Frenulum function salvage through targeted tugging

[foreskin site user]

I gather from looking around that I got away fairly lucky, keeping most of my frenulum - see picture.
I'm wondering how I can best leverage this throughout my restoration.

My plan for now is to tug as much as possible everywhere except along the anterior side along the raphe - do you think this would yield any benefit at all, and the frenulum would be able to fulfill any of its role in positioning of my future skin?
See my awful mspaint diagram trying to explain what I'm trying to do.

The left side shows a lateral view of the current situation.
The right side shows where I'm hoping to end up (erect would be ideal, maybe we can set that as an initial target for the purpose of starting discussion?). I can see the dorsal side being easiest to expand upwards, but difficulty would ramp up significantly on anterior sides.
Further, I can't see any tugging method other than very precisely targeted (and very persistent) manual tugging to get this skin to grow in just the right way.

The point of this post is - does this seem feasible from a medical perspective?

[greg_b]

Under the assumption that the frenulum would typically be shorter than the rest of the foreskin, and that would help keep the foreskin forward, I would say yes, at least in theory. But I am not sure how much confidence I have in those two assumptions. I am also not sure how easy it would be, in practice, to grow skin in a way that would grow most skin opposite the fren, a bit less as you move toward the fren, and least at the fren.

The good thing is that everyone who achieves full coverage seems to find that the skin grips and stays in place well, simply due to the dartos muscles. So even if you try, but are not successful, you will probably find you will be quite happy with the result.

[The Metal One]

I don't think so, unfortunately. The frenulum needs to be connected to the interior foreskin, whereas you and I have a frenulum that essentially connects to the shaft skin. Unless I'm forgetting something huge, there is no way to recreate that connection (and the upward tension that it brings) without a surgical procedure.
In other words: it can be done, but it doesn't need to affect your restoration methods. If you want to have minor surgery to restore function to that part, it would be something you'd do at, or near, the end of your restoration.

I have heard from several finished members that their new foreskin stays in place pretty well, so you may not even need to worry at all.

[z726]

While I don't know how easily the frenulum remnant would expand, not having one myself, you can buy various tugging devices made with a notch carved out for the frenulum. People who do have a remnant like yours have tugged it without issues, so it might be worthwhile to use this site's search feature to see what you can find of their experiences.

[foreskin site user]

Many thanks for your replies.

The Metal One raises a really good point that the remnant as it is doesn't seem to fulfill enough of its original function for this to work - ie, there isn't really much to salvage here.

I own a TLC-X with a notch, and although I don't know exactly what difference this will make beyond comfort versus a notchless cone - or how it will affect the end result - it seems the best course of action at this early stage would simply be to tug as always and see what happens.

[Itsworking]

Dude, I'm really wondering how you were able to get circumcised and keep so much of your frenulum? On my penis it looks like somebody took some sandpaper to smooth out the job. I just have a scar that goes up nearly to the tip of my pee hole. Consider yourself very lucky to have that much remaining. It may not have that tethering ability of how it would have been if left uncut ,but damn your restoration will look more natural!

[foreskin site user]

I wonder about it too. For answers, you'd have to track down the "doctor" who convinced my parents that their brand new something-single-digit-month-old son had phimosis and that circumcision was the only option. I count myself very lucky, in spite of what happened, and will be sure to document progress, even if I'm not choosing to make it public immediately.

[Itsworking]

You sound as pissed off as I am about this..

[z726]

Well, a lot of us have been pissed off about it. The only difference is that, for the majority of us, the doctor just did it automatically as a part of the hospital's assembly-line birth package, without much consideration allowed by our parents.

Whatever the case, we're here to fix it.

[Tormod]

foreskin site user : I estimate that I got left with maybe 1/3 of the total frenulum length that I should have. The 2/3 length that was originally part of my inner mucusal type skin has gone - along with most of the inner skin.
I used the T-tape method to restore. The fren remnant is tough and may have lengthened only by half. I curse myself for not having made starting and progress type photographs. When I had got to the restored length that I wanted, I put some additional tugging effort on the ventral surface (incl fren remnant) only. I used shortened T-tape for this.
It does not have full frenulum function of holding the restored foreskin forwards when flaccid. Skin length and the dartos muscle work well for this.
I think there are detailed photos of this area on Tally's restoration site. Shout if you need directions.

[Reality]

The scientists who study penile anatomy have debated the frenulum's function over years, so if the smart guys aren't sure, then how could we be sure? The mythical traction force on the inner mucosa, as the function of the frenulum is just that; forum myth which gets passed on from one member to another (I've watched that happen over the years as well. however, here's some science:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22126255. I read it all the way through some time ago, but I don't remember much of it so glean what you can from it, and when I get time I'll translate and come back to hopefully clarify stuff:

to answer the issue you raise (the OP), in my opinion tugging on it, or the tissue around it, shouldn't be an issue (in other words I can't see that you will F' anything up; so tug happily away, just don't haul on it too hard and rip something.

[admin]

The scientists who study penile anatomy have debated the frenulum's function over years, so if the smart guys aren't sure, then how could we be sure? The mythical traction force on the inner mucosa, as the function of the frenulum is just that; forum myth which gets passed on from one member to another (I've watched that happen over the years as well. however, here's some science:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22126255. I read it all the way through some time ago, but I don't remember much of it so glean what you can from it, and when I get time I'll translate and come back to hopefully clarify stuff:

to answer the issue you raise (the OP), in my opinion tugging on it, or the tissue around it, shouldn't be an issue (in other words I can't see that you will F' anything up; so tug happily away, just don't haul on it too hard and rip something.

Well said. My own thought (a guess, like every evolutionary explanation) is that the frenulum serves to trigger ejaculation when the arousal cycle has progressed sufficiently. The way it responds sexually when taut is its function. Remember that the male and female genitals are homologous. DNA contains the instructions not just for our anatomical structure (and behavior) at present, but also at every stage of development, and also in a female version. Not every part has to have an obvious survival benefit in all stages and versions, but a part that makes copulation extremely rewarding ranks pretty highly.

[foreskin site user]

The scientists who study penile anatomy have debated the frenulum's function over years, so if the smart guys aren't sure, then how could we be sure? The mythical traction force on the inner mucosa, as the function of the frenulum is just that; forum myth which gets passed on from one member to another (I've watched that happen over the years as well. however, here's some science:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22126255. I read it all the way through some time ago, but I don't remember much of it so glean what you can from it, and when I get time I'll translate and come back to hopefully clarify stuff:

to answer the issue you raise (the OP), in my opinion tugging on it, or the tissue around it, shouldn't be an issue (in other words I can't see that you will F' anything up; so tug happily away, just don't haul on it too hard and rip something.

That's a good paper, thanks for sharing.
You're absolutely right that there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions and ideas about the roles of different components floating around.
Given th vagueness of the literature (or rather, how difficult it is to find specifics on the general internet), my best guess is that any observable effect (in this case, retraction of skin forward) would be a function of every tissue involved - frenulum, outer skin, dartos muscle, likely more I'm unaware of - and that in the absence of any authoritative study on the mechanism, we'd only be fumbling around in the dark.

I'll try to minimise tension along and near the raphe, then, with a view to avoid "doubling over" the frenulum such that it anchors somewhat to the glans. I'm imagining an undesirable outcome where there is too much slack skin laterally, which prevents forward tension from reaching dorsal skin eventually. My only real concern is, as Metal One and Tormod posted, that despite having this very conspicuous frenulum remnant, there's just not enough of both it and its immediate connecting tissue to reach this goal on any realistic timescale (if even possible).

We'll just have to see how it goes, I guess.

[Itsworking]

I started using the TLC Packer on 11/20/20. Started with 0 mm of sidewall. I can now comfortably wear a Packer all night with 43 mm of sidewall. It's extremely comfortable to wear at night which is the only time I wear it for the most part. I will also put it on when I nap during the day. These are all the Packers I collected as I progressed.