Sex can be hard on a man's penis. All the rubbing and grinding can scrape skin away, and the products men might use in order to reduce the friction can cause irritation of their own. Add in the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, and it's a wonder that men choose to have sex at all. But some other types of sexual activity can also cause red penis concerns. For example, a man referred to here as Ken developed a red penis after he purchased a few lap dances. Here is his story of injury and the penis care that followed.

A Feeling of Safety

"When this all started, I didn't have a steady girlfriend, and I didn't have a lot of time to date," Ken says. "My job was going crazy, and my parents were sick. I just didn't have the energy to run out and find someone to date. But I still had a very strong sex drive, so I knew I needed to do something."

"I would never pay someone for sex, because I know that kind of thing tends to lead to health problems I really don't want," Ken says. "But I started going to strip clubs, and when they offered me lap dances, I figured that was pretty safe. I had my clothes on, and she had at least some clothes on, so everything seemed safe enough."

The Start of Problems

"I had a few of these lap dances, all with the same girl, and we both seemed to enjoy ourselves. But every time I had one of these dances, I woke up in the morning with a red penis. My skin was all chapped and sore, and the skin was flaking off."

"This really scared me, as you might imagine, so I high-tailed it to my doctor to find out what was happening. I know it might sound silly, but I was actually worried that I had something like AIDS or herpes due to these lap dances. My doctor told me that wasn't possible, but I wouldn't rest until I got the tests. Thankfully, they were clear."

"But my penis was really red and sore, that's for sure, so my doctor and I talked about what could have caused that. Basically, he pointed out that my zipper was sitting right on my penis during the lap dance, and as she ground her body on mine, that zipper got pushed right into my sensitive skin," Ken says. "It's no wonder I was sore!"

"Plus, I'd been using a bunch of perfumed products that could have irritated my skin, like cologne, fabric softeners and body wash. All of those added products could have dried out my skin, and that could have made the soreness worse," Ken says.

A Healing Time

"The first thing my doctor told me to do was to stay away from the lap dances for awhile," Ken says. "My sore skin needed time to heal up and feel better, so I needed to stop with the bumping and grinding. I didn't feel much like doing that anyway, as I was pretty sore, so that was easy."

"My doctor also told me to use a gentle, non-perfumed soap for my body, and to really rinse off after I do any kind of cleaning," Ken says. "The fewer fragrances I have on, the better, my doctor says."

"My doctor also wanted me to look for products that could keep my skin softer, so it could take occasional abuse without becoming red and sore," Ken says.

Men like Ken can benefit from a penis health cream (health professionals recommend Man1 Man Oil). Products like this contain the emollients that keep skin soft, blended with the vitamins and minerals skin needs in order to heal. With regular applications, skin will be healthier than ever before.