Health & Care Information Pearly Penile Papules (PPP) are white pimples like tiny bumps on penis head or shaft. Also known as Fordyce Spots and Hirsuties Papillaris Genitalis, these angiofibromas (small round pimple like white lesions) are located on the corona ridge (where penis head connect with shaft). This article discusses treatment, removal at home with cream and paste, symptoms and what causes pearly penile papules.
Pearly Penile Papules are small dome-shaped to a thread like skin colored bumps. The papules are commonly arranged all the way around the head of the penis in one or several rows. Penile Papules are benign (non-cancerous) not a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or genital warts. They are generally asymptomatic and have no harmful or useful effects while intercourse.
Pearly Penile Papules removal or best treatment methods are the use of CO2 (to burns the papules around the corona) or Pulsed Dye Laser (PDL).
Penile Papules have been reported to be present in between 8% and 43% of men. They are more common in men that have not been circumcised. They become less apparent with increased age. Lesions first appear within the second or third decade of life.
Skin biopsy of pearly penile papules has characteristic microscopic features. There are a variable number of thin-walled dilated blood vessels in the dermis with a proliferation of fibroblast cells which may be star-shaped or have multiple nuclei. Concentric fibrosis may also be found around skin appendage structures. Pearly Penile Papules or Pearly Penis Papules or shortly called PPP has three sub-types:
- Hirsuties Papillaris Genitalis
- Hirsuties Coronae Glandis
- Hirsutoid Papillomas
Pearly Penile Papules (PPP) Symptoms, Causes, Treatment
Let look at symptoms, what causes pearly penile papules and how to get rid of pearly penile papules:
Penile Papules Symptoms (Pimples on Penis)
The papules do not cause any symptoms but patients are often anxious as to their nature. Pearly penile papules (PPP) are small, benign (non-cancerous) growths. PPP can be pink, white, yellow, or (rarely) translucent in color. They’re normally very small, ranging from 1-2mm wide by 1-4mm long. The shape, color, and size can vary between individuals, but all the papules that one person has will look the same. The papules are usually found in a single or double row on or around.
What Causes Pearly Penile Papules?
Medical science is yet to find out what causes pearly penile papules. The actual reason for the appearance of Pearly Penile Papules (PPP) in the male genitals is yet unknown. Some evidence suggests that pearly penile papules may be observed more frequently in uncircumcised men (22%) than in circumcised men (12%).
In the past, pearly penile papules were believed to contribute to the accumulation of smegma (the secretion of a sebaceous gland; specifically the cheesy sebaceous matter that collects between the glans penis and the foreskin) in uncircumcised men. Additionally, African-American men may have a substantially higher incidence than Caucasian men. Though it causes a slight uneasiness during sexual activity PPP is considered as a harmless skin disorder.
Pearly Penile Papules Removal and Treatment
Pearly Penile Papules are quite harmless. They will not create any health hazards nor will they hamper the sexual ability of the affected person. There will be a slight pain during sexual activity. The bumps will remain for a few years during which period a few may disappear and reappear.
When the number of bumps declines steadily without formation of new bumps, it can be taken as a positive sign and inside of a timeframe, every one of the papules will totally vanish. However, the self-healing process may take a few years to complete. Below are the Pearly Penile Papules Pictures before and after removal treatment:
If you are still looking for how to get rid of pearly penile papules, following are the medical treatment options:
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Pearly Penis Papules CO2 Treatment
This method targets lesions and removes them using a carbon dioxide laser without damaging the surrounding skin. This is an outpatient procedure performed using topical numbing cream and lidocaine to control pain. Recovery from this treatment generally takes 1-2 weeks, with some swelling, redness and scabbing occurring. Patients are able to return to most normal activities immediately; returning to sexual activity usually in about 1 week. This procedure should only be administered by a board-certified dermatologist.
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Pearly Penile Papules Laser Removal
Two of the most effective permanent pearly penile papules treatment options available today are pulsed-dye lasers (to target the blood vessel component of PPP) and ablative carbon dioxide lasers. Both pearly penile papules treatments utilize heat produced by laser light to specifically destroy PPP tissue while leaving surrounding skin and soft tissue intact. Pearly penile papules treatment takes approximately 15 minutes and treated areas heal completely within 1 week. Once the lesions are eliminated, they typically do not reappear.
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Pearly Papules Electrosurgery Treatment
Pearly Papules Surgical Excision involves papules removed by scrapping under local anesthesia. Electrodessication with curettage removes PPP lesions by scraping them away under local anesthesia. The wounds are then cauterized to stop bleeding and seal the wound. Scarring often occurs with this method of removal.
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Pearly Papules Removal by Hyfrecator
The electrode of the Hyfrecator will be kept over the bumps and current will be passed so that the bumps will be destroyed. It uses AC electric pulse.
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Pearly Papules RadioSurgery
The surgeon uses high dose radiation to selectively ionize the tissue, producing free radicals that are deleterious to the cells. When used to remove pearly penile papules, this procedure is more accurate than excisional or Hyfrecator surgery, but less so than carbon dioxide laser surgery.
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Penile Papules Cryosurgery or Freezing
TO get rid of pearly penile papules using cream or other applications, the papules are cooled to extremely low temperatures using liquid nitrogen until they fall off.
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Pearly Penile Papules Removal Cream Home Remedy
Pearly penile papules removal cream is the remedy you can use at home for the treatment of these small bumps that appear at the head of the penis. There are lotions and creams which claim to remove PPP without pain or any negative effects. These Pearly Penile Papules Removal Cream and lotion product claimed to be all organic, natural and containing ingredients like Tea Tree Oil and Castor Oil.
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Picking the bumps on penis head
Picking the bumps on penis head is not advisable. Since the bumps will be in substantial numbers it would not be practical to pick all of them. Also, while picking wounds may form which may become swollen due to infection. It will require a long time to recuperate the wound.
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Unscientific Methods
Like an application of toothpaste for removal of PPP are with no insurance for positive results as well as, additionally prompt extremely serious symptoms. In addition, the outcomes got by such strategies will be brief just.
PPP Psychological Effect
Males with pearly penile papules normally encounter a lot of anxiety and psychological stress concerning the appearance of their penis. Males with pearly penile papules may feel self-conscious and inferior compared to those who do not have the condition. These sentiments may show in sexual trouble, low self-regard, and general issues with intimacy.
