What Worked For Me

I had been struggling on and off with recurring balanitis for nearly 2 years, at some points it became extremely painful and, unsurprisingly, it had a negative effect on my mood, outlook, confidence, social/love life. I salute every guy out there who is fighting the battle right now. There is hope, don't give up.

As I said, balanitis had been a persistent problem of mine for a long time, and felt as though I had been beating my head against a wall trying everything out there: every anti-fungal cream I could get my hands on including clotrimazole of course, ointments such as Aquaphor and EMUAID, a cornucopia of moisturizers, Aloe Vera gels, Epsom salt baths, test and retests for STD/STI all showing nothing - there is probably more I just can't remember it all.

I finally went back and saw my doctor after a while and told him I was still struggling. He referred me to see a dermatologist, and the appointment was to be in roughly 3 months. In the meantime, I was still doing my best to manage it on a day-to-day basis. One day, I found myself once again online looking at pictures of balanitis (and like conditions) to see if I could find one that looked most like mine, and then research the hell out of it to maybe find a "cure"... I happened upon some photos that did strike a resemblance, and the associated sites and articles to go along with the photos were mentioning eczema. Huh. I'd never thought that maybe it could be some form of eczema. Surely, the symptoms I experienced fit those of classic balanitis: pain, irritation, itching, swelling, redness (including red dots) and areas of shiny white skin that appeared to be flaking off. I think I had it all. Anyways, to say I was at the end of my rope at that point would be an understatement; I was already ready to try any and every new thing I could find that might provide some relief and get me back to feeling normal again.

So, I began looking up eczema products online. I found one from a well-known skincare company with glowing reviews, it was LA ROCHE-POSAY LIPIKAR BAUME AP+M which can be found here:

https://www.laroche-posay.ca/en_CA/lipikar-baume-apm/3337875696548.html

https://www.amazon.ca/Roche-Posay-Soothing-Niacinamide-Anti-Itching-Sensitive/dp/B0849KTG44

The more I read about it, the more I liked it. It said it was the product of 10 years of research and 19 clinical studies. It is safe for adults, children, babies, and even cancer patients. Also, one thing that particularly caught my eye, in a way that I thought may be applicable to myself and others suffering with balanitis, was that it restores the skin's "microbiome" which as far as I learned is essentially the natural ecosystem that lives on our skin which keeps it healthy, moisturized and functioning properly. Often times I would feel like my penis head and foreskin would be super dry - it would even be difficult to pull back the foreskin as it seemed it was clinging to the penis head out of dryness and reduced elasticity - perhaps from over-washing and/or the myriad creams, ointments, and other remedies I so desperately tried in the past, a side effect of which may have been somewhat altering or possibly even flat-out destroying this microbiome. Indeed, it seemed like it would soothe and restore and give my guy the clean slate he needed.

I ventured out to my nearest pharmacy and purchased a pump-bottle of this stuff for about $35, so it wasn't exactly cheap, but that was the least of my worries. I went home, took a shower, generously applied the stuff to my penis head and foreskin, gently rubbing it in everywhere, and then rolling the foreskin back over the head (leaving much lotion underneath) and letting it do the work from there.

I will admit, perhaps it was due to the sorry state that my guy was in, but it did tingle or even slightly sting the first couple times I used it. Though, strangely, beneath these somewhat uncomfortable sensations, I could feel that something great was taking place. Yes, my penis head and foreskin were slathered in this stuff, but I can tell you that after only 2-3 days of using it, I could already notice a remarkable turnaround. My penis head was clearing up significantly, and was returning to its normal, healthy purple/bluish colour (I am white) instead of varying shades of red. Also, my foreskin regained its full range of motion and elasticity. I was so encouraged by the results I was seeing that I would apply it twice a day, morning and night, and continued this twice-a-day routine for at least 2 weeks, maybe 3. I was in love with this stuff so I figured more the better. I was (and am) convinced this was the miracle cure I had been hoping for, so I used it zealously and with dedication. Please note that the nature of this lotion is such that it does not wash off when water simply hits it in the shower - I learned I had to actually gently rub it off my penis head and foreskin with my fingers, or even the backs of my fingers and hand where the skin is even smoother. Instead of dreading and wincing at what I see in the shower, I would be excited as I gently removed the lotion with my fingers under the running water to reveal the area looking better and better every day. (Side note: Since I have returned to normal, and stopped using the lotion, I find it is better to simply run some water over my penis head and foreskin when showering, and sometimes not even pulling the foreskin back to wash it - that way you avoid over-drying the glans. Only if I know I am going to be having sex that day/night, that I will wash it with water. For me anyways, there is no smell.)

I actually did end up going to see the dermatologist - I figured I had waited so long to see him, I might as well go. I basically relayed to him the story above and he was very happy to hear. I whipped it out for good measure and he said it indeed looked totally normal. What a relief!

Masturbation and sex feel as good as I remember, possibly even better. I wish the same for all of you out there. That is why I cannot give a higher recommendation that you try this lotion.

This all happened back in June, and I felt I should write about it here, as I did use this subreddit as a resource when I was afflicted. I had been busy but felt like I owed it to the guys here to share what I'd discovered. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to comment and I can share more of my experience and answer any questions as best I can.