There is no such thing as childhood phimosis if the child is urinating. Tight and clinging to the glans is the normal natural state of a child’s foreskin.


Adult phimosis is not common in families where a child is not discouraged from touching his own genitals. His curious manipulations will loosen the skin tube with time.

The appropriate remedy for adult phimosis (if he wishes to become retractable) is a few months of gentle finger stretches with a steroidal ointment called Betamethasone (0.05% - 0.1%).

If that doesn’t work or he can’t wait, there is a non-amputating surgery called "triple incision dorsal slit with transverse closure" which will get the job done. Note this is just a minor well-controlled version of the traditional Philippine "chop" style of "circumcision" (which is not what Westerners call circumcision). It is performed in three spots (9 o’clock, 12 o’ clock, and 3 o’clock) so each chop can be very subtle.