Imagine having fun in the bedroom, then one wrong move and the person with the penis may be crying out in pain rather than pleasure. Numerous injuries can occur during sexual activity and – one that is cringe-worthy is the snapping of the banjo string.
What is a banjo string?
The banjo string is another term for the penis frenulum. A frenulum is a small fold of connective tissue, and all people have one under the tongue and under the upper lip. They are also present on the genitals – specifically, on the clitoris, labia minora, and penis.
What causes the frenulum to break?
While the frenulum on the penis can be resilient, sometimes it can tear. Almost half of all cases of torn frenulum occur when people are having enthusiastic hanky panky. However, this injury can occur with any forceful motion of the foreskin, and this includes accidental injuries and vigorous masturbation sessions.
Most people who get this injury know about it pretty quickly, as there can be a lot of pain and bleeding from the area (as you can imagine, a lot of blood is probably there if the person is… excited). The bleeding can often be stemmed by applying direct pressure on the area and a cold compress.
What to do when your penis frenulum breaks?
Often when these injuries occur, no medical intervention is needed, as the tissue can heal itself over time.
While healing it is recommended that the person avoids sexual intercourse or masturbation, avoid any oil-based lube (water-based is preferred), and not put on any condoms until the healing has finished as this can cause friction.
Once healed, the scar tissue could be more rigid than it was before. If the tear does not heal, appears severe, or looks to be infected, then you should visit a doctor.
What happens if there is recurrent tearing?
Despite taking the recommended recovery period, some people may find that tearing is a regular occurrence.
There are a few things that may be recommended by a medical practitioner:
- Frenuloplasty (this surgical procedure increases the length of the frenulum, which will ultimately reduce the risk of tearing)
- Frenectomy (this surgical procedure removes the frenulum)
- Circumcision (this surgical procedure removes the foreskin)
- Stretching exercises
- Steroids or creams to help stretch the frenulum over time
While tearing of the frenulum can appear terrifying, as it can resemble a scene out of Carrie, it is important to stay calm as once the bleeding has stopped – the injury often heals itself. If you are concerned at all, always visit your medical practitioner.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.