Disappearing and Reappearing Papules

He is embarrassed by what he thinks are pearly penile papules. Are they really that bad and can they be harmful? Find out if he is normal or if there is something wrong with his penis.

Case #: 1620

Concern：

So I am pretty sure that I have pearly penile papules and I am very embarrassed about it. It is only a minor case of them because I only have a few and they go all around the head of my penis and are not very big. It seems that every time I masturbate and shower the papules seem to go away and some parts of the penis and the head becomes really smooth and when I don't shower and don't masturbate they grow a little bigger and they are not smooth at all. Is this normal of people with pearly penile papules? I want to get some information on how I can get rid of them. Anything would be helpful. I very much appreciate it, thanks.

Discussion：

Despite a lot of earnest efforts by well-meaning folks, it is next to impossible to go through life in the 21st century (C.E.) without having a reasonably good idea of what a “normal” penis is “supposed” to look like. Men and women of almost every age are likely to know that the average length of an erect penis is a little more than 5.5 inches, and that the average diameter is about 1.75 inches. The public is also starting to understand that circumcision is not an absolute requirement for health or hygiene, and we're generally more open about discussing penis-related topics that would have been unthinkable even as recently as twenty or thirty years ago.

As a result of this new openness, some men are discovering that the odd little bumps around the rim of their glans are not some kind of disease; they didn't catch them from one sexual partner, nor can they give them to another. But these “ugly bumps” are aesthetically displeasing, so the usual response is “how can I get rid of them”? Let's take a closer look at the phenomenon and find out what we're actually dealing with.

Am I A Mutant?

Physicians researching the phenomenon report that papules appear in human males in all racial and ethnic sub-categories in roughly the same proportion: 8-48% of the population, so you may well have more company than you know. The most commonly-accepted theory about them is that they are a genetic legacy from our primitive ancestors; many other primates known today demonstrate some very impressive full-fledged penile spines in the same parts of the penis where humans may develop papules.

How Do I Control Them?

In the same vein that science has not determined the origin of these funny-looking little bumps, it has also not conclusively proved what will make them manifest. A persistent rumor that they are a possible result of keeping your penis “too wet” (meaning, don't have too much sex) has been disproved by the simple fact that there are documented cases of papules appearing even among the population that has never had sex at all.

Assuming that you don't want to just wait for them to go away on their own (they tend to fade with age, which may take decades), you may get them removed by trained medical personnel. As papules are considered a harmless anatomical variation, such procedures are likely to be categorized as “elective”. You'll have to talk with your health-care provider and possibly your insurance representative to find out if you will have to pay for the procedure out-of-pocket, but at least you will know that it is being performed by trained professionals.

Alternately, there are many home remedies you may try. Several of them are dangerous, and can even result in permanent genital mutilation. However, I can say that the following three options represent a high chance of success coupled with a low chance of damage to your penis, as long as you follow the instructions and are prepared to wait three weeks or so before seeing the desired results.

Tea Tree Oil

Often used as part of a skin-care regimen due to its anti-microbial properties, Tea Tree Oil is an excellent choice for papule removal, but it can irritate the skin if not diluted enough. I also recommend that you dab a small amount somewhere on your arm for a few minutes to make sure that you aren't allergic to it.

Castor Oil

Also suitable as a cleaning solution due to its anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, Castor Oil is also a very good choice for reducing and eliminating papules. Like Tea Tree Oil, you would be very smart to test the stuff on your arm before applying it to your penis.

Iodine Solution

You may have used iodine to disinfect minor cuts. But you may not know that iodine is a critical element for higher animals, used to manufacture thyroid hormones. Iodine Solution is the papule-eliminating substance with only one real warning: wait for it to dry before you put your clothes back on, because it will stain your clothes.

Good luck!