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Willy hygiene advice

1 reply

Yellowdaff25 · 08/10/2025 09:41

Hi all,

My 6 year old has recently started itching his willy a lot.

I have never pulled back the foreskin to wash when in the bath as I was always advised there was no need to do this and he has never had any issues before.

My partner took him to the GP yesterday who wasn’t particularly helpful and pulled back the foreskin and told us he would need to do this himself every time he goes to the toilet and when washing.

My son was upset at bath time and claimed it was too sore to do this (not sure it it really was or if it was just something he’s not comfortable with that feels odd as he’s never had to do this before) and he was getting quite distressed about it.

GP also said ‘it could be a fungal infection’ but surely if that was the case she should have prescribed something? Frustratingly partner didn’t ask this!

Advice online re foreskins and cleaning for children is very mixed so I’m not sure whether to persevere and keep upsetting him or if I should go back to the GP? I’ve tried a bit of sudocream but it didn’t seem to make much difference.

Any advice welcome!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 08/10/2025 10:09

When my boys were younger I always encouraged them to pull their foreskin back and give a gentle wash with water and also to ensure the foreskin would go back. That was 20 odd yrs ago, I don't know if advice has changed since but that's what I did. Of course it will be very sensitive to him at first.

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