A rash is something that can occur on any part of the body, and the penis is no exemption. A penile rash is usually accompanied by a skin irritation, inflammation and in some cases, discoloration.
A penile rash can present itself in various forms. You may see red blotches, blisters or bumps on your penis. The itchy patches may cover the head and foreskin of the penis. They are usually followed by pain and discomfort during urination or sexual activity.
There are certain rashes that appear for a very short period and disappear on their own. Then there are rashes which stays for a longer time period.
Types of Penile Rashes
First of all, let’s have a look at the type of penile rashes. You can generally divide them into sexually and non-sexually transmitted. However, there are some in between too.
Non-Sexually Transmitted Rashes
- Irritant Contact Dermatitis:
- Caused by contact with irritants like soaps, detergents, or chemicals.
- Symptoms include redness, itching, and sometimes blisters.
- Treatment involves avoiding irritants and using soothing creams or ointments.
- Allergic Contact Dermatitis:
- Triggered by an allergic reaction to substances like latex, certain fabrics, or personal care products.
- Presents with redness, swelling, and itching.
- Management includes identifying and avoiding allergens, and using corticosteroid creams.
- Penile Psoriasis:
- Chronic autoimmune condition causing skin cells to multiply rapidly, leading to thick, scaly patches.
- Symptoms may include red, inflamed patches with silvery scales.
- Treatment aims to reduce inflammation and slow skin cell growth, often with topical corticosteroids or phototherapy.
- Penile Eczema:
- Inflammatory skin condition characterized by dry, itchy, and inflamed skin.
- Triggers include allergens, irritants, and genetic factors.
- Treatment involves moisturizing the skin, avoiding triggers, and using topical steroids or immunomodulators.
- Heat Rash (Miliaria):
- Occurs when sweat ducts become blocked, trapping sweat beneath the skin.
- Presents with small, red bumps or blisters, often accompanied by itching or prickling sensations.
- Management includes staying cool and dry, wearing breathable clothing, and using calamine lotion to soothe itching.
Sexually Transmitted Rashes
- Genital Herpes:
- Caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV), typically HSV-2.
- Presents with painful blisters or sores in the genital area, which may recur periodically.
- Treatment includes antiviral medications to reduce symptoms and prevent transmission.
- Genital Warts (HPV):
- Caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
- Manifests as small, flesh-colored or gray bumps in the genital area.
- Treatment options include topical medications, cryotherapy (freezing), or surgical removal.
- Syphilis:
- Sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
- Progresses through stages, with primary syphilis presenting as painless sores (chancre) on the genitals.
- Treatment involves antibiotics, typically penicillin, to eradicate the infection.
- Gonorrhea:
- Caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
- Symptoms may include penile discharge, pain or burning during urination, and swollen lymph nodes.
- Treatment involves antibiotics, but antibiotic-resistant strains are a concern.
- Chlamydia:
- Caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis.
- Often asymptomatic but may cause penile discharge, burning during urination, or pain and swelling in the testicles.
- Treatment involves antibiotics, usually azithromycin or doxycycline.
Jock itch is another type of penile rash that can be transmitted by sexual contact with an infected person. Or, it can also spread by sharing contaminated towels and clothing.
Now, let’s have a look at some reasons which cause penile rash in the first place.
Penile Rash due to Uncircumcised Penis
First of all, if you have an uncircumcised penis then there are more chances for you to get a bacterial penile rash. An uncircumcised penis is not easy to keep clean. The foreskin is still attached to your penis, which was to be removed during circumcising. But with all the sweat in hot weather, and dead cells on penis skin are some of the major reasons to inhibit bacteria, which later causes a penile rash. If your foreskin is not removed then all the sugar in your urine will stick to your skin. This later becomes the main source for the survival of harmful bacteria.
Then other reasons for getting penile rash is when your penis gets in contact with some kind of chemicals. It does not matter that if your penis is in contact with some chemical like soap or detergent for a longer time period. However, there are some chemicals that can cause rashes with just instant contact.
Due to Different Chemical Contact
So first of all if you have started a different brand, then there might be a possibility that it has been causing you a penile rash. So now what you have to do is to instantly drop that new brand. This will allow you to check if it is really that new product or if there is something else. Then there is another common reason for it as well, which most of you might not even consider.
There are certain medicines that use ingredients that can cause severe allergy to you, in which penile rash is a prominent one. It has been the result of reactions of medicines. They are really harmful to you because they are caused by direct contact with allergic ingredients. Usually, painkillers and swelling relievers are the major reasons for such an allergic Penile Rash.
Penile Rash due to Medications
The penile rash caused by medications is of 2 different types. The first one is the black spots that appear and disappear on their own. The second is dermatitis which is red spots, but with a grey area in the middle. And swollen eczema is also another reaction caused by medications. Knowing about eczema and dermatitis is very important. If you are taking a high dose of medicines then for sure results will be severe. Moreover, the results will stay for a longer time period.
Furthermore, it can also be caused due to moisture as well. This type of penile rash is usually developed over the head of the penis and shaft. However, it does not have any type of scales on them due to the moist area. This rash usually occurs due to the penis always being enclosed. Due to that whole penile area remains wet for most time of the day.
Penile Rash due to STD
Besides penile rash can also be transferred to a male by a female due to sex. These rashes are caused due to mites which are really tiny insects, who lay eggs near genitals. During sex, they are converted to male reproductive parts and can cause the worst penile rash and allergy. Once you have started scratching than this allergy starts to spread on other parts of the body as well and keeps on getting worst.
Soon after that white and grey spots with welts which causes splotchy skin, start to appear on the genitals and shaft. This condition is known as Condyloma Lata. So, this is the start of Syphilis which is a Sexually Transmitted Disease.
Syphilis after Penile Rash
Once this type of penile infection has completely taken over your penile section then it is really tough to control and recover, because after this direct stage would be Syphilis, which is another harmful STD. After this, another common penile rash is a Yeast infection. Yeast is basically a kind of fungus that can grow in moist conditions.
So, if you keep your penis covered for most time in a single day, then that area becomes moist due to no proper availability of oxygen. Then a type of fungus is grown in your penile section which is known as yeast, which then becomes a reason for the penile rash. With a yeast infection, your skin does not get scaly, and blemish marks appear at the bottom of the penis. Now if this infection is in the initial stages, then there is no issue because it can be recovered on its own.
When to Consult Doctor
If you still keep your penile area moist then it will get worst, and then that would be the time when you require a doctor for treatment. So always try to provide a regular flow of oxygen to your penile area, and all the bacteria will die on their own. Now many people try to avoid the doctor for many reasons, like due to their daily busy schedule, or they just feel embarrassed to let the doctor check their penis infection.
But in fact, as soon as you feel that you have any condition related to penile rash, then you must rush to your doctor without any hesitation. If you observe tiny white dots on other parts of your body, or if that part of the body always heats up, or if you feel your rash has started to be painful, or if the whole underside penile area has become red, or if there are small grey rings in red rashes, or if scales have started to appear, or if the fluid has started to leak from those rashes, then this is the time for you to move to hospital emergency. Because these are the worst Penile Rash conditions.