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|accessdate=2023-10-10

Foreskin restoration can be achieved via surgical and/or non-surgical means. Men take up foreskin restoration to restore [[Dekeratinization| sensation]] to the [[glans penis]] and to restore the [[gliding action]] of the natural [[penis]]. Another reason for restoring is a desire to create the natural appearance of an [[intact]] penis with the [[foreskin]] covering the [[glans penis]]. [[Jim Bigelow ]] (1995) listed aesthetics, sensitivity of the glans, sexual stimulation and sexual function of a restored foreskin, and sense of wholeness as reasons that men give for desiring foreskin restoration.<ref>{{REFbook

Key features of Hellenistic culture were athletic exercises in gymnasia and athletic performances in public arenas, where men appeared in the nude. While the [[penis]] sheathed in an [[intact]] foreskin was normal and acceptable, ancient Greeks and their Hellenistic successors considered the [[circumcised]] penis to be offensive, as it was perceived as a vulgar imitation of [[erection]], unfit for public display. The ancient Greeks and their Hellenistic successors considered the "ideal prepuce" to be long, tapered, and "well-proportioned." Removing it was considered [[mutilation]]. Men with a short foreskins[[foreskin]], a condition known as ''lypodermos'', would wear a leather cord called a ''kynodesme'' to prevent its accidental exposure.<ref>{{REFjournal

}}</ref> Up until the 2th century, [[Jewish circumcision]] involved only partial foreskin removal. Rabbis of the 2th century mandated ''[[Periah| peri’ah]]'', or the complete ablation of the [[foreskin ]] in order to prevent Jewish men from engaging in foreskin restoration.<ref>{{REFbook

The National Organization of Restoring Men ([[NORM]]) was founded in 1989 in San Francisco, as a non-profit support group for men restoring the appearance of a [[foreskin]]. It was originally known as RECAP, an acronym for the phrase Recover A Penis. In 1994 UNCIRC was incorporated into this group.<ref name="NORM history">{{REFweb

Nonsurgical foreskin restoration is the most commonly used method of foreskin restoration. It is accomplished through [[tissue expansion]] and involves pulling on the remnants of the [[foreskin]]. Both the skin of the penile shaft and the [[mucosa]]l inner lining of the [[foreskin]], if any remains after [[circumcision]], may be expanded. The skin is pulled forward over the [[glans]], and tension is applied manually, by using weights or elastic straps. In the latter two cases a device must be attached to the skin; surgical tape is often used.

An example of a device using elastic straps is the T-Tape method, which was developed in the 1990s with the idea of enabling restoration to take place more rapidly. Many specialized [http://intactwiki.org/wiki/Category:Foreskin_restoration_devices restoration devices] (like the [[TLC-X|TLC Tugger]] shown in the picture) that grip the [[skin]] with or without tape are also commercially available. Tension from these devices may be applied by weights or elastic straps, by pushing the skin forward on the [[penis]], or by a combination of these methods.

}}</ref> Unlike conventional skin expansion techniques, however, the process of nonsurgical foreskin restoration may take several years to complete. The time required depends on the amount of [[skin ]] available to expand, the amount of skin desired in the end, and the regimen of [[stretching]] methods used. Patience and dedication are needed; support groups exist to help with these (see External links section). The act of [[stretching]] the skin is often described informally as "tugging" in these groups, especially those on the Internet.

[[Intact]] men who would like to have a longer [[foreskin ]] may use these same techniques of [[tissue expansion]] to lengthen a short [[foreskin]]. Benefits include improved protection of the [[glans penis]], improved [[gliding action]], and improved physical appearance.

}}</ref> cannot be recreated. Restored foreskins can appear much looser at the tip and some men report difficulty in keeping the [[glans ]] covered. Surgical "touch-up" procedures exist to reduce the orifice of the restored foreskin, recreating the tightening function of the band of muscle fibers near the tip of the foreskin, though they have not proven successful in every case.<ref name=Joy-touchup>{{REFbook

When the [[glans penis]] is habitually covered by the regrown foreskin, the increase in protection, plus moisture and oil from [[transudation]] provided by the new [[foreskin ]] will result in [[Keratinization#De-keratinization_treatment| de-keratinization]] of the [[glans penis]] and increase in sensation.

Foreskin restoration has been reported as having beneficial emotional results in some [[circumcised]] men.<ref name="Greer"/><ref name="Goodwin"/><ref name="Penn">{{REFjournal

}}</ref><ref name="Boyle">{{BoyleGJ GoldmanR SvobodaJS FernandezE 2002}}</ref> Watson & Golden (2017) recommend recommended non-surgical foreskin restoration as a treatment for negative feelings in some many adult men about their involuntary infant [[circumcision]].<ref name="watson2017">{{REFjournal

Recently [[Foreskin regeneration| there has been growing interest in regenerative medicine ]] as a means to regenerate the human male [[foreskin]]. This is a completely different process from foreskin restoration by [[tissue expansion]] as described above. This option, if successful, unlike non-surgical foreskin restoration, would result in a true human male [[foreskin ]] being regrownregenerated.

[[Foreskin regeneration ]] is only theoretical as of 20232024. No foreskin has ever been regenerated. There is no assurance that foreskin regeneration would actually be successful, if attempted.

[[Foregen]] has had announced its desire to conduct trials on human volunteers in April 2023, but it has not yet happened.<ref>{{REFweb

* [httphttps://www.cirp.org/pages/restore.html php CIRP Foreskin restoration for circumcised males]* {{REFweb |url=http://www.savingsons.org/2009/10/foreskin-restoration.html |title=Foreskin restoration |publisher=Saving Our Sons |accessdate=2023-12-17}}