FRAENULUM & FORESKIN PIERCING AFTERCARE

FRAENULUM PIERCING HISTORY

The piercing of the Fraenulum is probably the second-most popular male genital piercing, it is usually incorrectly referred to as a "Frenum" piercing but this an abbreviated version of the true word Fraenulum . The Fraenulum is the small ridge of flesh joining the foreskin to the Glans of the penis, in most cases circumcision removes or destroys it, however in rare cases it still exists after circumcision. I can only find one account of it occurring amongst tribal people.

"Amongst the Timorese of Indonesia, the Frenulum beneath the glans penis is pierced with brass rings, the function of the ring is to enhance stimulation during sex."

Die kunstlichen Verunstaltungen des Korpers bei den Batta. Zeitschrift fur Ethnologie 16:217-225 1884.

FORESKIN PIERCING (INFIBULATION)

The practice of piercing of the foreskin for the insertion of jewellery is as old as circumcision, and is of immemorial antiquity, going back far beyond the earliest recorded history. During the games of Ancient Greece, the athletes performed nude, and to prevent their penises moving about they bound the foreskin with a ribbon and tied it to the base of the penis. This ribbon. or leather thong was called the "Kynodesme" from the Greek "Kuon" foreskin, and "Desmos" fastening band. This temporary practice probably led to the permanent piercing of the foreskin, either to prevent slaves and athletes from having sex, or to prevent them from having erections. The Roman's used a practice called Infibulation, it involved two piercings going through the foreskin (or Labia in women) and a lock (Fibula) being placed therein.

The Roman historian Mensius declares that Infibulation may be traced back to the time of the siege of Troy (12th Century BC) for he points out that according to "The Odyssey" (Bk. VIII, Line 477) Agamemnon departed for the Trojan War, and left his wife Clytemnestra, in the care of the singer Demodecus, seeing that he had been infibulated.

The prevalence of the practice is attested to by the number of references to it, to be found in ancient writings. The roman writers Juvenal, Martial, Strabo, Fallopio, and Hieronymus Mercurialis all make mention of the practice. The piercing process is described in detail by the famous 1st Century Roman physician Celsus, in his treatise on medicine "De Medecina"

"First of all the prepuce should be drawn forward and marks made on each side of it in such a manner , that when the prepuce is released, the marks do not return past the end of the glans. This is to be tested and tried , until marks are had that will be free of the glans, these will then be the places for the location of the Fibula. After the the marking is ascertained to be correct, holes are to be pierced through the prepuce with a needle and thread, and the two loose ends of the thread are to be tied together, and the thread is to be run back and forth through the holes daily until they are healed, thus leaving two openings on either side of the prepuce which will not close. When this has taken place, the thread is to be removed, and the fibula, which should be light in weight, may be inserted through the orifices"

PLACEMENT

fraenulum piercing is done through the small ridge of skin connecting the foreskin with the Glans of the penis (see picture), if a man has been circumcised this ridge usually disappears. However, if there is no Fraenulum the piercing can sometimes still be done through the foreskin in the same position.

Foreskin piercings are usually done in pairs with one ring on either side of the penis, so that if both piercings are in a line it's done horizontally to the ground.

JEWELLERY

The Fraenulum piercing is done with either a small ball closure ring or a barbell, once the piercing is healed a Fraenulum loop may be worn, this a ring that sits behind the Corona (lip) of the Glans (Head) of the penis. If it's measured correctly it acts like a cock-ring keeping the Glans hard during sex, the loops can also be made with balls attached to provide extra stimulation during sex. A barbell can be worn in the day and the loop put on before having sex.

Foreskin piercing are done using ball closure rings, either one or a pair and after the piercing is healed one ring can be worn through both holes to act like a lock.

HEALING

fraenulum piercings heal very quickly (usually take 8-10 weeks) with minimum trouble, although if the fraenulum is very small they can migrate or grow out of the skin. Foreskin piercings usually take longer to heal (10-12 weeks) this is because of the constant movement of the foreskin, more care must be taken with foreskin piercings because the wound stays moist inside the foreskin and this delays the healing process.

DO's & DON'Ts TO HEAL YOUR FORESKIN & FRAENULUM PIERCING

THE NUMBER ONE REASON FOR INFECTION IS TOUCHING AND PLAYING WITH THE PIERCING, ONLY TOUCH THE PIERCING WHEN YOU ARE CLEANING IT!

• DO remove the condom when you get home, there may be some coagulated blood, don't be alarmed this is normal and will wash of easily. Have a shower after you remove the condom, cup your hand under the piercing and soak it with water for 3-4 minutes, or have a good soak in the bath. Don't use the cleaning solution for 24 hours.
• DO use a mild antibacterial soap (containing Tricosan), in the shower (once a day only!). Cup your hand under the piercing and soak it for 1-2 minutes, then put 1-2 drops (no more!) of the cleaning solution in your hand, lather it and apply gently to your piercing. Leave the lather on for 1 minute, then soak the piercing once again and wash thoroughly to remove all the solution, dry under the foreskin with a clean tissue or piece of toilet paper. Leaving the solution on the skin can cause irritation!
• DO make sure when washing to remove all the crusting, if it's not cleaned off properly it can concrete around the ring and tear the inside of the wound when the ring moves, this can be painful and lead to inflammation and delayed healing. Secondly, if it's not removed bacteria can feed on it and infect the wound.
• DO use Lavender oil as it promotes healing and lubricates the wound reducing tenderness. Apply a small amount with a cotton-wool bud after cleaning then move the jewellery gently so it gets into the wound. Remove any excess with a tissue as leaving it on can cause the skin to become irritated. It may be purchased at supermarkets (medicine section) or at chemists and must be marked (BP) or medicinal grade.
• DO wait at least 3-4 days before having sex, and be very gentle during sex for the first month. If you feel any pain while having sex stop because you may tear the wound which will cause pain and inflammation.
• DO wear a condom during sex for the first 4 weeks, even if you are in a monogamous relationship, the natural flora of the vagina can cause the wound to become infected.
• DO wear clean! loose cotton underwear for 4 weeks as this allows the wound to breath and minimises the chance of infection.
• DO continue to use the cleaning solution after your free bottle runs out , we can sell you a replacement bottle for $3 or you can use Sapoderm soap available at any chemist or supermarket. Neglecting to use the cleaning solution for the full healing period will result in infection.
• DO use the cleaning solution after going swimming in the ocean or public pools.
• DO make sure that you dry the piercing thoroughly after cleaning, this should be done by patting (not rubbing) dry with a paper tissue as towels can harbour bacteria.
• DO make sure that you wash the piercing carefully after exercising or sweating a lot, as sweat acts like acid and can cause the wound to become aggravated.
• DON'T allow your partner to play roughly with the piercing for the first 2-3 weeks, and never allow your partner to suck on the piercing until it is healed, as the bacteria in the mouth can cause a nasty infection.
• DON'T turn the ring in the piercing for the first 3-4 weeks, move it very gently and only enough to remove the crusting, after that you can turn it enough for cleaning. Moving the ring constantly aggravates the wound and delays healing.
• DON'T pick at the scab as this will cause excessive scar tissue formation and lead to infections.
• DON'T try to remove the ball from the ring yourself, you need a circlip plier to do this and if you attempt to do it yourself you will probably damage the ring or not be able to get the ball back in the ring. If you wish to change the jewellery see me or another piercer to do it for you.