skin irritation on penis

Dr. Rockoff,

I asked you before about my problem but I just came back from vacation and the skin condition on my penis glans (glands) and foreskin became worse. The skin is brighter red with skin tears. Maybe it could be a result of a different soap I used there, maybe because I was in the water a lot or maybe because of something else. But whatever the cause - there's clearly a problem. What do you think that is? What could I use to get rid of it? Maybe some baby powder or some mild cream would help? If yes, then which cream would you recommend?

Also, I get tinea versicolor spots and use naftin cream to get rid of them. I noticed quite a few spots on my back now that they're clearly visible because of suntan. I went to a dermatologist last year and he told me to see him in May and he'll give me pills to get rid of tinea versicolor from the inside as he put it. Are there any negative effects of taking this medication? Would you recommend taking this or continue using the cream (which gets rid of the spots but then they appear in different places)?

Thank you very much.

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Penis:  Just mild irritation.  Don't think it's a problem.  Use any moisturizer--Lubriderm, etc.  Show it to the doctor when you go for your tinea versicolor pills.  They are given for a very short time (like one day), so no side-effects expected.  Better than cream for widespread involvement.

Thanks.

Dr. Rockoff