How long has this been present? Has it definitely worsened since you first noticed it? Have you had this checked by a Medical Professional?
Using the term " Balanitis " is just a generic term for having redness and irritation on the head and foreskin of the penis, among other potential symptoms. It is most likely that you have a specific condition. The likely culprits are either Lichen Sclerosis (LS) (BXO in Males) or a severe Dermatological reaction going on.
Almost 8 years ago I found out I had both. So the things to look out for are skin that constantly renews itself and does not appear to heal, white patches of skin, a constant worsening of the symptoms you have. There are other possibilities to this, so you need to get the help of a Medical Professional.
To rule out the Dermatological side of things you MUST stop applying ANYTHING that is chemical based, including soap and shower gel. This most certainly means that if you are using condoms you need to stop until you get this under control. No Lubes, no Baby Oil, Skin Lotions, Creams, Ointments or Moisturisers. AND follow the Penile Hygiene regime I detail below.
Here is what to do for checking for LS: the spots on the head of the penis and the ones on your foreskin, do they look different from one-another, in any way? The ONLY way to prove whether you have LS or not is to have a Medical Biopsy - a Dermatologist or a Urologist are the likely specialists to do this - but some Doctors are happy to carry out the Biopsy themselves. So, start at your regular Doctor / GP, or if you are happy going straight to a Specialist Sexual Health Service such as GU Department / GUM Clinic of a city centre based Walk-in Sexual Health Centre then do so. In the mean time starting to follow the penile hygiene regime below will be a good place to start …
Penile Hygiene Regime to Combat Penile Problems
The best approach is not to use ANY SOAP on the Glans - wash with water only EVERY time you have urinated, after sexual arousal, and ejaculation. If you are not circumcised, protect the Glans of your penis every time you take a shower by drawing the foreskin as far forward as you can, then wash everywhere else, thoroughly rinse off all the gels / shampoo and suchlike, then expose your glans wash it with the water only using the inside of your hand, then each time you have washed it you must make sure it is 100% dry immediately afterwards.
After you have put this in place and you still have the situation going on you need to look at what else your penis is coming into contact with on a fairly regular basis. The likely suspects are:-
- any chemical compounds such as skin cream / lotions, baby oil, oil based lubes, chemicals inside condoms (e.g. easy-on and spermicides) you need to exclude these one by one to discover the culprit
- if non of these make any difference you need to look to things such as washing powder in which you wash your clothes, and underwear in, in particular. The simple alternative to washing powder is Liquid Soap Flakes, most sizeable supermarkets stock this in their own brand names - and you use this in your washing machine instead of powders or ANY fabric conditioner type additives.