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Pearly Penile Papules


Here you go.

A thousand questions may be running through your mind right now. What in the world is that bump? Did I catch a disease? Do I have cancer? Stop. Take a deep breath. Relax. While it can be unnerving to find bumps on your penis, there may be a simple and benign explanation. Though you should have it checked out by a doctor just to be sure, your diagnosis is likely pearly penile papules, scientifically referred to as hirsuties papillaris genitalis. What? Despite the funny alliteration, finding these bumps can be really scary and an uncomfortable topic to bring up to your doctor. But, once you know what they are, you can figure out what you want to do about them.

What Are Pearly Penile Papules?

Officially known as Hirsuties papillaris genitalis, pearly penile papules are small skin-colored bumps that form on the penis, often in rows encircling the sulcus or corona. They are not open and do not pop or “seep.” They do not cause physical irritation, though some men report a sensation they find unpleasant. The condition is physically harmless and can not be spread through sexual contact. The bumps or lesions most commonly develop on men in their 20s and 30s and fade and decrease in frequency as men progress in age. Uncircumcised men tend to develop them at a higher rate than those who are circumcised. Statistics are vague on how common PPP is, with reports ranging from 8%-48%. Though the condition is considered a “normal variant” that does not need treatment, some men suffer psychological distress over the condition, feeling social and sexual embarrassment. The cause of pearly penile papules is unknown at this point.

Pearly Penile Papules


A Summary of Facts about Pearly Penile Papules:
1. Pearly Penile Papules (PPP) are very common and affect approximately 25% of men. They are more common in uncircumcised men.
2. PPP are small, flesh-colored skin tags or domes that form around the rim and underside of the tip of the penis. They commonly appear in rows and do not cause any pain, itching or burning.
3. PPP are considered a normal finding and they are totally harmless. They are not contagious in any way. They are not a sexually transmitted disease (STD), therefore you could not have been “infected” by sexual contact – nor is there a risk of passing this onto your sexual partner.
4. PPP are commonly mistaken for genital warts, even by physicians, so it is very important to seek out the expertise of a board certified dermatologist if there is any question about the diagnosis.
5. PPP can be very embarrassing and stressful for men because they may look cosmetically unacceptable and often times can be confused with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Now anyone with PPP would want them removed, won't they?

So how do you remove them? You might have searched everywhere on the net for home remedies and clinical treatment. While it is commonly said that clinical Co2 laser treatment is the only option for removal of these papules, a lot of home remedies do seem to have worked upon for a lot of people. Here is a comprehensive list of such remedies you could think of, and I also give my personal opinion on such remedies.

1. Toothpaste

Here, I give a thumbs up. I have tried it myself. Say even if it doesn’t wipe it off completely it certainly does remove some of it completely and diminish the appearance of the rest. And maybe with good luck, you might be able to get rid of it all if you keep repeating the procedure.

How it works?
Tooth paste is an Alkali. It dissolves skin. So why not the papules? As simple as that.

But be careful about the composition of your toothpaste. I can’t be really particular about the type of toothpaste used, I could suggest a brand though. Some might damage your penis, as you might have read in some forums.

Procedure:
Before going to bed, apply the toothpaste around the rim of your penis, and wrap it up with a tissue paper. If you’ve got foreskin like me, then just pull it over the head, and the tissue will well stay in place. Wash it off the next day.

For how effective it was on mine, and what I did, scroll down to read my final take. But do read on about the rest of the possible remedies too.

2. Nail File Method

Use a nail file to grind down the papules. Do this for a couple minutes at a time when you take a shower, as often as you can. There may be some discomfort. If it bleeds, apply antibiotic ointment. This method will permanently remove every trace of the papules.

Oh god, I would say NO. If you are daring enough, then you can try this. The guy who suggested this calls this a definitive cure. Worked for him. For you?

3. Cutting them off!
Sounds dangerous. As dangerous as the previous. This method involves cutting them off, not the tip, the whole thing. This is what the guy who used this had to say.

This is the process I used:
1- Buy over the internet 4% Lidocaine cream (it is used for tattoos).
2- Buy really sharp nail clippers strilized if possible.
3- Plastic paper wrap
4- Iodine
5- Bacitracin

Now, it sounds painful but is not. When you apply the lidocaine used enough to cover the whole penis head. After application cover the head with the plastic wrapper and let it stand for approximately 30 minutes. The head of the penis will be completely numb and you wont feel a thing. Depending on the severity or amount of the case you can start clipping them off carefully from the root one by one. You might one to try one first to get comfortably with the process. One important thing to note is that there will be bleeding and it is most important to keep all items sterilized with iodine. Please make sure you use the clippers brand new. Afte completing the desired amount clean area and apply bacitracin. There only will be bleedin for the first hour. If you keep covered it will cloth right away. after the first day keep area ventilated and dry. Recovery period is 2 weeks.

No, dear. It sounds crazy!

4. Electric Soldering Iron

Buy a numbing cream. Apply and wait for half an hour, till the whole area is numbed. Then touch the tip of the soldering iron to the papules, each and every one of it . On the rim of my penis , left side and right side . Till you hear a pop sound . Do all of it. Wait for recovery. You will have healed clean penis in a week or two.

What would I say? Sounds as reasonable as Co2 laser treatment. It does the same thing as that. Burn it off. But would you dare? I wouldn’t. But I would like to mention for all those who would go ahead to try this. It has worked for a lot of people. Just, be careful.

5. Tea tree oil or Castor Oil

This is a simple and harmless one. Tell me if it worked. I haven’t tried out this one yet.
Apply Castor oil or tea tree oil to your papules and let it remain for a few hours. Ideally, three hours. Wash it off. Follow this practice religiously for two months. They should be gone, hopefully.
Sounds good enough, right? Go on and try.

6. CO2 Laser surgery

For the good treatment of penile papules, the CO2 laser surgery is the best official method so far. This technology actually uses the carbon dioxide laser for the lesion removal. Though, the patient would be having the painful time during this surgery but the laser impact will be right on the affected spots and there will only be the pearly penile papules that would be treated and the surroundings wouldn’t be affected.

After the surgery, the maximum time for the patient to get all things normal is about 4 weeks. You can forget sex while recovering and there are special remedies available for killing the pain and there would be no harm in using those pain killers till the resumption.

Before and After CO2 Laser Treatment


7. Circumcision

Sounds retarded? But well, one of the main reasons that people say why PPP come is because of the moist state of the glans. And in uncircumcised people, this paves way for the growth of PPP. It is a known fact that PPP occurs more in uncircumcised people. But hey, it occurs in circumcised people too.

How it is supposed to work is as long as you keep your penis dry, the papules will wither and fall off. No tested evidence though. Like I said, PPP occurs in circumcised people too!

I wouldn't suggest this as a solution.

CONCLUSION

Of all, Co2 laser surgery is the definitive solution, in my opinion, from what I have read on the internet. And the safest too, when you land in the hands of the right dermatologist. But it has a big price attached to it.

Being in India, I don’t think it is easy to find a place for Co2 laser surgery. And moreover it is something that not all of us can afford.

Pearly penile papules removal in India?

What did I do? Well, Colgate. The white one. Trust me. Good old toothpaste. It did a lot in reducing the size of the papules.

This one did its job good, though people on the net generally talk about Smoker's Toothpaste. Apply the colgate paste on the rim as mentioned above. Let it dry off overnight. And in the morning, you might see a light layer of new skin covering the papules. Don’t try to peel it off. It might come off when you scrub it during bath. But don’t be so in a hurry. Just leave it there. Do the same procedure of applying the toothpaste the next day. And then during bath,the new layer would be moist now. They will start to come off when you rub. And when they do, along with it will come the papules. Or atleast a part of it. Keep doing this till you are satisfied with the new appearance. They will become smaller, definitively.

You can try watching videos for removal of pearly penile papules.



For me, the first patch of skin that peeled off took off papules completely. The next one that came off left behind small ones. I’m hoping they go off completely too.

Anyways, good luck with it. Colgate, I recommend. I haven’t tried out any other. So I can’t tell if any other is any better or if they mess around with yours.

Being in India, if you have found a place where Co2 laser treatment is offered, then let me know. And also the cost.

And I will keep this page updated to let you know about any other treatments.