Hundreds of thousands of circumcised men around the world have already restored or are currently restoring their foreskins, and the number continues to grow.
Foreskin restoration has been attempted surgically, however, surgery is expensive, carries significant risk of complications, and involves a skin graft taken from another part of the body. Few men have undergone surgical foreskin restoration and many who have reported a negative experience with significant complications.
A potential option for men in the future could be to regrow foreskin tissue. Foregen is a tissue engineering company undertaking research to do just that. While promising, this research is it in its early stages.
By far the most common foreskin restoration method used by men involves using devices to apply tension to the skin on the shaft of the penis to induce new skin cell growth. With consistent application over time, men are able to lengthen their penile shaft skin so that it covers the head of penis and resembles a foreskin.
It is important to understand that foreskin restoration cannot return everything that was lost by circumcision: It cannot return the densely packed and highly sensitive fine touch receptors (Meissner's corpuscles) and other sensory corpuscular receptors of the foreskin; nor can it restore the ridged band, which is a highly sensitive piece of tissue that encircles the tip of the foreskin and helps to keep the head of the penis covered.
That said, there are many benefits to foreskin restoration and reasons why men choose to do it, including:
- Aesthetic appeal;
- Physical protection of the mucosal tissue of the head of the penis, causing it to regain some sensitivity;
- Restoration of the natural gliding action of the foreskin, which enhances sensation during stimulation; and
- While individual results vary, in some cases men report that the layer of connective tissue in the penile shaft skin (called the dartos fascia), can act as a substitute for the ridged band when the penile shaft skin has been lengthened enough to cover the foreskin.
Taken together these benefits explain why men who have restored their foreskins report improved sensation and sexual experiences, as well as a feeling of wholeness and improved psychological wellbeing.
Further information
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