Uncomfortable Penis Injury: Frenulum Breve

There aren’t a lot of different penis health issues between intact men and circumcised men, other than basics like needing to clean beneath the foreskin if a guy is intact. However, there is one penis injury an intact male might suffer - it’s called frenulum breve.

The frenulum

Often referred to colloquially as the banjo string, the frenulum is (to quote Wikipedia) "an elastic band of tissue under the glans penis that connects the foreskin (prepuce) to the vernal mucosa, and helps contract the foreskin over the glans." The frenulum is typically long and helps allow for full retraction of the foreskin when the penis is in its erect state. All men are born with one; however, if a male is circumcised, most or all of the frenulum is removed during the circumcision.

Many men find the frenulum to be especially sensitive to touch and therefore one of their favorite erogenous zones.

Sometimes, however, an intact male may find that his frenulum is too short, a condition estimated to occur in about 5% of all intact men. This is what is meant by the term "frenulum breve."

Penis injury

If the frenulum is too short, it can cause issues when the penis becomes erect. The foreskin may retract, but not all the way. Or it may fully retract, but the shortness of the frenulum may cause the glans to bend, so that it pulls forward in a manner which can cause pain.

But the real penis injury comes from small tears and cuts that occur when the shortened frenulum tries to stretch too far. Despite the fact that these are small, they can create a significant amount of pain. Think how painful paper cuts are, despite the fact that they are small. Now put that pain on one of the most sensitive areas of the body and imagine what it must feel like.

Sometimes the cuts can heal on their own, although this requires abstaining from sex for a while - and not all cuts do heal spontaneously. If the penis injury does not heal by itself, it’s important to seek out a urologist for his assistance.

Treatment

In some cases, the urologist may suggest continued rest. At other times, however, some form of surgery may be necessary.

Often a urologist will suggest circumcision as the best way to handle frenulum breve. Removal of the foreskin can indeed remove the problem; however, many men who are intact have very strong feelings about maintaining their foreskin and do not wish to consider removal.

Another option is something called a frenuloplasty. It’s a short procedure, usually lasting about half an hour and generally conducted under local anesthesia. The doctor will take the frenulum and make a cut in it, then re-sew the two flaps in such a way that the frenulum has greater length and movement. The stitches usually stay in for a few weeks.

Freedom from pain is not immediate; it usually takes several months for the procedure to totally heal. However, most men then report that their erections do not have the pain they once had and find a greater freedom of foreskin movement.

Men with frenulum breve should consult a urologist, especially if the condition has already resulted in a penis injury. In the meantime, to keep the penis in as good a health as possible, men need to daily rub in a superior penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). The best crème will have a combination of moisturizing agents, such as Shea butter and vitamin E; by keeping the skin smooth and moisturized, the foreskin is kept more pliable. The crème should also include vitamin C, which adds tone and elasticity to penis skin.

Penis Pain from a Torn Frenulum

Considering all the hard work it gets put through, it’s surprising the penis doesn’t experience more painful episodes. As all men know, there are any number of factors which can account for penis pain, some of which can have an impact on penis health. One of the more painful penis pain situations arises when a guy tears or otherwise damages his frenulum - so it’s best to try to avoid situations that put the frenulum at risk!

What is it?

This is a not-so-secret secret: Despite all the time men spend with their penis and despite the importance they place upon it, most guys don’t know what all the parts of the penis are. And many may have heard the word "frenulum" without knowing exactly what (or where) it is.

To put at ease any questions readers of this article may have in that area, the frenulum is the name given to the area of sensitive skin on the underside of the penis, right near the center of the head. In intact men, this is the part of skin that attached the foreskin to the penis. In circumcised men, there may be no frenulum; more likely, there is some remnant of the frenulum there. In many men, this area is especially sensitive, and stroking it while masturbating can be pleasurable.

In common conversation, the frenulum is often referred to as a guy’s "banjo string."

What happens

As indicated above, the penis is actually pretty resilient. Nonetheless, some things do cause penis pain, and a tear in the frenulum is one of them. Since there is a greater sensitivity in this area, a tear can lead to greater penis pain than a tear elsewhere. The frenulum is also located right "where the action is" where sex is concerned, so the pain can be significantly bothersome.

In intact men, the most painful form of frenulum injury is when it tears and separates from the rest of the foreskin. Fortunately, this does not happen with great frequency. More common is a partial tear, and this can occur in both intact and circumcised men.

And the most common culprit of these tears is rough, aggressive handling during sex. So if, for example, a man is increasingly using a "death grip" on his penis while masturbating - that is, he is squeezing it intensely tight while pumping up and down - he may increase the likelihood of a tear. Or if a man engages in sex which is not well-lubricated, the chances of a tear go up.

Some researchers believe frenulum tears are becoming more common, based on a belief that sex (both partner-based and masturbatory) is becoming rougher, perhaps due to the increasing prevalence of pornography. This is based on an assumption that the "rougher" experience of sex in pornography is being replicated among everyday people. But this is based on anecdotal observations, not on any hard and fast evidence.

If a guy does tear his frenulum, in addition to penis pain there may be some blood. Seeing a doctor is usually a good idea, although most often the tears heal on their own. However, healing requires that the penis be given a good rest for 4 to 6 weeks - which means no sex, including masturbation, during that time. In some cases, an operation may be required if the tear is severe or if it keeps recurring.

Taking good care of the frenulum to avoid penis pain is strongly urged. One way to insure better penis health is to consistently make use of a superior penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) . Find one that includes L-arginine and L-carnitine. The former is an amino acid that plays a role in helping penile blood vessels relax and expand. The latter is a neuroprotective ingredient that can help restore diminished sensation in the penis due to rough handling.