In most boys this occurs by age three or four, but it may gradually occur all the way until a male is about eighteen years old. Even at eighteen, if the foreskin is not fully retractable but no discomfort accompanies erections, nothing needs to be done. If this condition is somewhat painful, gradual stretching or a small dorsal slit are often all that are needed. Forcing the foreskin back may not only cause pain and bleeding, but also scarring. This may result in a foreskin that does not stretch normally, a condition called adhesion, which may need to be treated medically.
Most problems now arise from over-fastidiousness.
Most of what we are given at birth serves a useful function. As you can tell, I have become quite biased regarding this issue after having reviewed a sampling of the available literature. Their reluctance, and not articles such as mine, is currently the primary reason that the incidence of this practice is declining. All rights reserved.