?

to give a history first...In dec 2003 i had bumps at the bottom of my shaft and immediately got the bumps looked at and got a full std test...everything came back negative.the doctor wiped the bump with a q-tip and tested for herpes and it came back negative....then in september of 2004 i had real dry skin on the head of my penis that persisted for a couple of months...i went to my regular doctor and to a dermatologist who said it was dermatitis and to not worry...nothing helped for a while then he game me locoid and that helped..there has been hyperpigmentation but nothing serious to worry about...now i notcied on sunday a dry area just below the head of my penis and i wiped it off and now the skin broke....it is now thursday and the "break" has been healing...it is not fully healed and it did not bleed...it was sensitive if i touched it.....Naturally I am once again concerned that this may be herpes...the dryness on my penis never caused my skin to break like this and i think it should have healed by now...they say herpes does not have to present as a blister...i would not say that this is a sore b/c it is below the skin...I never had anything raised...I am very nervous that this may be herpes.what do you think?
also when the original doctor back in 2003 swabbed the bumps, nothing was open so I wasnt sure what she was doing b/c i thought she would have to swab something that was fluid or beneath the skin..........this does not look like herpes to me but i am not sure....can irritation break my skin like this?
Please any help is appreciated

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Yes, irritation can break the skin like that.  Although herpes does not have to present as a blister, it usually does.  Please do what you did the first times, namely show a doctor, who can order a herpes blood test if that seems appropriate.  If you avoid unsafe sex, you may be able to save yourself from the anxiety you seem to have every time there is a skin change on the penis.

Best.

Dr. Rockoff

[goncrazy]

PLEASE READ
I meant to say that I had been masturbating excessively for a few days before the spot showed up...I thought I may have irritated myself...I know I did not clean up properly a few of the times...what it really looks like to me is that conditiona angular stomatitis that people get on the corners of their mouths

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

No doubt you're right--masturbation can certainly cause irritation.  Check it out to be sure.

Dr. Rockoff