing more. Don't pull the skin, you can only do harm.
By the way, if a cheesy white substance called baby smegma begins to collect between the skin of the prepuce and the head, do not worry and try your best to wash it off. Children's smegma, unlike adults, is a normal manifestation of metabolic processes and does not require special hygiene procedures, except for daily routine washing.
Is surgery necessary for phimosis?
In response to the question of whether it is necessary to treat phimosis with circumcision and at what age the head opens in boys, Komarovsky E. O. claims that only one boy out of 2000 requires actual surgical intervention! Since, according to modern research, phimosis can become pathological only if there is an infection under the prepuce, chronic injury to the foreskin and, as a result, scars that do not allow the skin to stretch.
Remember this and do not rush to agree to surgery until you are sure that more loyal methods of treating pathological phimosis do not work.
But physiological phimosis is not a disease, and mothers should just be patient and wait for the head to open. This may be the norm for both a three-year-old child and a 15-year-old teenager.
Help in case of paraphimosis
Sometimes, having listened to convincing advice from not very competent doctors or acquaintances about the age at which a boy’s head opens (photos of “abnormal” organs are sometimes scary), mothers begin to “develop” the foreskin of their babies, pulling it back. This sometimes leads to frightening results: the flesh slips off the glans and tightens it at the coronal groove of the penis, which can lead to instant swelling (this phenomenon is called paraphimosis). If you do not help the child, the situation will become dangerous, even to the point of necrosis of the head.
No need to get lost!
- Squeeze the head with your hand.
- Apply something cold to it.
Compression and cold will cause the head to shrink and you will be able to put the prepuce in place. In 90% of cases, such quick actions help, but if this does not happen, urgently take your baby to the surgeon!
So, at what age do boys' heads open?
Elena Malysheva, the host of a health program, and many other doctors from the pages of the media convince that phimosis is, in any case, a problem that needs to be urgently gotten rid of and, of course, by circumcision.
Yes, this is a problem, but, we repeat, only in a situation where the child experiences changes in the condition and functioning of the penis. In all other cases, phimosis is a physiological phenomenon that does not require any correction; you just need to perform the necessary regular hygiene procedures, namely, washing with baby soap.
And then, as the penis grows, its head will gradually open, and the question that torments all parents will finally receive an answer given by nature itself.
In every family where a boy is born, parents have a question: how to care for the baby’s genitals. Unfortunately, many doctors (including surgeons, to whom children are usually brought for routine examinations) today recommend that mothers retract the foreskin for “better” hygiene. And some, especially diligent doctors simply create chaos, forcibly opening the head of little boys at the age of one, one and a half, two, sometimes without even asking permission from mom and dad... Friends, such things cannot be done!
If the child is healthy, if he has normal urination and there are no problems, under no circumstances should you reach into his wee and touch anything there. Nature has taken care of little boys: the foreskin ideally protects the vulnerable head from infection, in 1999 male children out of 2000 the head opens on its own, without any intervention, by the age of 15-17, and inflammation and other troubles associated with the child’s genitals are, as As a rule, it is the work of illiterate doctors and parents who follow ridiculous advice about the “hygiene” of boys.
When my son was born, I honestly had no idea that in modern society boys “have” any special hygiene. I am very grateful to my friend Ira, the mother of a son older than mine, who saved my baby from big problems. Irina once told me how her son, aged, it seems, one year, a doctor at a routine appointment, without permission or warning, in front of his parents, forcibly (this happened in a second) opened the head of the boy’s penis, literally “tearing” the foreskin. A drop of blood came out from the child, the baby cried terribly (it’s hard to even imagine!), but the doctor explained his behavior by saying that opening the head would help avoid big problems in the future (infection, phimosis and, accordingly, surgery).
Unfortunately, Ira’s story is not the only one. This is what another friend of mine said about her son.
Lilia, mother of two boys:
The eldest son was one and a half years old when the urologist opened his head. Before this, we ourselves had never revealed anything to the child - while bathing in warm water, we simply washed the pussy, slightly stretching the skin, nothing more. But during the consultation, the doctor convinced us of the need to open the head, scared us with a possible infection, problems with urination and even surgery in the future. We agreed. Everything happened pretty quickly. There was a lot of screaming! For a whole month my son didn’t let anyone near him, I couldn’t even wash him. On the doctor’s advice, we gave the baby chamomile baths for the first few weeks so that everything would heal well. Thank God, time passed and everything was forgotten.
But after everything we went through with our first child, my husband and I decided not to reveal anything to the second boy. I studied information on the Internet on this topic, read forums and foreign sources. They wrote there that by a certain age the head opens on its own in most boys, and only in rare cases does the child actually need surgery. Yes, we still have fears about possible infections and problems (which the urologist was afraid of back then), but time will tell whether we are right now or not. The only thing we do is ask our son, when he bathes, to pull the skin on his own and wash his puss well.
Personal experience:
I personally twice stopped the hand of pediatricians who were reaching for my son’s genitals (when he was 2 and 9 months old). I don’t know what exactly they wanted to do, but I said that I don’t allow them to touch my child. Of course, the doctors were extremely unhappy and assured me that I must definitely retract my foreskin and take special care of my pussy. Fortunately, I knew then what the consequences of interfering with the natural process could be. The program “Hygiene of Boys” by the famous Ukrainian doctor Yevgeny Komarovsky helped me a lot to establish my position on this issue. I recommend it for viewing to mothers of all boys and pregnant women expecting the birth of a son! Below I will quote some of the doctor’s words to save you time and convey the essence.
Evgeniy Komarovsky, pediatrician:
Do I need to take care of a boy's penis? What hygiene procedures are necessary? The wiener is designed in such a way that it provides self-isolation (there is a foreskin that protects the head, and it produces a special lubricant, smegma, which has a bactericidal effect). Nothing gets there from the outside. Apart from external washing with soap (and thoroughly rinsing off the soap after that), you don’t need to do anything else with the pisyun - these are generally accepted official medical recommendations for uncircumcised boys (if the child has been circumcised, the head actually needs special care). If the boy has no problems with urination, there is no need to touch this organ!
Paradox: if a mother doesn’t wash her puss, then the child has fewer problems. Because if unwashed soap remains between the foreskin and the glans, there may be chemical burns there and problems may begin.
What is phimosis? This is a situation where exposure of the head is not possible. Phimosis can be physiological (i.e. normal) - this is the inability of a boy to expose the head of the penis before the end of puberty, i.e. phimosis is the norm for boys under 15 years old! Pathological phimosis, i.e. the disease is the inability to expose the head in boys over 15 years of age (or at a younger age, if, for example, at the age of 10 the head opened calmly, but at 11 it no longer did).
In utero, the baby's foreskin is tightly fused to the head. When a boy is born, the head of his penis cannot be seen in principle. When can she be seen? Physiological phimosis goes away on its own: in newborns - in 4% of cases, up to 1 year - in 50%, up to 3 years - in 90%, in 5-7 years - in 92%, in 12-13 years - in 97% , at 14-17 years old - in 99% of cases. Only one percent of all boys cannot open their head by the age of 17. In 95% of these boys, phimosis is treated with effective ointments, in the rest - with stretching and other manipulations, and only 1 boy in 2000 will need the help of a surgeon. Today, 10 percent of male children resort to surgical intervention - this is a terrible statistic!
Let's summarize: what kind of care is needed for a boy's pussy? Only a nightly hygienic bath (external washing with warm water and soap). There is no need to wash your child with soap during the day. Do not touch the foreskin if nothing bothers the child! The likelihood of problems with the genital organ increases when you start climbing there.
Does it make sense to circumcise a child? If you do not take into account religious considerations, then circumcising a healthy person for medical reasons does not make sense. There is no evidence that this is an effective hygiene measure. The foreskin has a protective function and plays an important role in the immune system.
What causes problems with a boy’s genitals? Poor quality diapers, household chemicals, soap getting between the foreskin and the glans. If the child’s insides are red and itchy, pull the foreskin up (do not pull it, just pull it up), insert a 10-15 ml syringe without a needle and rinse the inside with clean warm water.
When should you see a doctor to treat urinary tract? In three cases: if urination is difficult, if urination is painful, if there are signs of inflammation (pain, swelling, redness). In this case, it is better to contact not a surgeon, but a good family doctor and pediatrician, because It is these specialists who know which ointment is more effective in treating inflammation.
Be healthy and protect your boys from unreasonable doctors!
Do little boys need to “open their heads”, and at what age is it best to do this? was last modified: October 2nd, 2014 by admin
When a baby appears in the family, his parents eventually begin to worry about the age at which the head of the penis opens in boys. We will give you the answer to this question and explain why it is so important to reveal it.
If the head cannot be completely exposed, it means that the baby has phimosis, that is, a decrease in the opening in the foreskin. Such a narrowing can be either congenital or acquired. Almost always, after the birth of a boy, his head is physiologically difficult to open. This is how nature intended it, and parents do not need to push back the baby’s foreskin. In a newborn, its skin usually completely covers the head, while towards the tip it gathers into a fold. In addition, the delicate skin can grow together with the head via synechiae (special closures). These delicate adhesions make it difficult to bring the head out. This is physiological phimosis. Only an extremely small number of babies have an open head at birth or in the first year of life.
At what age does it open in boys? Over time (around the age of six), it will open on its own. If this does not happen, you should visit a pediatric urologist or surgeon with the child, who will perform the procedure using instruments. When the head does not fully open, this may indicate that the baby has certain diseases, such as scleroderma, balanoposthitis, etc. It is likely that the child has the child has had a trauma to the penis, which can also cause phimosis.
Such a pathology can lead to swelling of the foreskin due to the accumulation of smegma in it. It is still possible for the foreskin to develop (sometimes even to the point of critical retention of urine output) and increase in size. If you find such signs in your baby, you should immediately go to the doctor, as such symptoms can lead to ureterohydronephrosis without appropriate treatment. Phimosis can also cause the development of malignant neoplasm of the penis.
That is why it is extremely important for parents to know at what age a boy’s head opens. You should not miss the time to consult a doctor in a timely manner and under no circumstances try to open it yourself, as the likelihood of injury to the child’s penis and infection increases.
After examination and in the absence of concomitant ailments, such as balanoposthitis, the doctor sets the time for the operation. Yes, it is carried out mainly surgically. There are several types of surgical intervention. It is the prerogative of the doctor - which one to choose. And it depends on the specific case.
With a disease such as phimosis, there are complications. The penis can have the head (balanoposthitis), or only the head (balanitis). Sometimes it becomes pinched (paraphimosis). An infection may occur in the urinary tract or cancer may develop. Sometimes phimosis is accompanied by acute or chronic urinary retention, which can lead to the development of renal failure and ureterohydronephrosis in the child.
Parents should monitor the health of their baby and be sure to know at what age boys’ heads open in order to consult a doctor in time and prevent the occurrence of serious illnesses.
Newborn boys require special care for their genitals. There are many nuances in matters of intimate hygiene for young representatives of the stronger sex. Mothers are not always able to consult a doctor, since some do not even realize that they are doing something wrong, while others are embarrassed. The famous children's doctor Evgeny Komarovsky tells what proper and reasonable hygiene for boys should be.
Features of the development of boys
His future male health depends on how a mother organizes hygiene procedures for her little son. And we are talking not only about reproductive function, but also about the normal state of the entire genitourinary system. A boy's penis is much more different from the corresponding organ of an adult man. The foreskin of babies closes tightly, completely or almost completely covering the head.
There, under reliable cover, we produce smegma - a special lubricant, the main property of which is antibacterial. This is a substance that can destroy bacteria and other microorganisms if they get under the foreskin.
The tightness of the foreskin prevents the entry of foreign bodies, She herself is extremely narrow and will gain the ability to stretch much later under the influence of male sex hormones.
This anatomical feature is called “physiological phimosis” - this is not a diagnosis, but a normal condition provided by nature for a certain age.
According to medical statistics, only 4% of newborn boys have extreme density mobility.
In every fifth male child, the foreskin begins to open at 6-7 months. By the age of one year, the head of the penis opens in half of children.
In the remaining majority of boys (90%), the foreskin begins to move and open the head of the penis by 3 years. Only a small number of boys have problems with narrowing and inelasticity of the foreskin until adolescence.
If it hurts your son to pee, but there are no signs of inflammation on the penis, you should contact a nephrologist or urologist, who will prescribe treatment for cystitis. You should go to the same doctors with your child if, in addition to painful urination, he has white or bloody discharge or noticeable blood in his urine. This may be a sign of urethritis. With such diseases, hygiene of the intimate area has its own nuances, which the doctor will tell you about at the appointment, taking into account the nature of the pathology in this particular child.
If your child experiences severe burning and pain in the foreskin area some time after taking a bath, this may be a sign of a chemical burn from soap remaining under the foreskin.
You should immediately rinse the genitals very thoroughly with warm water. Another dangerous condition is paraphimosis.
It occurs in cases when the mother, having listened to the “good” advice to move and train the foreskin, moves it down, but cannot raise it back. In this case, the head of the penis is exposed and clamped by the foreskin from below. This is fraught with the death of the organ, since necrosis of the glans penis leads to amputation of the entire penis.
