Any sort of marks, spots, sores and crusts on the pubic area can cause alarm for anyone. While any sort of frequent friction can cause inflammation and scarring, scabs may be a sign of a more serious problem.
- Scabbing on the head, tip, and shaft of penis can be caused by rough intercourse.
- In some cases, however, penile sores could be a sign of an underlying medical condition such as genital warts or herpes.
A scab is only likely to develop after the healing of an open wound. So if you had no lesion on your penis before, then it is possible that it is not a scab.
In most of the cases, it will take around one week to go from the initial blister-like lesion to a scab then finally healing.
It is import to note that crusts can develop on any part of the body and are often considered a normal part of healing for a wound or an open sore. Here are some of the possible causes, and how to get rid of a scab on penis.
Causes
Scab on the penis can be caused by a number of things, to rule out contagious conditions or serious ones, you may need to have your primary care provider or your dermatologist run some medical test.
Penis skin is the most sensitive part of the body, this makes it susceptible to wounds and injury even with small amount of friction. Penile scarring can be caused by any of the following:
1. Herpes
Sab on the penis is likely to be a sign of genital herpes. In such cases, the crust can be marked by pain, itching, and irritation not only on the penis but also around the groin.
Genital herpes will often start as small blisters around the groin including on the penis head and shaft. The blisters will then break open into small red sores that heal to form scabs.
CDC estimates that one out of six adults has herpes, have your dermatologist examine the condition as soon as possible.
2. Rough sex
As mentioned, your skin is very soft and sensitive, rough sex as a result of the vagina drying up can cause bruises on the tip and shaft of the penis, which causes crusts when healing.
To prevent this, you can apply lubricants, or consider using a condom to reduce the friction during sex.
3. Genital warts
Genital warts are small growths caused by human papillomavirus spread through unprotected sexual intercourse.
When caused by genital warts, the sores are likely to be painless and irregular in shape. They can also be soft and flat shaped. Genital warts are very common and can occur in both males and females.
A medical examination is required to confirm this before treatment can be prescribed.
4. Pubic lice or crabs
Commonly known as crabs, pubic lice are tiny insect found in your genital area. The most common way to acquire the lice is through sexual intercourse with multiple partners. Pubic lice can be shown by intense itching that can cause ulcers or open sores when scratched.
You can also catch crabs after sharing clothing, bed linens and personal effects such as towels. Over the counter shampoo and lotion can be used to kill the lice, if they fail to work, your doctor may recommend stronger options such as Lindane, ivermectin or Malathion.
5. Balanitis
Common in uncircumcised males, Balanitis is an infection that can cause irritation and make you very uncomfortable. The infection is common on the end of the penis and on the flap of skin that covers the tip. The infection can easily be treated when diagnosed at an early stage.
When uncircumcised, you are likely to get this infection at any age. The risk of infection also increases with poor personal hygiene and harsh soaps that irritate the skin. This infection can have the following symptoms:
- Redness,
- Swelling
- Mild to severe itching
- Abnormal discharge
Increased friction during masturbation can also cause scabbing on the shaft of penis. This is known as friction burn scab. Some people can also develop penis rash that can appear as small, raised bumps or scab on the head and shaft of penis.
7. Yeast infection
Though common in women, men to can have a yeast infection. Caused by candida, it is a fungal infection of the skin that causes itching and burning sensation that causes the skin to turn red when scratched.
Severe cases of yeast infection can lead to open wounds that may form dry crusts when healing.
When they won’t heal
A wound that won’t heal or go away after a week or two is a sign that you need to see your doctor as soon as possible.
A wound that takes longer to heal is categorized as a chronic wound. These wounds may start over as a small pimple or scratch and can scab over from time to time without getting better.
According to Christi Cavaliere, Cleveland clinic wound, and healing doctor, cancer can present itself as a chronic wound. Chronic wounds can be categorized into:
- Pressure ulcers also called pressure sores, these are localized damage to the skin
- Diabetic ulcers occur in close to 15 percent of diabetic patients.
Symptoms
Scabs can have different symptoms which can be very useful in diagnosing the underlying causes. You are likely to notice any of the following characteristics,
Dry scabs on penis
Dry scab on head of penis is likely to be a sign of yeast infection. Common in women, the infection can be transmitted by having unprotected sexual intercourse with women suffering from vaginal yeast infection.
With such a symptom, early medical diagnosis and treatment may be required.
Small crusts
It is also possible to develop small scab on the head or on shaft of penis. The scab can be small and hard that it might go unnoticed. If no other symptoms are seen, then it the scab could result from an ulcer or zits on penis.
In children, small scabs on penis are likely to be a sign of eczema, but if the penis is swollen, painful, turns red or has abnormal discharge, then you may want to check it out with your healthcare provider.
Intense itching
This is likely to be a sign of scabies, caused by a red mite that burrows into the skin. With scabies, the itching seems to get worse at night when the body temperature is high.
The mites can cause an itchy rash which when itched can leave crusty sores on skin. The infection is spread through skin to skin contact. Simple over the counter topical medication can be used to cure scabies and relieve the itching.
Spots on penis
Spots on penis can be a sign of molluscum contagiosum. A skin condition marked with lesions 2 to 6 mm. the spots are often firm, raised and painless and will appear in clusters.
The spots will in most cases clear on it their own when they, however, fail to do so, treatment may include freezing them with liquid nitrogen.
Abnormal discharge from the penis
A thick white, green or yellow discharge from your penis is considered abnormal. It can be a sign of gonorrhea or chlamydia. This STDs can lead to serious long-term health problems like infertility. The two can be treated with antibiotics.
How to get rid of them
Treating or getting rid of scab on penis can be a difficult matter. Most people are often embarrassed to bring this up with their doctor, so most will often opt to wait and see or resolve to treat the scabs natural at home.
Treating a scab will often depend on its size and what the underlying cause is. Antibiotics and other over-the-counter topical ointments should be used to avoid an infection that could prolong the healing process of the wound.
The other effective way to treat the scab would be to treat the underlying cause, this can only be done after a proper medical examination has been perfumed and the underlying cause identified.
When treating the scabs, it is recommended that you keep your groin clean and dry. Sweating or leaving your groin are wet can provide an ideal environment for yeast and fungal infection which can worsen the problem.
Ensure proper hygiene and choose your garments carefully. Wear cotton underpants that does not irritate the wound and ensures efficient flow of air.
Home remedies
At home, there are somethings you can do to speed up the healing of a scab on penis. Some of the effective remedies you can try at home include the following:
1. Topical antifungal creams
When the cause of the wound is a fungal infection, over the counter antifungal creams and gel can be used treat the infection and get rid of the scabs. If not sure what to buy, have your doctor prescribe the most effective antifungal to use.
2. Warm compress
For large and small scabs, gently applying a warm compress helps moisten the area, it thus detaches from the skin and falls off.
- add 2 glass of warm water in a basin
- into it add 2 spoons of kitchen salt and mix
- dip a clean face towel, squeeze to get rid of excess water ten hold it over the crust
- You will need to repeat this until the wound heals
3. Vaseline
Applying Vaseline penis helps keep it soft and moisturized. This will helps top the scar from drying, cracking and bleeding. Applying Vaseline will, therefore, help speed up the healing process of a scab.
4. Apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most effective home remedies you can use to naturally get rid of scab on penis head, tip or shaft. Apple cider is said to have great natural antibacterial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties.
To get rid of a scab:
- gently mix 5 ml of ACV with 500 ml of water
- using a clean cotton ball, gently apply the remedy on the affected part of your penis head or shaft
- leave it on for some minutes before rinsing it off with cold water
- do this until the scabs heal
5. Aloe Vera
Apart from apple cider vinegar, Aloe Vera gel is the other great remedy you can use to get rid of an itchy, painful and irritating scab.
Like apple cider, the gel has antiseptic and antifungal properties that will prevent infection as well as speed up the healing process.
You can buy the gel from the store or extract fresh gel from Aloe Vera plant. After applying it, leave it on for some minute before rinsing it off. You can use Aloe Vera gel to soothe itching, irritation, and pain caused by a spots or ulcers on penis tip and shaft.
6. Do not pick the scab
Picking or scratching a scab can seem to offer relief for itching and irritation, it can, however, break the scabs causing them to bleed.
It also opens up the wound which increases the chances of you picking up a secondary infection such as fungal and bacterial infection.
References
- STDs likely to cause scabs on your penis: https://www.stdtestexpress.com/blog/i-had-drunk-sex-with-a-girl-and-now-i-have-three-scabs-on-my-penis-could-i-have-hiv/
- Penis problems: https://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Documents/Penis%20problems%20a%20visual%20guide.htm
- When wounds won’t heal: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/2015/08/why-you-shouldnt-ignore-a-wound-that-wont-heal/
