penile hair follicles

i am a 15 going on 16 year old boy and i have hair follicles running up the bottom side of my penis and am worried if they are in any way dangerous or an indication of any disease or illness. also i find them unsightly and was wondering if possible to have them removed even if only for cosmetic reasons as this has put me off sexual activities with previous girlfriends because of fear of embarrassment. please help

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
From the symptoms it can be hair follicles or Fordyce spots. Fordyce spots are small, painless, raised bumps that may appear on the shaft of the penis. The spots are a form of ectopic sebaceous gland, and are not known to be associated with any disease or illness and are of cosmetic concern only. They are non-infectious and a natural occurrence on the body.

It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.