Who are the ‘restorers’? The men desperately turning to ‘DIY stretching’ to get their foreskins back

A GROWING movement of men are “restoring” their foreskin to reverse circumcision, in a DIY trend that has alarmed health experts. Circumcision – the removal of the foreskin, with a scalpel or other device – is more commonly performed for cultural and religious reasons but may be offered on medical grounds if a boy has persistent problems such as infections. In the UK, the National Childbirth Trust estimates roughly 8.5 per cent of men are circumcised A growing number of men who call themselves the “restorers”, are trying to reverse the procedure themselves Credit: Getty Left untreated, these can worsen, and even cause severe difficulties in later life. In the UK, the National Childbirth Trust estimates roughly 8.5 per cent of men are circumcised. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! But now, a growing number of men who call themselves the “restorers”, are trying to reverse the procedure themselves in a bid to feel “whole” again. Publicly sharing their desires and advice on DIY in online forums and social media platforms, they discuss possible ways to recover the foreskin of their penis. READ MORE ON SEXUAL HEALTH Medical experts, however, have warned that DIY and some surgical foreskin techniques are often untested, potentially dangerous and may lead to devastating results. In the forums, “restorers” argue that their desire to recover their foreskin is based on two main reasons – physical preference and a sense of injustice that their bodily anatomy has been treated without their consent. Most methods and DIY tips for foreskin restorations revolve around the idea of manually and consistently stretching the skin of the penis using tape, a device or their hands to “encourage growth”. Experts argue, however, that most devices online are not medically approved and there is little evidence to suggest they’re effective. Most read in Health Some men have told forums like Reddit that they wear such devices for hours at a time in the hope it will stretch the skin. Dr Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist at Orlando Health in the US, told the New York Post: “Some devices, especially homemade devices or improperly sized rings, can cause real harm, including swelling, scarring, numbness or potentially compromising blood flow to the head of the penis. “If anyone is doing this, they should stop and get evaluated if they develop pain, bruising, skin tearing, swelling, scarring, colour changes, numbness or changes in sensation.” Another urologist from Chicago, Dr Fenwa Milhouse, who treated a man who had previously used a device, said: “This guy replaced his foreskin with shaft skin by [applying] tension with one of these devices. “But it didn’t look completely like natural foreskin because it was loose, so I tapered it to make it look more natural.” 15 Square, a UK based charity which provides advice for “those affected by circumcision”, also notes: “We are not aware of any devices that are sold online that have been tested or medically approved in a controlled study. “Despite this, we know that many of them do work, providing they can exert moderate tension on the penile shaft skin.” They added: “Few professionals are aware of foreskin restoration, and academic literature on the process is sparse. “Despite successes, professionals are still reluctant to recognise this due to the lack of formal research on this.” Surgery generally involves taking skin from other body parts and grafting it onto the penis. It also comes amid a growing number of professional bodies calling into question the medical necessity of circumcision. In 2022, doctors at one of Britain’s leading children’s hospitals warned that boys and young men are being circumcised unnecessarily by the NHS, risking sexual problems later in life. Surgeons at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Trust, Liverpool, criticised surgeons who offer the operation on medical grounds – suggesting they should be looking for less invasive alternatives. In an official report, the hospital’s leading paediatric surgeon, Professor Simon Kenny, claimed that more than half of the 9,500 circumcisions carried out for medical reasons each year in the UK should never have happened. The analysis also found up to half of the boys who underwent medical circumcision at some trusts were under five, an age at which doctors agree the procedure is almost always unnecessary. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians have also said they do not recommend routine infant circumcision in the US, Australia and New Zealand, unless medically necessary. 11 key things to know about your penis Everything you need to know about the health of your penis Comment now