Penis Acne

Is there such a thing as penis acne or is it merely a myth?

What is penis acne?

The questions about so-called “penis acne” are one of the most common topics on urology and dermatology Internet forums. The subject seems to reappear every week – as soon as one question has been answered, another will show up.

Let’s make it clear: there is no such thing as “penis acne”. Acne does not show on the penis. That’s all. If you think you have it, you’ll probably have some other skin problem or disease - only your physician can tell this for sure.

And one more thing: in most cases penis acne is not necessarily a sign of STD, but just one of the common skin problems. Of course it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t go and ask our physician about it – this, for once, will save us a lot of stress. When we visit the doctor, we’ll probably hear that we are suffering from one of the following: cysts, folliculitis, herpes or other STD

1. Cysts

The cysts are closed skin sacks with distinct membranes. They are usually filled with fluid. However at first glance they look similar to acne cysts, they don’t cause any pain and they don’t make you feel uncomfortable (at least physically). While some cysts can be signs of a disease, penis acne cysts are completely harmless and they are best to leave them alone as soon as you confirm it’s not a sign of anything else.

Cysts are not an STD and your penis acne is not a disease at all. Any possible problems with penis cysts will start only when we try to get rid of them as if they were normal pimples. Most methods of eliminating pimples will result only in more or less serious skin irritation.

2. Folliculitis

Folliculitis is commonly mistaken for acne. It is an inflammation of hair follicles and at first it looks just like acne. Unlike it, however, folliculitis can appear anywhere on the body, including genitals. It can be annoying at times, cause some pain and make you feel really uncomfortable.

Folliculitis penis acne is NOT an STD, but it can make your genitals a little too sensitive.

3. Herpes

Herpes is an inflammatory virus disease. There are to types of the disease. Type 1 attacks face, neck and generally above-the-waist parts of body. Type 2 is genital herpes. While it’s not especially dangerous, it is certainly something that should be treated immediately and until you’re completely sure it’s been fully healed. One of the characteristics of herpes is its ability to become dormant and reappear a few weeks later. This disease can make you extremely uncomfortable, not mentioning that herpes (type 2) is an STD.

If one doesn’t heal herpes quickly, he can forget about having sex for a long time.

4. Other STDs

Penis acne can show up also in case of other STDs, but only minor ones. It is strongly advised to visit your physician or dermatologist to ascertain what’s going on and why there are pimples on your penis. However, don’t get too stressed – your life isn’t in any danger and usually you don’t risk more than a few months without having sex.