# Penis Skin Shedding (TMI obviously) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 17, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070 "2003-03-17T19:28:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/1 "2003-03-17T19:28:16Z")
Two of my friends claim in seriousness, and independently, that their penises have shed their skin (like a snake.) I’ve never heard of this before, nor has anyone else I know. What’s the straight dope on penis skin shedding? ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/2 "2003-03-17T19:37:31Z")
IANAD, but I think your friends may be either A) Pulling your leg or B) have a serious skin problem ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/3 "2003-03-17T19:46:53Z")
Maybe their heads just got to big for their… nevermind, I can’t think of anything good. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/4 "2003-03-17T19:48:23Z")
C) Jock itch. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/5 "2003-03-17T19:54:42Z")
It could also be the first sign of an STD such as syphilis or herpes, both of which produce flakey sore spots. I am relying on information from a health class more than 10 years ago so my memory is spotty at best. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/6 "2003-03-17T20:19:30Z")
A few years ago, I had a bad reaction to a particular brand of lube. Once the stinging and redness went away, the skin turned hard, then started peeling. It didn’t come off in one hunk like snakes tend to shed. It was mighty unpleasant and I was out of commission for about two weeks while it all healed. If your friends claim to shed their penile skin in one piece like a snake, I think they’re pulling your leg and taking the “trouser snake” metaphor too far. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/7 "2003-03-17T20:25:39Z")
When, um, a “friend of mine” was first discovering the joys of self-love, he used shampoo as a lube, and it caused his wang skin to crack and peel. Your wanker friends need to discover hand lotion, I’ll bet. ---
**Author:** ![RedDawgEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dbc845/32.png) [@RedDawgEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedDawgEsq)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/8 "2003-03-17T20:58:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gotpasswords \* > \*\*A few years ago, I had a bad reaction to a particular brand of lube. \*\* By ALL means, please let us learn from your mistake and identify what brand/substance lead to your problem. For the record, I highly recommend (and have never had a problem with **Crisco** ® ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/9 "2003-03-17T21:26:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Revtim \* > \*\*When, um, a “friend of mine” was first discovering the joys of self-love, he used shampoo as a lube, and it caused his wang skin to crack and peel. Your wanker friends need to discover hand lotion, I’ll bet. \*\* :eek: When I was in Junior High, the _exact same thing_ happened to a friend of mine! His problem was only on his nuts though. Apparently it peeled off in pieces as big as a fingertip. He was a little freaked, but since he was a virgin at the time, he knew it couldn’t be an STD. Finally, a real explanation for this bizarre ocurrence. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Barking\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Barking\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barking_Dog)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/10 "2003-03-17T21:30:09Z")
Oh yeah, your friends made the mistake \RevTim’s\ …hrm…“friend” and I made. I tell ya, when that skin peels, it’s rather uncomfortable. The sucky thing is, shampoo doesn’t work too well as a lube. Neither does hand lotion. Vaseline and, naturally, KY jelly works best. And for god’s sakê, save the shampoo for your hair, not your head. * * * “They say one of man’s greatest dreams is to fly…They also say man’s other great dream is the one where your being chased by two giant boots with a mouth. And no one says \that\ one has to make sense.” ~Terry Pratchett ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/11 "2003-03-17T21:33:11Z")
I should clarify. They tell me that the skin shed in parts, not as one piece. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/12 "2003-03-17T21:44:24Z")
This can happen to labia too. I will say no more. ---
**Author:** ![chickendoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@chickendoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chickendoc)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/13 "2003-03-17T22:38:17Z")
Sounds like a bad case of Jock Itch. I had the same problem once and it scared the heck out of me! Tell your buddy’s to get some Lamisil AT. They’ll be back to normal in no time. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/14 "2003-03-17T23:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > By ALL means, please let us learn from your mistake and identify what brand/substance lead to your problem. For the record, I highly recommend (and have never had a problem with Crisco ® It’s been too far ago to remember the band, other than it was one with Nonoxynol-9. N-9 has since then been “discredited” as a safe, sane and sensible thing to put in lube as it’s been found to cause tissue damage. Gee… lucky me. As for the Crisco - just keep track of which can goes in the bedroom and which one’s for the kitchen. I’ve heard some horror stories about _that_ sort of mixup. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/15 "2003-03-17T23:59:41Z")
OK, look, here’s what happened… In college, I masturbated often, of course, and used Suave shampoo as a lube. My penis, particularly the head, turned scaly and raw after a while, and looked like an alligator, only not green. Dumbass that I was, I continued using the shampoo for a few months… hrh ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/penis-skin-shedding-tmi-obviously/162070/16 "2003-03-18T07:50:11Z")
My vote is jock itch. Back in my mountain bike racing days (I really should have spent more time washing those nasty muddy wet bike shorts) I got a case in which Mr. Happy got scaly and flaky. The doc gave me some industrial strength anti-fungal stuff and he was soon back to his natural self in no time (Mr. Happy, not the doc).