Phimosis Rings: A Prompt Solution to a Tight Foreskin, or Just a Perilous Journey?
Following our recent review of articles related to balanitis caused by phimosis, we decided to dig deeper into the realms of foreskin stretching products. We have received emails requesting advice for issues caused by non-genuine Phimocure rings purchased online, so decided to take a look for ourselves.
We purchased a set of phimosis rings from two different sellers on Amazon. Their promises and guarantees gave confidence that we were unquestionably purchasing the most incredible product ever invented. This was far from reality however, as what we found, was a potentially harmful manufacturing process, and poor non anatomical designs.
Phimosis is often secondary to balanitis and vice versa. Some of the main symptoms of balanitis are redness and a sore region on the tip of the penis. It is usually quite easily treated with medication and good daily hygiene. If suitable hygiene requirements cannot be met, as with some cases of pinhole phimosis for example, balanitis may become a regular problem for the individual. Occasionally, prolonged balanitis may occur, and this can become a chronic issue, leading to balanoposthitis (inflammation of the foreskin and glans)
So, as you can see, balanitis has to be controlled before effective foreskin stretching can take place, otherwise stretching of the irritated foreskin will inevitably be counterproductive to resolving the phimosis. If you are suffering with recurrent balanitis, get in touch as we have a very effective and simple home remedy for this.
So, assuming that you are free of balanitis, you are good to go and can begin your foreskin stretching regime with absolute trust in your phimosis rings?
Well, that depends…
Will you be able to stretch your foreskin regularly, whilst preventing an excessive build up of the bacteria found on the glans and foreskin?
Can you wear the rings without them causing irritation, or even worse, ischaemia?
To significantly reduce the possibility of irritation, the process of stretching with phimosis rings requires you to not only regularly wash your foreskin effectively, but to also prevent the bacteria from multiplying on the phimosis ring itself.
Sounds easy! Unfortunately it depends again. It would be unscrupulous to manufacture phimosis rings with a basic moulding process, but what we have seen is exactly that.
We took a sample from the surface of the phimosis rings which we had purchased, and magnified at 100x
What we found is quite shocking. The surface of the rings had so many imperfections and air bubbles within the material, that it renders them impossible to clean to a satisfactory state, even with an industrial autoclave.
You can see from image 1, that under magnification, the rings show a significant number of air bubbles and surface imperfections, which all serve as a perfect hiding place for bacteria. As a comparison, we took a matching sample from a Phimocure ring and viewed at the same magnification.
When we take a look at the Amazon phimosis ring at 150x magnification, we can see the extent of the surface imperfections outlining that it has been poorly manufactured, which would unquestionably harbour bacteria and prevent suitable cleaning.
When manufacturing products of this nature, certain basic fundamental requirements have to be met.
The surface should be free of imperfections: This allows the phimosis ring to be cleaned effectively to ensure that the product does not harbour bacteria, which can cause irritation and infection.
The material should be inert: This ensures that the product does not elicit a chemical reaction when fitted into the foreskin.
It should be biocompatible: To ensure that the product is not harmful or toxic to human tissue, biocompatibility is crucial.
It should be temperature resistant: Not all synthetic polymers are temperature resistant, however, in phimosis rings it is crucial to resist temperatures, to allow sterilisation and to prevent deformation.
As the above points cannot be seen by the naked eye, the element of responsibility lies with the manufacturer and retailer of the phimosis rings, to follow the necessary manufacturing protocols, as this prevents issues which may arise during the foreskin stretching process.
In addition to these basic but crucial requirements, to prevent irritation of the foreskin, glans and frenulum, the material should be soft, but also capable of exerting enough of a stretch to perform its required action. The design of the phimosis ring should be such that it does not impede blood flow, as this can quickly lead to ischaemic complications. The products we purchased on Amazon were not designed to prevent ischaemia, and would not be considered safe to use.
In view of the above considerations, there is no question that the endless emails we receive asking for advice following the use of low quality Phimocure copies, is caused by poor designs and unscrupulous manufacturing processes. As the ever increasing profit margins of online marketplaces lead to higher seller fees, the result is often poor quality goods. Sadly in today's age of convenience, the desire for a convenient transaction can often lead to compromising quality and safety.
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