Does this really work?

[Bral]

I have a question. And it’s probably the biggest question here: Does this really work? I read posts of people ranting about what they’ve lost, then finishing it off with ‘but there’s hope.’ If you want something bad enough you’ll convince yourself it’s obtainable. You cannot tell me that’s not human nature. I have yet to see a picture of a “restored” penis that looks and functions as indistinguishable from an intact penis. [please link one if you know of one]

I was cheated out of three things when my foreskin was removed: intensity of pleasure, aesthetics, and the functional covering of my glans. I’m to the point where I don’t care about the pleasure any more. I want the cover. And that is why I’m considering restoration. Certain body structures simply do not rebuild themselves. And those structures are removed with circumcision. Saying that you can rebuild nerve receptors by “tugging” on your foreskin remnant, is like saying that you can rebuild a limb that was severed by “tugging” on it. What I want is the functional covering of my glans again. I do a lot of swimming and the chlorine causes me irritation. I was ‘fortunate’ enough to only be loosely circumcised. And I wear a retainer when I swim. Even from before I had heard of using retainers in restoration. I just want my skin to stay in place. It will come up on its own, but it will never go down on its own. Sometimes it will even stay, but not very well. I’ll even consider a surgery if it will give me that functionality again. It would also be nice to have a normal appearance, but I just want my cover back. I’ve given up on the gain in sensation, except for slightly more glans sensitivity that is acquired by keeping it covered.

Structures were removed. Sure you can stretch your existing structures to better fill in the gaps. But you will NEVER have the use of those back save for the possibility of a medical miracle. And I’m not sure even then. Doctors have found that your brain needs to ‘learn’ how to process inputs during early development. A deaf man who is given hearing (made possible with a cochlear implant) cannot process audio information unless he had had hearing during childhood. [I don’t have a good reference for that, if I’m wrong, PLEASE let me know]. Likewise, I doubt one who had never developed with a sensory nerve structure (as in the prepuce) would have a brain capable of processing that information.

I personally, would never have my body modified. I would never get a piercing or a tattoo, so you can imagine how much it aggravates me to know that my body was modified at an early age without my consent. Why would someone assume design flaw of such a perfect machine as the human body? A lot of painstaking care was put into my design, by God. A work of mechanical genius and art. My body was given to me. And it hurts so much knowing that people changed it without letting me decline the modification. “Cleaner!?” I bathe daily so I hardly see how that could be an issue? Even if it were more effort to keep clean, I would gladly go through the extra trouble to do so! I've done some research in the matter. People who were circumcised later in life (who had experienced it both ways), say that sex doesn't feel the same after circumcision. They say sex still feels good after circumcision, but it lacks the intensity of pleasure. Two sexual mechanisms are destroyed from the penis during circumcision: an internal gliding action (where tissues inside the penis actually slide over themselves- that creates an intense sensation), and an erogenous nerve cluster is actually removed. And that’s not considering the glans, an organ that was never intended to be left exposed, is made permanently exposed. I find it absolutely miserable with all the swimming I do. I guess I do need to count my blessings; I was only loosely circumcised. They didn't do as much damage as they could have done- my gliding mechanism still mostly works. But I find the whole thing entirely depressing. What was that all about!?

I fear “tugging” is only a patch, to regain some aesthetics, and slightly more sensation. To regain the full function so the skin ‘snaps’ into place and stays the way it should will likely require a surgery. And to hope for the sensuality of a foreskin from stretching is unrealistic. You’re just expanding what you’ve already got. Granted, you can get your gliding back.

And sorry for the rant, but this is something I feel needs to be said: There are people on this forum who refer to themselves as “amputees.” That’s all well and good because that is technically what we are. But I would be very reserved about using that term. I would never be able to say that to the face of someone who had lost an arm or a leg. Would you?

Oh, I wish someone would tell me I’m wrong. That there is hope for a complete recovery. But I don’t want to delude myself. Sure it was wrong, what they did to me, but if I obsess over it, it will do no one any good-- especially me. If you’re upset about it, donate or contribute to an awareness cause. Then, perhaps, you can have your foreskin back vicariously.

[freddys]

Dear Bral,
Thank you for expressing your personal feelings. Surely, most of us feel the same way. And as you said, ranting about it does not solve anything. Personally, it did not obsess me: when I came to the US in 1950, I found out that almost all men were circumcised (I was circumcised at about 4 years of age, to make me stop playing with myself - of course it did not work). I restore mainly for aesthetic reason. Come to think about it, men who were circumcised before puberty do not really know what their natural look would have been.
Best regards,
Freddys.

[ron1]

Here is a post from the moderator at frcchat.org. He was cut as an adult and later restored. Judge it as you wish. I hope this can help you in some way. -Ron1
- - - - -

"For starters, there's no doubt about it that it's a hell of a lot more fun masturbating and having someone else manually manipulate you --> with a foreskin. COMPARISON TO RESTORED SKIN: remarkably similarly pleasurable! I've not completed restoring yet but have enough skin that can be slid around and over the glans while erect - and again, it is fantastic how great and how similar it feels to my version 1.0

Something for which I am also very grateful is in how strikingly the restoring/restored skin mimics the same appearance and textures as my original. I recently read a research paper (linked to on the site somewhere hmmm) that concluded that daughter cells grown from an original cell share common characteristics. So perhaps because I was loosely circumcised and must have had a modicum of original foreskin left, restoring caused those remaining cells to grow more cells to help act similarly to my original. (?)

Anyway, I don't know enough about that science to come to any conclusions for the biology of it all. So continuing with the comparison..... while I am not finished restoring yet I can't be sure, but as it stands now in my restoration, the skin has already 'restored' what felt great before I was cut --- it's extremely pleasurable sensitivity to very discrete changes in temperature (ie. during oral sex) and to very, very subtle movements across its surface (like a tongue flecking across it). I think that might have been the best feeling I remember, and just being able to move the skin *slowly* right from start to orgasm without breaking a sweat. And with the added and restored temperature sensitivity - that has made SUCH a tremendous change in my experience of receiving oral sex

Somehow I seemed to have more control over how fast I wanted to shoot before the cut. I mean I have good control now, but I still think for some reason I could hang-on or hold-off without any effort at all (am I just getting old? hehe) before. If my restored skin gets used 'just right' I just can't help myself these days And I don't believe this to be a "visual" fantasy type thing resulting from having achieved a bunch of restored foreskin, because it's certainly not something I Need the lights on for in order to feel hehehe I get very annoyed when people very incorrectly say any restored 'feelings' are all in our head, they MOST certainly are not. Rest assured

Not only do I feel like I can be more gentle with my partner now (I think it’s probably relevant to point out that I'm gay here) but he also doesn't have to do an aerobic workout to drive me crazy orally.

In fact, the inner skin is now again AS SENSITIVE as it was before my cut I'm certain of it - and little more is needed after I'm excited than to stimulate the inner skin alone not even involving my glans to get me off.

The second best thing I loved about the original that I can almost do again (still a bit difficult to get quite enough restored skin for me to do it right yet, it's only a grip issue though) is that instead of even stroking the penis at all, I could pinch the tip of my skin and roll it between my fingers and kind of pull it up and let it slide down a bit (to masturbate) - the restored skin is definitely at least as delicate and receptive to stimulation, so I am excited to continue restoring

I have to say that on a slightly negative note here that YES the skin IS looser than before, but we all lack a frenar-band, no matter how 'nice' our circumciser was. That acts as a sort of muscle that tethers to the frenulum and 'snaps' the skin closed, sort of. Of course, the variation I've seen in foreskins - anyone of the uncut guys could look potentially restored - some you'd even swear were restored because their skins are so loose. So that's some consolation

I don't expect to be able to benefit *fully* from the really intense sensation that my tight frenar band snapping off and on the glans gave me. Even after I've finished restoring. But I can tell you that already I DO feel a very similarly pleasurable sensation by moving the skin off and on the glans even tho its not snap-close-tight, the only difference being is that the extra tight off/on snapping of the frenar band is gone which *did* add some extra intensity.

But again, so this doesn't depress you, many intact guys don't have a tight frenar band to get that sensation anyway, or they broke their frenulum or something and the skin doesn't remain tight (more common than you think). I don't know what kind of ratio of guys with tight frenar bands and loose or barely noticeable ones are, but I fell into the tight category. OH! As far as frenulum sensitivity, I can't say that I really focused any attention on it. But it was certainly sensitive, almost sensory overload kind of thing. I very much enjoy the amount of remaining frenulum I have now! I think I simply had too small of a natural frenulum or something to really expose much of it, let alone explore it much. I wish I could tell you more on that but I just don't have any more experience to draw from, and wonder how exact my memory is considering its been quite a while now! My album is here if you care to
see where I am at this point.

Bottom line I think is that there are unmistakable yet subtle improvements back towards your natural state of having your glans covered with a nice warm foreskin. The longer and more skin you restore (my god there's a lot of it when I think how much I had to what I went to sheesh) seems to be what causes these 'reversions' (for lack of a better word). My glans has also reverted to quite a glossy state and I don't even have 100% coverage 100% of the time yet. And the gloss is NOT moisture, it's like it was before - it’s so glossy when erect it looks wet "

[admin]

Hi,
Thanks for your passionate note.

Originally Posted by Bral

I have yet to see a picture of a “restored” penis that looks and functions as indistinguishable from an intact penis. [please link one if you know of one]

I'll bite.

Circumcised from birth:


And after 3.5 years tugging:

Originally Posted by Bral

I don’t care about the pleasure any more. I want the cover.

Well, my sensual experience is world's better since restoring. I love the way the clingy skin feels unrolling off the glans and rolling over the shaft. My wife loves the way it gives her a plush fullness with a frictionless glide, and how she can play with me all day while I'm licking her without her having to worry about rubbing me raw. And it all feels so luxuriously good I'm in no rush to get to a "big finish" anymore. We can just relax and enjoy each other.

Originally Posted by Bral

Certain body structures simply do not rebuild themselves. And those structures are removed with circumcision.

I think you're right, but I also think the surviving nerve endings are doing a lot more for me now than they ever could when I didn't have slinky slack and when the skin was thicker and dryer.

Originally Posted by Bral

I wear a retainer when I swim.

I can make you a Your-Skin Cone that floats if that helps. Seriously, it would be easier to find if it works loose if it was at the surface.

Originally Posted by Bral

I’ll even consider a surgery if it will give me that functionality again.

I doubt surgery will ever make your skin more likely to slink over the glans on its own under its own weight. Only massive flaccid overhang can do that.

Originally Posted by Bral

Doctors have found that your brain needs to 'learn' how to process inputs during early development.

In that regard, since we're only freeing up the nerve endings that were left for us (to work properly), I think there's no reason to doubt that restoring is worthwhile.

Originally Posted by Bral

you can imagine how much it aggravates me to know that my body was modified at an early age without my consent.

Heard that. Sorry.

Originally Posted by Bral

to hope for the sensuality of a foreskin from stretching is unrealistic.

Of course we can't know what we're missing. I only know how nice it feels to have someone plunge her tongue between my glans and skin and swirl it around.

Originally Posted by Bral

There are people on this forum who refer to themselves as "amputees." . . . I would never be able to say that to the face of someone who had lost an arm or a leg. Would you?

Hell, yes. And I have identified as such in the presence of FGM victims as well. I can think of a lot of things I would gladly have cut off if I could get my foreskin back. Arm, leg, no.

Originally Posted by Bral

If you’re upset about it, donate or contribute to an awareness cause. Then, perhaps, you can have your foreskin back vicariously.

Yeah, I think each of us needs to decide in what way we have the capacity to leave the world a better place than we found it. By amputating part of my body, my parents chose my life's work for me. See you in DC this weekend?

Cheers,
-Ron Low
http://TLCTugger.com
re: Benefits of restoring

[cobra]

Arms or legs cannot be grown back after amputation, but there are certainly procedures that can lengthen limbs, and that is basically all we are doing. We are not growing back something that was amputated, we are lengthening a part of the body that was purposely shortened.

That is an important distinction. I have seen VERY few pictures of penises that had every last bit of foreskin removed.

The lighter colored skin between your circumcision scar and the glans of your penis is foreskin. You may even have some remnants below the scar as well, being loosely circumcised. Whatever remnants of foreskin you possess is what is being lengthened by tugging. Not really re-grown, though we say that alot. We're really just extending it.

When tension is applied to the skin, it stretches. When tension is applied continuously or cyclically, the tissue is stimulated to expand. It is a built-in mechanism to keep us from splitting out of our bodies when we grow up, when we get fat, when we grow muscle, or when our girls get pregnant.

Is skin all we grow? Of course not. When skin expands, new nerve endings, sweat glands, and circulatory structures grow to support the tissue. Skin without nerve endings would be numb and would not be able to warn the brain of damage. Skin without blood flow would die. The only thing I know of that does not propagate is hair follicles. They simply spread out.

If your penis was completely severed at birth, then yes, it would be like a blind man who never learned to see. However, our penises are not completely severed, and neither are our foreskins. You still have most of your parts, just alot less of them than an intact man. You are not blind, just extremely near-sighted-- to borrow your analogy.

Our brain, likewise, is not a static organ. There is a process called neural plasticity. It's basically a re-wiring function. The brain can rewire itself to adapt to trauma... like, for instance, a stroke patient re-learning how to speak. The brain adapts. When you restore and gain more function, you're brain will begin the process of re-wiring itself. It might be confused for a short time. I remember when I first started getting coverage and my brain was confused by the skin being farther up the shaft than the glans. It felt like it was kind of upside down. I also still have trouble distinguishing between glans pain and pain in my inner foreskin, like when I tug too hard. But, like I said, neither your penis nor your foreskin was completely amputated, and your brain is going to figure out what to do with the extra sensory input, eventually. It's like going from riding a unicycle to riding a big bike. It will learn through cross-association with the stimulation it is already receiving from your foreskin remnant.

I have spoken to several men over the years who were circumcised in adulthood and then restored and they have all stated that the sensations are almost identical, while only a slight difference is noticed with functionality.

Don't ever let yourself think this is a hopeless cause, that the damage is insurmountable. You still have a penis, and you still have a foreskin... it's just shortened and turned inside out. Now start tugging it!

[Bral]

Hey Ron,

Thank you VERY MUCH for your detailed response to my various questions. I know this is your passion, and I’m honored that you take your time to reply to my concerns.

Originally Posted by admin

I'll bite.

Well, I’ve got to admit, I am impressed with your picture. You even seem to have your band at the end for that slight pucker? Did that develop on its own with tugging, or did you somehow ‘reconstruct’ that using your techniques? It looks mostly natural. Is your doctor none-the-wiser? Does it work the way it’s supposed to; does it ‘snap’ up over the glans and stay well during your daily activities? When flaccid, does it spring back into place when pulled back? Or do you still have to coax it down if it gets up past your corona? Were you warm, chilled or cold in that picture?

Originally Posted by admin

I doubt surgery will ever make your skin more likely to slink over the glans on its own under its own weight. Only massive flaccid overhang can do that.

The lack of a frenar band is what upsets me most about my circumcision. I have ample skin, and I can even roll it mostly over my glans when erect, and completely over it when semi-erect or flaccid. I would be perfectly happy, overjoyed even, if I could have my band back, if nothing else. Have you ever heard of a surgery to implant an artificial frenar band below the skin? I would very much like to have that done, if I could. Perhaps if that were done as a follow-up to a tugging regimen? Without my band, my skin usually ‘collects’ above my glans and I have to coax it down over the glans manually. When I’m warm it will rarely stay in place. But when I’m chilled or cold it does stay in place happily (up or down, though I would prefer that it would default to a down position)

Originally Posted by admin

Yeah, I think each of us needs to decide in what way we have the capacity to leave the world a better place than we found it. By amputating part of my body, my parents chose my life's work for me.

Even from before I knew about circumcision and that I wasn’t ‘normal’ I felt that there was something terribly awkward about the way my penis felt. Being cold, as an example, was intolerable, because my shaft skin gets tight, and feels like it is constricting my penis. (I now know it is part of what should have been a mechanism to hold the glans close to the body when cold). I still have a psychological distain for the cold. Being cold really isn’t bad when I have my skin over my glans, it will even stay in place that way! But when it happens that I’m cold and my skin isn’t covering my glans, it’s absolutely miserable. When I was about 12 or 13 I would find that my skin would ‘swallow’ up my glans. I thought there was something wrong. Not knowing any better, I made every effort to keep that from happening. I remember a very awkward conversation with my mother about how I didn’t want to have my doctor ‘look there’ during a routine checkup.. How did you find the courage to talk to your parents about how you didn’t agree with what they did to you? I’m not sure I could muster that.

Originally Posted by admin

See you in DC this weekend?

DC?

Originally Posted by admin

I can make you a Your-Skin Cone that floats if that helps. Seriously, it would be easier to find if it works loose if it was at the surface.

I appreciate that very much, but I’m happy enough with what I’m already using. I use small clear bands that are actually “ouchless” elastic hair ties. If I lose one, it’s no huge deal. They are inexpensive and easy to replace. They actually do get lost a fair amount of the time but being in the cold water keeps my skin tight enough that it will stay quite well when I swim even if the retainer gets lost. They are not very visible, and they are not likely noticed in the locker room.. just looks like a ‘natural’ penis to most people at a distance. I do not, however, recommend them to people for the liability of it accidently slipping up over the glans and cutting off circulation. I’ve never had it happen, but I could see how that might be a possibility. I never wear them when I sleep for that fear.

[Billybobbed]

Bral you have nothing to lose (the circumsizer took it from you) and all to gain by doing restoration. I know what you mean when you say your glans is cold. The first thing I noticed when I put my TLC Tugger on was that my glans felt warm. I've been restoring about 5 months now and I can push my glans inside, quickly pull up my pants, and it will stay on its own for several hours. I wear tight fitting briefs which help it stay put. Before I started restoring I could never do this. I also noticed that masturbation and sex is better. I'm starting to feel different sensations down there that I never had before. I can't explain the feeling but I know its different and sooo goooood. My advice is to give it a try.

[Tormod - IRL]

Bral, restoration does work.
I estimate I started at CI 1 (or zero) with no skin wrinkling even when flaccid - and I am relatively small when flaccid. That was in 1993 and my restoration efforts have been really only part-time. I do not have any "starting" photographs. Digital cameras were rare at that time. But, there is a recent photograph showing the scar line (arrowed). I was left with very little of the original inner foreskin, but got to keep most of the frenulum structure. The scar line is close to the coronal sulcus.
Scar right surface S.jpg

My CI number is now about 7 or 8 and I have full, reliable flaccid coverage. Further, the appearance (below) is very realistic and that is of importance to me. There is a good gathering together of the skin at the free end - no need for anything like "touch up" surgery. Indeed, I would not be able to let anyone near my penis again with a sharp object.

Flaccid 2008 Dec 14.jpg

[Chipperman]

I have to agree with all of these posters who are being positive about this whole thing. If you think that every uncut man has it made then you are dead wrong. Shit I was uncut until 18 and hated it. My foreskin wouldn't retract over my head during an erection so masterbation was difficult and sex was basicly out of the question. Even when my skin was over the head during an erection it would still hurt at certain points so it wasn't great. So to think every uncut man is living in a dream world of happiness due to their penis is wrong.

The three things that you "can" get back from restoring is this:

1. Protection of the head. This is the biggest issue for me. Walking around with pain and discomfort over the past few years has really sucked and to just have a "home" for the head makes all the difference.

2. Getting aroused easier. I know that when I was uncut I would get aroused all of the time without me wanting to sometimes. After getting cut it takes all of my energy to get an erection and I have a case of premature ejacualtion which never happened before. Since I started just tucking my head under my skin during the day and keeping it sealed my arousal has gone up to the point where it feels like it used to. I would maybe get aroused without me forcing it on a good week once. Sometimes maybe once every few weeks. When I was uncut it was everyday. The past week I have been getting aroused again about at the same rate so this is a big deal.

3. Now you can masturbate using the skin instead of lotions and all of that. IT is so much easier and enjoyable to masterbate with the extra skin rather than touching the head directly with lotion. Plus the whole sex advantage of once you restore you can use your extra skin now as lubrication which is what it was meant for instead of having to heave in and out with a solid wood dick causing friction which is uncomfortable for the girl and you.

These are the major things that to me as an uncut person at one point where the major advantages, all of which you can get by restoring.

Of course we can never get back the frenelum which sucks. That was an important part because it is what kept the foreskin closed over the head. But in all honesty that is really the only thing that bugs me, is the fact that I might not be able to have my new foreskin stay over the head on its own. Yeah you won't get the sensation either but I have noticed that the area where the frenelum used to be is still sensitive and I can feel it better now then I ever could when I was circumsized.

So I guess what I am saying is to not feel too bad about the whole thing. You are getting back 3 of the most important functions and this is coming from someone who was uncut. Remember, some people who are uncut don't even enjoy sex or want to have it. I have buddies who are uncut, some love sex and some could care less about getting with girls. It's not like having the original foreskin makes you into a sexual person, usually it's there to begin with and getting the foreskin just adds to this. I also look at it like we have seen both spectrums of it, some people who are uncut may take for granted what they have and never use it to it's fullest potential but since we know what the advantages are we will take the most of it. Don't get too down about the whole thing, remember that not every uncut person has it good. Some have tight foreskin, some have their frenelums which are too tight and break, some don't even care about sex, etc.

On another note...I was thinking about the frenelum and what if there was a surgery to recconect the frenelum to the back of the penis? I don't know how it would work but it seems possible. I was also thinking about a surgery that could re-cut along the scar line and place that inner foreskin that is still eft over the head of the penis? Almost like a reverse of a circumcision. Let me know what you think.

[Bral]

Hey Ron,

This is a little awkward, but do you have a video clip of your foreskin retracting and recovering your glans? <or anyone else who has restored, for that matter> I'm trying to get a good feel for what techniques provide different results and different qualities of result. Your restoration is the most natural looking one I've seen thus far (from the picture you've included further down the page) and I would like to have a better perspective of it.

Do you have a chronicle of the exact set of techniques you used to get your foreskin back? Do you consider your restoration complete, or do you still tug?

Also, I had a few other questions for you (further down). You may not have seen them, or simply not have gotten to them yet; there's no rush. Thanks for all your help! I'm still at the point where I'm accumulating information before I jump into anything yet.

Bral