Chad Cook always felt uncomfortable in his body, but it was only two years ago that he could finally put his finger on what was wrong.
Like so many other men in Australia and around the world, the 27-year-old Melbourne local had been circumcised shortly after his birth.
“I loved my penis up until I realised,” Cook told The Feed’s Colin Cosier.
It was really confusing to all of sudden one day just hate my body.
Not only was Cook unhappy with how his body looked, but it came with physical setbacks including chafing and discomfort.
So Cook made the decision that a growing number of circumcised men - to regrow his foreskin.
Regrowing foreskin
The process of regrowing foreskin is a long and involved one. Men can spend years dedicated to restoring the delicate skin surrounding the head of the penis.
However, according to Max Roberts, Director of Intact Australia, who has regrown foreskin himself - it’s simpler to begin than one may think.
“The easiest way to get started is manual stretching, you grasp just underneath the glands of the penis, and hold that for 5 minutes. Just enough to create tension,” Roberts told The Feed.
After restorers get as far as they can with manual stretching they graduate to a number of devices including one called the “TLC Tugger”. It’s a plastic, conical device intended to be worn for extended periods of time under clothes to make sure the foreskin remains under constant tension.
“When you're restoring you get hungry for tension, people are often left wanting something more,” Roberts said.
One of the many versions of the "Tugger" used by foreskin restorers. Source: The Feed
The Feed put a call out to hear from foreskin restorers.
Many restorers reached out, under agreement of anonymity, to share how foreskin restoring has drastically changed their lives.
“Once I started the reconstruction process I felt so excited that I could be given another chance to restore my foreskin,” said Tom*.
“The process so far has dramatically improved sensation to the area, has improved my sex-life dramatically, and I feel as if I am on the right path to replacing what’s been missing for 40 years.”
For some it’s not as clean-cut as regrowing skin, it’s a long emotional process that can affect their emotional well-being.
“Restoring brought to the surface a range of emotions, from anger that these functions were stolen from me, but also healing, both physically and emotionally through the restoration process,” said Kyle*.
There is also something quite empowering about at least partially taking back what was taken from you for no valid reason and without your consent.
“I’m at a place now where I am mostly restored, and channel any anger towards educating people about the value of the whole body.”
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
