The size of a man’s penis is a topic of no small importance to most men, as is widely known. Despite the fact that many men with modest endowments perform like world class champions sexually, there is still a stigma attached to having a small penis. Indeed, many men sacrifice sensible penis health concerns in the quest for a larger member. But some men find themselves with a small penis situation that is fairly rare, that of the buried penis.

A hidden situation

Also called a hidden penis or a concealed penis, a buried penis is an "anomaly in which the penis is normal in size but appears to be small (i.e., the external genitalia appear small)." In other words, a boy or man has a penis shaft which is technically of average (or larger) length, but which seems much smaller because a considerable portion of it is buried beneath the skin at the base or sometimes in an enlarged scrotum. When a person is born with this situation, it is considered congenital. If it occurs later in life, it may be referred to as "acquired."

Congenital buried penises are considered very rare. When the condition is acquired, it tends to occur more often later in life, after adolescence and generally more often in senior years.

The degree to which the penis is buried can vary considerably. In some cases, it is less than an inch, in others several inches. Frequently in cases in which the patient’s foreskin is intact and in which there is a significant amount of the shaft buried, the penis foreskin may bunch together at the end of the shaft.

Causes

As indicated, in some cases a male is simply born with more of his penis hidden than usual. In some instances, this may be exacerbated if a child is circumcised too low on the shaft.

In acquired instances, the problem tends to be one related to obesity or to an enlarged scrotum. When obesity is the cause, layers of fat develop in the pubic area, which essentially engulf the base of the penis, covering more and more of it as the obesity increases.

When the scrotum is the issue, it usually is due to lymphedema, in which lymph fluid collects in the scrotum, causing it to swell abnormally large and to ‘swallow" the base of the penis as it does so.

Weight loss is generally recommended for men whose obesity is burying part of their penis. Treating lymphedema in the scrotum can be challenging and generally involves a combination of specific exercises, bandaging and compression garments.

In some cases, surgery may be recommended to try to correct the engulfment of the penis. There are several methods which have been employed in this area.

Effects

In extreme cases, buried penis can be so severe as to prevent a man from performing sexually with another partner. In addition, many boys and men experience severe psychosocial distress from the condition. They may be unwilling to get undressed in front of another person and may also simply be self-conscious about their condition even when clothed.

A buried penis can be a cause of great concern to a man. But like all men, those with a hidden penis should still pay attention to their overall penis health and regularly use a top drawer penis health creme (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin). The best cremes contain a wide range of vitamins - A, B5, C, D, and E - which benefit from their topical application directly to the penis. It’s best to find a crème that also includes alpha lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant that fights free radicals and the oxidative damage they can bring.