What would a man do if every time he had sex, he felt some degree of pain? Unfortunately, that’s the reality for a man who suffers from frenulum breve. Even with the best penis care, a man who suffers from this condition might have penis pain every time he engages in intercourse. In fact, among men who suffer from penis pain every time they engage in sexual activity, frenulum breve might account for up to 50 percent of them!

The good news is that there are treatments available that can alleviate the penis pain caused by frenulum breve. Here’s what a man needs to know.

First things first: What is frenulum breve?

The explanation begins with an understanding of what the frenulum is. The frenulum is the tiny bit of skin on the underside of the penis, just below the head. In most men it forms somewhat of a "V" shape. This elastic band of tissue allows the foreskin to move back and forth over the head of the penis.

For most men, the tissue moves just fine when it’s time for intercourse, and the head of the penis is exposed, as it should be. But for others, the frenulum is shorter than it should be. That means the foreskin cannot fully retract. In some severe cases, the frenulum will actually pull down on the head of the penis, leading to a very painful erection.

Just how bad is the pain?

For many men, the condition can make sex uncomfortable, but not impossible. For others, the pain is unbearable and restricts their sex life completely. Some men don’t know they have the problem until their first few sexual encounters, which result in pain. There might also be bleeding from the head of the penis as the friction from sex pulls at the delicate skin, creating small tears.

As anyone might imagine, these actions can lead to serious pain. A man usually winds up going to the doctor quite soon after his first experiences with frenulum breve. Fortunately, the doctor usually has a very good answer when it comes to treatment options.

Treatment for frenulum breve

A doctor will often recommend gentle stretching exercises and steroid creams to ‘loosen up’ the area and make it much easier to engage in intercourse. However, there are faster ways to alleviate the problem. The doctor can make a small incision in the frenulum to widen it and release the pressure, which works well for many men. The doctor might also try a suturing technique. This is minimally invasive and results in a significant decrease in pain for many men.

In extreme cases, the doctor can perform a partial or full circumcision to remove the pain of frenulum breve. It’s important to note, however, that this is a last resort - most men who are intact prefer to stay that way, and doctors recognize this.

Home care for frenulum breve

Men who are afraid of going under the knife can use the stretching techniques and steroid creams mentioned earlier to help the foreskin retract. However, all that extra handling and the harshness of the creams might lead to dry penis skin. To avoid this problem, a man can also reach for a top-notch penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) . In addition to vitamin C and D for enhancement of healing, a man should look for a crème that contains Shea butter and vitamin E, a one-two punch of hydration that will help alleviate any dry skin issues - and thus, possibly help lessen the penis pain of frenulum breve.