After many people start to be interested in circumcision, whether for hygiene or confidence in appearance, many may begin to encounter the question of which type of circumcision to choose. There are High, Low, Tight, or Loose types, which may sound confusing and unclear about their differences and which one is the “beautiful circumcision.”
Today, we will explain it simply along with advice from Dr. Suebpong Angchoun (License No. 29458), a urological surgeon specializing in men’s health.
The circumcision techniques can be roughly categorized as follows:
- Minimal circumcision aims to preserve the physical characteristics and the original sexual mechanism by cutting only the excess skin beyond the tip of the penis. This helps those with very long foreskin or a very narrow tip that makes it difficult to retract the foreskin. The surgery makes it easier to expose the glans for cleaning.
- Partial circumcision removes some of the foreskin, leaving some skin covering the glans when flaccid, but when erect, it does not cover the urethral opening and can be fully retracted.
- Loose circumcision leaves the glans fully exposed after surgery. When flaccid, there is some wrinkled skin around the edge of the penis, except in cases of extreme flaccidity such as in very cold weather, where some skin may cover the edge. When erect, the skin is not too tight and can still be moved somewhat. The advantage is that when wearing underwear or swimwear, the skin covering the edge helps to avoid a very pronounced outline of the penis.
- Tight circumcision removes a lot of the foreskin, leaving no loose skin around the edge of the penis when flaccid. When wearing underwear or swimwear, the shape of the glans is clearly visible. When erect, the skin cannot be moved up or down.
Actually, in Thailand, this issue is rarely encountered because it mostly depends on the surgeon performing the procedure, based on their technique and expertise. However, in other countries where circumcision is routine, there have been adaptations and additional options introduced, as many have heard of terms like high, low, loose, and tight.
Dr. Suebpong Angchoun will explain the different types of circumcision to help everyone visualize and understand.
High loose type
- The circumcision scar is located below the coronal sulcus.
- The color difference is quite difficult to notice because most of the inner foreskin has been removed.
- When flaccid, there is only a small amount of wrinkled skin left.
- The nerves in the inner foreskin are removed.
- There is a higher chance of needing a repeat circumcision if the results are unsatisfactory.
High tight type
- The distance between the circumcision scar and the coronal sulcus is about 10 mm.
- Most of the nerve endings remain inside the skin and can be fully stimulated.
- When flaccid, a small amount of skin gathers around the coronal sulcus.
- The color difference between the inner and outer foreskin is quite noticeable, which some people like and others may not.
Low loose type
- The circumcision scar is below the coronal sulcus, and some foreskin may cover the glans.
- The color difference is quite difficult to notice because most of the inner foreskin has been removed.
- The nerves in the inner foreskin are removed.
- There is a higher chance of needing a repeat circumcision if the results are unsatisfactory.
- When flaccid, because much skin remains, a lot of skin gathers under the coronal sulcus, making it look like the person still has foreskin covering the glans.
- This makes hygiene care less convenient, similar to someone who has not been circumcised.
Low tight type
- There is at least a 10 mm gap between the circumcision scar and the glans, but some skin can still gather under the coronal sulcus.
- Most nerve endings remain inside the skin and can be fully stimulated.
- When flaccid, because much skin remains, a lot of skin gathers under the coronal sulcus, making it look like the person still has foreskin covering the glans but retracted.
- This makes hygiene care less convenient, similar to someone who has not been circumcised.
- The color difference between the inner and outer foreskin is quite noticeable, which some people like and others may not.
From the explanation above, you can see there are slight differences in each type. However, do not forget that the main benefit of circumcision is hygiene care, and there is no definitive answer as to which type is best. The best approach is to consult a specialist doctor to analyze your individual characteristics and choose the most suitable circumcision method.
