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Rationalize footnotes.
Intact adult males who wash their penis and glans daily with clean water usually do not have smegma between the inner foreskin and glans. In infants and boys whose foreskin cannot yet be pulled back (natural [[phimosis]]), smegma doesn't matter, while the foreskin protects the glans. The illustration "Smegma on a human penis" is therefore not typical for intact men who wash their genitals regularly.
Excessive washing and the use of soap inside the foreskin should be avoided, because soap removes the skin oil so it can cause non-specific dermatitis that may be mistaken for balanitis.<refname="birley1933">{{REFjournal
|last=Birley
|init=HDL
|issue=5
|pages=400-3
|url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1195128/pdf/genitmed00029-0074.pdf
|quote=
|pubmedID=8244363
}}</ref>
Smegma is usually washed away for cosmetic reasons. Excessive washing and use of soap inside the foreskin should be avoided.<ref>{{REFjournal |lastname=Birley |init=HDL |author-link= |last2=Walker |init2=MM |author2-link= |last3=Luzzi |init3=GA |author3-link= |last4=Bell |init4=R |author4-link= |etal=yes |title=Clinical Features and management of recurrentbalanitis; association with atopy and genitalwashing] |trans-title= |language= |journal=Genitourin Med |location= |date=1993-10 |volume=69 |issue=5 |pages=400-3 |url= |quote= |pubmedID=8244363 |pubmedCID=1195128 |DOI=10.1136/sti.69.5.400 |accessdate=2021-03-20}}<"birley1933" /ref>
{{SEEALSO}}