Hydrocortisone cream 1% used on penis glans. Now thinned skin.

[Splodge13]

Will my penis glans skin recover after using hydrocortisone 1% cream? I began using this cream in February 15 for about 5 days. Then I stopped and had sexual intercourse.  Everything seemed fine but I got redness so started using it again for about a week. All was fine again. Then masturbated and the skin not my foreskin must of rubbed on residue that was there. This was about a week later after having used it. It seemed that 3 quarters of my glans went a blood red colour. I guess the skin was starting to thin.  I masturbated a few more times over the week and my penis glans skin began to go dry and crack.  On once occasion a dot of blood appeared. I couldn't understand what was going on.

It was sore and painful but a man has needs. When I masturbated I kept the skin retracted (I am uncircumcised ). This stopped any friction. I then tried to stay away from sex and masturbating.  However a man does have needs so if I did I used a lube. So as not to affect any healing process. So. So far I had used cortisone 1% on and off for roughly two weeks I guess. I'd decided enough was enough. The skin was becoming wrinkly and transparent when my penis was soft when I started to masturbate.  When erect I noticed that some capillaries were showing at the Base of the head. Also it has a shiny , waxy appearance and could be red in one place.  Anyway. Through pure stupidity I decided to use the cream for one more week. Only applying it where the redness was and rubbing it in.

I read some more stuff online and thought. Wow. Enough of this poison. So stopped using it and won't use any steroid cream again. So. At the moment I have a prison glans that can have a blotchy appearance and the skin can look at little loose . If I start to masturbate i first see transparent wring skin then the whole glans looks dry. I then get out the lube to stop any damage and the reappearance of cracked skin. This helps me greatly. When erect my penis has red blood capillaries visible at the Base of the glans. Also the skin is waxy /shiny .

Can anyone tell me if all the symptoms will disappear with time. And what sort of a time scale am I looking st for a full recovery ? Or am I stuck with these side effects. All good , honest advice appreciated.  

Anyone given steroid creams for something similar I suggest you do not use. All in all I guess I used this cream for 5 days,  then had a few days break. Then used them again for 7 days. Then a break for a couple or few weeks. I'd used it liberally for those 12 days. Didn't realise what I was doing. After the 2 to 3 weeks break only using occasionally I then decided to try to fix it by using it for one more week. Applied twice a day and only a small amount and where it was originally needed. Was used in conjunction with an anti fungal cream.  

Anyway. I've stopped using it now. And has cut down on masturbation and if I do I use a lube. Which helps greatly. So my question is. Will my penis skin return to normal. And how long will it take.  Or am I stuck with this affliction for the rest of my life. Thanks.  

[Gorgie5]

Hey Splodge! Just wanna say a massive thank you for the effort you've put into documenting all of this. You're an absolute legend.

Was circumcision ever an option for you? Did you speak about this with doctors? Also, over the course of your recovery, how prone were you to yeast infections? I'm concerned that with thinned skin and regular sexual activity, it's just gonna be a disaster. I would rather cop out and get the snip, if it means avoiding all this.

For me the thinning and redness of skin is mainly on the inside of the foreskin. The glands and penis head look mostly fine.

[SpheroD2]

Hi, when I went to a dermatologist about this problem, she told me that thinned skin does not make the skin more prone to infections.

[Ascertained]

Splodge we all greatly appreciate your selfless and tireless effort in  documenting your experience with the intention of informing the wider public and thus providing invaluable insight to the ramifications of using steroid creams on the already sensitive penis glans.

We thank you!

[Splodge13]

You're welcome.  Glad to have been of help so far. Tbis journal will continue until 5 years has elapsed. After that they'll probably be no more updates but who knows.

This cheap cream you can buy in a chemist can cause a lot of grief if it's used incorrectly where I used it. But you will recover but to exactly what extent is still ongoing for me.

Happy as I am but I'll give it 5 years. Next updates at Christmas, or new year .

[Splodge13]

Glad I could be of help.

Left it to nature and I'm glad I did. Suffer from Rosacea a bit down there now but only with excessive friction. The capillaries are a bit messed up I reckon which causes the redness.
Dry skin from dead cells being replaced by new ones also. Foreskin a little stretched. Glans skin too but hardly noticeable.

I'm delighted to be where I am. It's just tough some days because it's such a slow healing process.

Anyway.  Please refer to my journal for future updates if need be. Only updating yearly, or half yearly now. I wish you well with everything too dude.

[Splodge13]

Pinky red. Not red. And heals faster and faster thankfully. All other updates on my journal.

[N_dA]

Splodge, dude, I was about to try the cortisone-cream I have for treating spots of psoriasis down there and last-minute decided to maybe Google it first, which has brought me here and I must say: I'm glad I did and am now leaning more towards taking other options or first asking a professional for advice. You started off very positive and I was like: its maybe not that bad, but then I saw the date of the first post, checked your last post and seeing its not over yet after 2 years and a half has certainly put me off the idea.

Thanks for that! Hereby also my assurance you did at least help 1 person: me (and thus probably many other quiet ones). ;)

I wish you a soon and fast recovery and be careful out there, my friend, because life is deadly... ;p

[Splodge13]

He was mostly positive but also not 100 % in some of his responses. He believes dry skin can be permanent but the possibility of slow recovery over the next few years is still possible. He believes it'll mostly recover thankfully.  But we'll see. Next update Xmas 18.

[Splodge13]

Important update on my journal. Spoke to an expert online today. Sent him my worst most recent pictures. He responded with some good information. I don't expect much more recovery after 5 years has passed. He stated 6-12 months give you a lot of recovery. Any possible recovery after this can take 1 to 5 years. He stated previous cases has done this before. And in my case any future recovery will be slow. He also believes time will heal and most things will be back to normal with the skin. Refer to the my journal for more info.

[coulee4]

Hello, I have a similar issue involving hydrocortisone overuse on the glans, but I have talked to two dermatologists who were dismissive because the potency of the hydrocortisone was only 1% (despite using it frequently for a long time). Can you please let me know who this expert is, so I can talk to someone who actually may be able to help me deal with this?