Every man wants to live a long, healthy life with no surprise medical issues. In order to ensure the best chances of that happening, it pays to pay close attention to every part of the body, including the penis and surrounding area. Though a man gets a close look at the equipment during usual daily penis care, once a month he should take the time to really look things over and search for any problems, such as bumps, lesions, redness or painful areas.

Understanding how to do a penis exam is vitally important. Here’s what a man needs to know in order to do the penis exam correctly and help ensure the best of penis health from one month to the next.

Steps to the best penis exam

Once a month, a man should take the time to explore his penis and surrounding area. This is best done immediately after a hot shower, when penis skin is relaxed from the warmth of the water.

1. Look at the skin. Using a mirror to help, look at the skin of the penis and surrounding area. The idea is to look for anything out of the ordinary, including discolorations, strange spots, scrapes or bruises, lesions, moles or blemishes. Anything unusual should be noted, as a man can look at it again next month to see if there have been any changes. Anything that appears to be severe should be checked by a doctor.

2. Check out the penis. The idea here is to feel for any lumps or abnormalities in the penis itself. Using one hand to hold the base of the penis, slide the other hand upward, feeling for any strange changes on the way. Make note of any bumps, ridges or painful areas. If an erection happens during this exam, that’s just fine - that provides a man with the opportunity to feel for bumps and the like, things he might miss during the excitement of masturbation. It’s easier to feel for strange changes when a man is in an ‘all business’ kind of mindset!

3. Feel around the groin. Using two fingers, press all around the groin area. There might be some lumps here and there, from lymph nodes and the like; these are normal. The idea is to do this on a monthly basis, so a man becomes very familiar with what the area feels like. That way, he can tell if any of those bumps change over time. During this part of the penis exam, make note of any painful areas.

4. Examine the testicles. Look at the testicles with the mirror. They should look as they always do; one might be larger than the other or might ‘hang’ a bit more, but over time a man will come to know what is normal for him. Using slight pressure, take the testicle between thumb and forefingers and run the hand along it, feeling for any bumps or lumps. At the back of the testicle will be a small tube that will feel soft and might be tender to the touch; this is perfectly normal.

5. Take notes. Though it might seem strange, this can come in handy in a few months, when a man sees or feels something odd and wonders if it was there in the past. By taking a few notes right now after the penis exam, a man can get to know what is normal for his body.

Make use of penis health crème

After the penis exam, a man should apply a top-notch penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). Look for a crème that contains vitamins A, C, D, B5 and E, as well as amino acids that can enhance penis health. Not only does a good penis health crème work wonders for the skin, the regular application gives a man one more opportunity to feel for any problems, thus leading to even better penis health.