Friday, June 17, 2011

Ineffective Pearly Penile Papules Treatment

For various reasons, such a cost and shyness, many prefer to attempt to “cure” their pearly penile papules at home using topical creams, wart removal products and home remedies. Though an array of products out there advertise themselves as a pearly penile papule “cure,” none have been proven effective. Using these products without the guidance of a physician can prove to be costly, time-consuming and possibly harmful. Common home remedies tried as pearly penile papules treatment include toothpaste, honey, vitamins A and E, masturbating less, masturbating more, retina A and oatmeal. Though many who suffer from PPP still try them, none have been proven effective.

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When bumps or lesions first appear on the penis, consulting a doctor for diagnosis is recommended to rule out other conditions. Pictures of pearly penile papules provided on this page may, however, offer some help in self-diagnosis. Though pearly penile papules can cause great psychological discomfort in some, they are not physically detrimental. Treatment for the condition is purely optional.

Effects of Pearly Penile Papules

Any unfamiliar bumps or changes to ones penis are bound to be unsettling, and the development of pearly penile papules is no different. Even though the condition is asymptomatic and not a sexually transmitted disease, it is often mistaken for genital warts and can cause worry and psychological distress to many who develop it. As of yet, finding information on this condition online can be difficult, leaving many who have developed PPP in the dark about what they have, its effects and how to get rid of it. This page can hopefully serve as a resource to put many at ease by describing what the condition is, offering pearly penile papule pictures, and listing treatments for the condition, both effective and ineffective.

image of model

For many, learning the condition they have is not harmful and not and STD is reassurance enough. They simply learn to live with it until the papules eventually fade. For others, this reassurance only goes so far. Pearly Penile Papules can cause self-consciousness in men, making them avoid sexual contact out of embarrassment and fear of rejection. PPP can affect self-esteem and social interaction. They also cause an “unpleasant sensation” in some men who have them.

A Summary of Facts about PPP and Treatment

Facts Provided by Expert Pearly Penile Papule Treatment Dermatologist Dr. Groff

  1. Pearly Penile Papules (PPP) are very common and affect approximately 25% of men. They are more common in uncircumcised men.
  2. PPP are small, flesh-colored skin tags or domes that form around the rim and underside of the tip of the penis. They commonly appear in rows and do not cause any pain, itching or burning.
  3. PPP are considered a normal finding and they are totally harmless. They are not contagious in any way. They are not a sexually transmitted disease (STD), therefore you could not have been “infected” by sexual contact – nor is there a risk of passing this onto your sexual partner.
  4. PPP are commonly mistaken for genital warts, even by physicians, so it is very important to seek out the expertise of a board certified dermatologist if there is any question about the diagnosis.
  5. PPP can be very embarrassing and stressful for men because they may look cosmetically unacceptable and often times can be confused with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
  6. Home remedies and topical wart treatments will not get rid of PPP, and will often irritate the area.
  7. I use the latest generation Lumenis CO2 laser to painlessly and permanently remove PPP. This laser has a beam that is as wide as the tip of a sharpened pencil, and we can remove each papule without damaging the normal skin of the penis.
  8. All that is needed to numb the penis and enable us to treat our patients painlessly is a topical cream. I do not use any injections.
  9. Most patients go back to work the next day and experience very little, if any discomfort while healing.
  10. Most men are healed in 1-2 weeks and can resume sexual activity.
  11. I have not had any patients develop scarring, loss of sensation, infection, or any other serious side effect. It is reasonable to expect some swelling and crusting after your treatment while you are healing.
  12. There is no reason to suffer from PPP. The treatment, when done by dermatologist who is well trained and experienced with the CO2 laser, is safe, painless, and extremely effective.

Dr. William F. Groff, M.D., Board Certified Dermatologist

What Are Pearly Penile Papules?

Officially known as Hirsuties papillaris genitalis, pearly penile papules are small skin-colored bumps that form on the penis, often in rows encircling the sulcus or corona. They are not open and do not pop or “seep.” They do not cause physical irritation, though some men report a sensation they find unpleasant. The condition is physically harmless and can not be spread through sexual contact. The bumps or lesions most commonly develop on men in their 20s and 30s and fade and decrease in frequency as men progress in age. Uncircumcised men tend to develop them at a higher rate than those who are circumcised. Statistics are vague on how common PPP is, with reports ranging from 8%-48%. Though the condition is considered a “normal variant” that does not need treatment, some men suffer psychological distress over the condition, feeling social and sexual embarrassment. The cause of pearly penile papules is unknown at this point.

Penile Papule FAQ

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Pearly Penile Papule Treatment and Removal

You’ve been to the doctor and now you know that you do not have some kind of sexually transmitted disease or have cancerous lesions on your penis. Those little white bumps are just pearly penile papules. But, maybe that doesn’t make you feel any better. The penis is the epitome of manhood- you get great pleasure from it, you make babies with it. But, it can also cause you a lot of grief. Now, you’ve got these, albeit benign, ugly bumps rimming your penis like a strand of pearls. You’re embarrassed to shower in the locker room and dates… well, forget about it. You worry she’ll think it’s a disease or in the very least, ugly. And, though they aren’t dangerous, they do cause some sensitivity that is not always welcome.

Sometimes the pearly penile papules go away by themselves, but sometimes they don’t and in worst case scenario, they come back in higher numbers. Not all treatment options work as well as others, but you do have varying degrees of treatment possibilities. To save your time, the following are a list of treatments to avoid and treatments to try.

What does not work?

Home Remedies- Over the counter products you get at the drug store will not work. The common wart removal products like freezing and the pads will not get rid of the bumps. Also, do not try to pop or scrape off the lesion. This can lead to permanent scarring and infection. You will end up worse off than when you just had the bumps.

Topical and Oral treatment- There are no proven effective treatments using a topical lotion, such as podophyllin, or a pill.

What does work?

Cryotherapy- This treatment involves freezing the lesion with liquid nitrogen. The lesion should peel, blister or scab and then fall off. Though it is performed in a doctor’s office, the results are varied and there is no guarantee it will work as well as you want. But if the other treatments make you squeamish, you can try it.

Electrodessication with curettage- This procedure, using a local anesthetic, is more effective in that it uses a special tool to scrap off the bump. It is commonly used for benign growths and minor cancerous skin lesions. Once the scraping is complete, the area is cauterized to stop the bleeding and seal the wound.

Excisional Surgery- This treatment involves actual surgical removal of the bumps and then sutures to close it up. Non-affected tissue may be removed along with the lesion. A local anesthetic is used. This may be more tedious and is certainly not the easiest method of treatment.

CO2 Laser Ablation- Numbing cream and lidocaine are administered to make the procedure less painful. The carbon dioxide laser is used to vaporize the bump without damaging the skin around it. There will be some pain, swelling and scabbing afterwards and complete recovery may take a couple of weeks.

Just remember, removal is not necessary. However, if you notice that their presence is affecting your self-confidence and intimate encounters are embarrassing, you now know that you have options. No matter what, it is a good idea to see a doctor for an official diagnosis. If you decide to, your doctor can then recommend the best method of treatment for you.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Are Pearly Penile Papules a Type of Genital Wart?

No, pearly penile papules are not a type of genital wart. Furthermore, they are not contagious and they are not an STD. However, from the perspective of whether or not a woman will be willing to have sex with you if you have pearly penile papules on your penis, they might as well be. Have you heard the the expression, "if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck?" It may not be fair but this is the way a woman is going to view it. She isn't going to take the risk just because you tell her that your penis bumps are not genital warts. And, before you get defensive, can you really blame her? Would you want to put your penis inside a vagina if you saw little puss filled bumps all over it? Would you want go down on such a woman? Of course not and woman are no different. It's a self-protection mechanism. Even if you trusted the woman and she told you her doctor said they weren't contagious, wouldn't you hesitate to go ahead with sex?

I know guys in fully committed monogamous relationships who develop pearly penile papules on their penis and their woman refused to have sex with them until they get them cleared up. This even includes married men. It's just one of those things where women will drawn a clear line in the sand. Throwing your dirty underwear on the floor is annoying. Leaving the toilet seat up in the middle of the night is just plain rude. But.... your woman probably won't refuse to have sex with you for these things. Having pearly penile papules on your penis is quite another matter entirely.


Bottom line, if you have pearly penile papules on your penis, you need to learn how to get rid of them because they will interfere with your sex life and possibly even eliminate it all together. They may not be genital warts but they certainly look like them. Women do talk about such things and if I could accurately describe the faces that women make when they talk about them, you'd know what a serious problem it actually is. Basically, women cringe when they think about them. Because of this, many men are so desperate to get rid of their papules, they actually pay thousands of dollars to have them removed with laser surgery. While this does work, there are risks involved and your insurance isn't going to pick up the tab because removing pearly penile papules is considered cosmetic surgery. I know it isn't fair but that's the way it is and there's not much we can do about it.

To learn how to get rid of penile papules using this amazing home remedy that really works,
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