Purple Penis: 5 Reasons Why It Happens

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Purple Penis: 5 Reasons Why It Happens

Purple on your skin usually means a bruise. Penis color can change throughout a men’s life, and sometimes, you do not need to worry about much. Here are five common reasons why your penis might turn purple.

  1. Your Penis might be Bruised

Small, known injuries often lead to bruises that cause the tiny blood vessels under your skin's surface to break or leak. This leakage makes the skin turn purple, green, blue, or sometimes even black.

The bruise might be caused by zipper mishap, rough sex, getting hit, masturbation, etc. Blood-thinning medication makes one more susceptible to getting easily bruised.

Initially, the bruised part might seem tender to touch, but depending on the impact of the bruise.

If the impact is severe then the penis might turn into shades of dark purple to reddish while it heals. A minor bruise doesn't hurt much and is small and localized to the area of injury.

It typically heals itself within a week, without any serious medical treatment. In case the pain and tenderness persist one should visit the doctor.

To avoid bruise in the penis wearing protective gear while playing sports, etc. are recommended.

Medical News Today emphasizes the significance of cleanliness in preventing penis bruising. It is advised to wash the penis daily with gentle soap and warm water to promote hygiene. Additionally, paying attention to washing underneath the foreskin, the base of the penis, and the testicles is essential for ensuring comprehensive cleanliness and proper hygiene.

  1. An Allergic Reaction

Various medicines do trigger allergic reactions.

One such condition can be Steven-Johnsons Syndrome, where blisters and a purple or red rash appears on your genitals and other body parts, as the mucous membrane is affected.

This might make it hard to take a piss. It is rare but men are more susceptible to it than women.

Steven-Johnsons Syndrome requires immediate medical attention. Painful sores are often accompanied by peeling skin which can be sometimes fatal.

This syndrome can be caused by such medications that lead the skin tissue to die and detach.

One is more likely to have the syndrome if they have HIV, undergone radiation treatment, etc. The reaction might be triggered by-

Taking over-the-counter meds like pain relievers should be avoided. But that being said check with your doctor before stopping any prescribed medication. 

  1. You might be having Purpura

Henoch-Schonlein Purpura, also known as just Purpura, can cause skin discoloration. It is a disease where small purple bumps or blemishes appear on your penis, buttocks, etc.

The blemishes and bumps are a result of broken blood vessels under your skin. These bumps typically aren’t painful, but can sometimes lead to abdominal pain, swelling, pain in the joints and scrotum.

It is often a symptom of an already underlying condition. Some probable causes of Purpura might be-

Purpura in the penis is a trigger reaction when the blood vessels are attacked by the body’s immune system which leads to inflammation in the penis.

Usually, Purpura is a lot less serious than it appears. It can be cured by the anti-inflammatory drugs prescribed by your doctor. 

  1. You might be having Lichen Sclerosus

According to the reputable Mayo Clinic, lichen sclerosus is a dermatological condition characterized by the presence of patchy, discolored, and thin skin, primarily afflicting the genital and anal areas. It is important to note that lichen sclerosus can affect individuals of all genders, without any gender-specific predisposition. Furthermore, it is crucial to emphasize that lichen sclerosus is non-communicable and does not spread through sexual contact, thus alleviating concerns regarding its transmission.

The white patch often develops into purple spots. In this condition, the skin appears thinner than normal.

Lichen Sclerosus is a long term, inflammatory disease which if left untreated can lead to sexual dysfunction and scarring. But it is not contagious and cannot be spread through sexual intercourse.

Previous skin damage in a particular area may also increase the chances of getting affected by this condition in that area.

An uncircumcised penis is more likely to have it than a circumcised penis, as this condition affects the foreskin.

If it has affected the genitals one might be more likely to develop a type of skin cancer known as squamous cell cancer.  Symptoms of this condition might include-

  1. You might have STD

A purple spot might indicate that you have herpes or syphilis. Herpes sores are painful and cause blisters initially, which further develop into purplish sore which oozes out a yellow fluid.

Syphilis on the other hand cause firm and round red or purple spots that are not painful. Syphilis can be cured by using antibiotics, in the early stages.

Keeping Syphilis untreated can increase your chances of getting HIV, and in the long run, it can cause organ damage and be fatal.

The treatment that is commonly recommended at all stages of this condition is the antibiotic, Penicillin.

Dr. Bekele, in an interview on the Piedmont Henry Hospital blog, emphasizes the importance of practicing safe sex to prevent STDs. Key measures include getting to know your sexual partner well, understanding their sexual history and behaviors that may increase risk, avoiding risky sexual practices like multiple partners, and consistently using barrier protection. These steps are crucial for maintaining sexual health and well-being.

On the contrary, Herpes is more on the permanent side, but proper timely treatment can help manage the outbreak of the virus and antivirus meds do help reduce the pain and help the sores heal.

Herpes can also make urinating painful. The virus is most contagious when the symptoms first appear and when they heal. Protected sex is therefore always the safest. 

Bonus Tips Submitted By Viewers

  1. Welp, your penis might be broken

Like, really, broken as in heavily damaged.

The penis indeed does not have any bones, but what is inside the phallus are tons of ligaments and soft tissues, and these things can break.

When they break--which basically means your penis could be broken--this could cause your penis to turn purple in colour.

Basically, we are talking about the notion that your penis could have been significantly fractured.

Blood goes every other way when this happens internally and this could be the cause of the discolouration on your penis.

There are many occurrences that could break or damage the ligaments of your penis, such as, sex.

Yes, very rough sex that is done forcibly could fracture a man's penis. Risky positions include the doggy style.

Your penis is not soft when erect, so when a man does a sudden movement that bends the penis too much, damage could happen.

  1. Or maybe, you are just high on sex drive

Discolouration on your penis may come as a shock, but a purple penis is actually more common than you may think.

The penis does indeed change colour when you are high on blood surge, such as, when you are erect at any time.

The sudden blood rush to the penis changes the colour there just because blood is concentrated there.

This is typically more visible if you are a person who is on the lighter skin shade.

Meanwhile, although it is possible to see your penis change colour to red or even purple, as long as the colour is mild and you are not particularly in any pain, chances are there is nothing to worry about.

However, if you are indeed worried because the way you enjoy sex has changed, you could get yourself checked by a GP just to be sure nothing is really wrong.

  1. Your penis might be bruised after an operation

If you have had an operation near your genital or pelvis, and now you are experiencing seeing your penis turn purple, the two might be related. Your penis could get bruised after a procedure has been done around its surrounding area.

Surgical procedures done on body parts like the groin, scrotum (testicles), and the penis itself can cause this kind of issue. After all, the penis is a very delicate organ.

Some kind of surgical procedure might have bruised, torn or damaged tissue, thus causing blood flow to be interrupted. Simple surgery like penis enlargement surgery could also create a purple penis as a side effect of the procedure.

With that said, a purple penis may not always be a source of great concern as it will go away on its own after you have healed enough. But if you’re so concerned, talk to your doctor.

  1. Your penis could turn purple after a piercing

Piercings are really cool and a lot of people like to decorate their body parts with piercings. We all know that piercings cause some kind of inflammation in the body part that has been affected.

Bleeding, skin irritations and swelling are so common that a healing period is typically needed after a body part has been pierced with a decoration. And so, the same logic applies to your penis if you have had it pierced recently.

Yeah, some people are unique like that and they want to get their private organs pierced for aesthetic or pleasure purposes. Your penis could experience some swelling and bruising after getting inked or pierced.

The swelling and discolouration should go away after a few days, for some maybe weeks. It’s not a great concern, but if you get infected your penis could be smelling bad and you need to see a doctor.

  1. Your penis could turn purple due to a blood disorder

Your penis turning purple is usually caused by some kind of bruising or infection. Those are the most common problems. However, in some specific cases, your penis could turn purple or blue without you having bruised your penis at all.

This condition may actually have come about due to a blood disorder or some other serious health problem that you have not yet come to know.

Therefore, it is important to get yourself checked by a doctor when you see your penis suddenly turning purple without you knowing what the exact reason is.

You may actually experience some kind of blood clot in your penis that causes blood flow to be disrupted. Blood flow getting disrupted in this area is never a good thing.

You could also see your penis turning purple because of some kind of tumour or cancerous cells.

We hope you have enjoyed reading it.

"Purple Penis: 5 Reasons Why It Happens."


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