What is balanitis?

Balanitis is when the head of the penis (the ‘glans’) becomes inflamed, causing the skin to become red and itchy. Carefully washing and drying off the affected area is usually enough to make Balanitis go away. Medical treatment is occasionally also needed.

What are the symptoms of balanitis?

If you have balanitis, you might notice:

• redness and swelling
• itching or flaking skin
• pain
• an unpleasant smell or discharge
• a rash that is pink or red, smooth or scaly or spotty or patchy
• difficulty pulling back the foreskin (phimosis)

What causes balanitis?

Balanitis is usually caused by overgrowth of the microorganisms, particularly yeast that are normally found on the glans. If you are uncircumcised, the warm, moist environment under the foreskin provides ideal conditions for yeast to grow. Balanitis is not as common in circumcised males.

Balanitis can also be caused by:

• allergies
• psoriasis
• eczema
• scabies
• nappy rash
• some medicines

Balanitis is not sexually transmitted, and you can’t get it from your sexual partners.

How is balanitis treated?

If you have balanitis, you can usually treat it by ensuring good skin hygiene in the area.

At least once a day, gently wash the glans, including the part under the foreskin and dry it gently. If you have a foreskin, pull it back. A bath in salty water might help.

You should avoid soap, hot water and vigorous rubbing, which can make the inflammation worse. Ask your pharmacist about soap-free products you can use.

If your symptoms don’t resolve with good hygiene alone, ask your doctor or pharmacist about using an over-the-counter mild steroid or antifungal cream.

For babies, nappy rash cream applied to the tip of the penis can help clear up or prevent balanitis.

How can I prevent balanitis?

Keeping the glans clean and dry is the best way to prevent balanitis.

You can also prevent balanitis by:

• washing your penis soon after sex (if balanitis tends to flare up soon after sex)
• washing your hands before touching your penis
• pulling back your foreskin when urinating and drying any urine before replacing the foreskin

You should see your doctor if you can’t comfortably pull your foreskin back to expose the glans. If your foreskin doesn’t retract easily, don’t use force as you may cause damage.

It’s normal for your child’s foreskin to adhere to the head of the penis — if it doesn’t retract easily, don’t pull on it. The foreskin only becomes easy to pull back later in childhood. Once it pulls back easily, you should teach your child to clean under their foreskin when they bathe or shower.

Resources and support

See the following for information on hygiene, prevention and treatment of balanitis:

• Healthy Male on ‘Foreskin problems and circumcision’
• University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine on ‘How do I clean my penis?’