Many men choose to undergo a vasectomy when they decide their days of fertility should come to an end. A vasectomy is a simple procedure, usually taking 30 minutes or less. A man can often walk right out of the doctor’s office after it’s done. But that’s when the real penis care begins. There are certain steps a man should take to ensure his penis, as well as his overall health, stays in good shape during vasectomy recovery.

Learn what to expect

In order to appropriately gauge how well a guy is doing, he should know exactly what to look for. There points can help ease a guy’s mind if he’s worried about vasectomy recovery.

- After a vasectomy, there might be some pain - but it tends to be minor. A man can usually alleviate it with a dose of ibuprofen and a cold compress nestled against his junk.

- There might be some blood after the procedure. The blood might seep out through the incisions. This is usually quite normal. A man should simply keep an eye on how much blood is coming out; if it decreases with time, great. But if it suddenly becomes heavier, a trip to the doctor is in order.

- There will also be bruising, especially at the point of the incision. The bruising might even appear frightening, as it can extend up the shaft of the penis and even across the abdomen. This is normal, and unless the bruising extends to cover the entire penis area and continues to get worse, it’s not a cause for concern.

- The incisions themselves will be sealed with a medical-grade adhesive glue or a few tiny stitches. A guy should keep an eye on these to ensure no signs of redness or infection appear. A little bit of blood oozing from the area is normal in the first few days.

- A guy should expect a few days off! He should avoid any heavy lifting, serious housework, sports, running, or anything that puts him on his feet for long periods of time, such as shopping. In other words, it’s time to lie like a potato on the couch.

- To make things feel better down there, a guy can turn to supportive undergarments. A simple jock strap might be good, but ask the doctor to know for sure. Some doctors even provide undergarments that are designed specifically for vasectomy healing.

- Don’t plan to engage in sex for a little while. Though some men are in the mood to ‘try out’ their equipment after surgery, keep in mind that this can be a roadblock to healing. It can lead to increased bleeding or bruising, as well as the opening of incisions, none of which are good. So plan to stay celibate until the doctor gives the go-ahead to ease back into the fun.

It’s important to remember that a vasectomy doesn’t work immediately. Though the channels that allow semen to flow out of the body are cut, there is still some "old" semen and sperm that can be released. That’s why a man must visit the doctor several weeks after the vasectomy is done to give a semen sample and ensure there are no little guys swimming in there anymore.

In the meantime, a man can facilitate healing by using a top-notch penis health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) . A guy should look to a crème that has many healing ingredients, such as vitamin D, vitamin C and Shea butter. It’s also helpful to find a crème that contains L-carnitine, which is great for alleviating the damage from common injuries, including vasectomies. Alpha lipoic acid is also a good bet, as it helps get rid of the free radicals that can cause cellular damage.