Penis Racing Stripe

[Littlebare]

Hi Naked Chatters. I am new to the computer, internet and chat rooms. This is my first time, so bare with me while I stumble through the process.
I am curious to know how many other men have what my doctor referred to as my "racing stripe". My racing stripe is a darkened stripe of skin on the underside of my penis that begins at my scrotum and races up the underside of my penis to the tip of my foreskin (I am uncut).
Any information about this condition? Any interesting stories? How many of us are there? Is there a SIG for Penis Racing Stripers?
Littlebare in Eastern Massachusettes, USA

[Littlebare]

Hi Naked Chatters. I am new to the computer, internet and chat rooms. This is my first time, so bare with me while I stumble through the process.
I am curious to know how many other men have what my doctor referred to as my "racing stripe". My racing stripe is a darkened stripe of skin on the underside of my penis that begins at my scrotum and races up the underside of my penis to the tip of my foreskin (I am uncut).
Any information about this condition? Any interesting stories? How many of us are there? Is there a SIG for Penis Racing Stripers?
Littlebare in Eastern Massachusettes, USA

[JiminPA54]

Littlebare:
It has to do with the way the genitals develop embryonically. At 8 weeks after conception the genitals of both female and male embryos are identical, and appear somewhat like the adult female genitals. In males the skin folds that become the female labia grow together and close forming the ridge of skin on the underside of the scrotum and penis. in some males this ridge is pigmented to some degree.

[Littlebare]

Thanks JiminPA54 for the Biology information explaining how a penis stripe comes about. It certainly makes sense. But why doesn't every man have one?
Now, you other guys. Who else has a penis stripe? I have never seen another one and am curious.
Is it possible you have one and never noticed? Take a look and let me know if you find something new.
Not naked enough,
Littlebare

[nudeM]

I don't wish to sound like a prude or obnoxious, but what in the h*** does the "penis racing stripe" have to do with nudity? It's almost like discussing having pimples on your butts. What is the significance? Can we think of other subjects to discuss? And we wonder why there aren't more females interested in participating in these discussions.

[greensunshine]

I am with you NudeM...sounds like someone has way to much free time on their hands...I for one need some work done in my yard, and when you are done there, I have several neighbors who too could use some extra help...most of them either are retired, or are so busy that any additional help would be greatly appreciated. And when you are done on the outside, they all have numerous projects that are either in various stages of needing some serious help including my one neighbor who is restoring an old turn of the century home as he prepares for our up and coming neighbborhood Bicentenial Celebration next year [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif[/img]

Greensunshine in the Pacific NW [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Female, Mormon, and Proud of Both [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

quote:

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Originally posted by nudeM:
[qb] I don't wish to sound like a prude or obnoxious, but what in the h*** does the "penis racing stripe" have to do with nudity? It's almost like discussing having pimples on your butts. What is the significance? Can we think of other subjects to discuss? And we wonder why there aren't more females interested in participating in these discussions. [/qb]

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[pahjo2]

i'm with nude m. what difference does it make?
i don't go around looking at my privates or anybody elses. ane we wonder why there aren't more females on this forum.

[Stevedaoust]

This guy is a new poster. I think at the time, where his racing strip ends and finishes was doing the talking (guys know what I mean)

[Fresh Air]

Welcome to the forum Litlebare and congradulations on your first post. While I agree that it is more science/medically relivent tnan nudist relivent, your still a welcomed new member in my book. There are also some of us who are biologists and studied in the medical sciences, so these questions (though not directly pertaining to nudism) facinate us.

JiminPA54's answer was exact and a direct answer to your question. I'll just add a couple more points. Pigment producing cells migrate somewhat behind the skin cells. It is the distribution and mechanisms of these melanin producing cells that determines both our skin color and any stripes that may occur. Many areas of out bodies are subject to this process. Think of cleft lips, abdomens (for example the hormonally influenced dark strip that occurs during pregnancy of some women), even internal organs. In many ways we start out like a frisbee and are folded and fused together in the front. These areas of fussion are areas where lines, or pigmentation can occur. It's normal. We are like flowers in that we all use the same mechanisms to become what we are yet are each individual and different.

This link on Fetal Development give a good and perhaps over informed summary of how it works. See page 697 for the illustrated diagram.
Fetal Development


Fresh Air

[Rex]

You know, I find it absolutely amazing how we can discuss erections, circumcisions and genital piercing ad infinitum, but when someone asks an interesting question, about a natural anatomical feature, which probably few of us know anything about, some of us go all coy.
I can just imagine Stu's curiosity getting the better of him, and, there he is, in the pitch dark, using a remote controlled UV scanner, to settle the latest "must-know" question to sweep the world.
By the way, if anyone would like to purchase one of these high-tech gadgets, go to www.remotecontrolledUVscanner.com
Just don't try to board an aircraft, with one of these in your hand luggage, particularly if you bear more than a passing resemblance to Osama BL, because you may have a hard time explaining to the customs officers exactly what you planned to do with it.

[RalphVa]

That's down where the sun doesn't normally shine, even on nudists. This is unless you lie around in the sun with your legs spread, with the sun directly over that spot.

Those with circumcision have been know to get sun burn on its tip. The sun does normally shine on it.

[nudeM]

Welcome, Littlebare, to the forums. I didn't mean to sound so mean in my previous post, but after awhile of reading "penis posts", it tends to get a little old. I've seen you have received some nice replies on the "racing stripes", but to me, it does not have anything to do with nudism. Anyhow, enjoy the fourms and welcome.

[Nude in Michigan]

Hey, come on guys, give him a break. True, this post might have been better off in the Off Topic Miscellaneous forum, but he's just curious about a naturally-occurring phenomenon. You'd think nudists would be more open about something like this than the general population (and would probably have seen it more often on others) so that would make this site an ideal place to bring the subject up.

Welcome Littlebare. Unfortunately, I've never seen or heard of this so I can't add anything to what's already been said. Don't be discouraged though by the negative posts above. Most people (including those that posted the negative comments) are usually quite friendly on this site. Stick around and you'll see!

[Littlebare]

Thank you for the positive feedback. It is good to find someone who is coming from the same place I am.
I posted my question because I felt it is extremely appropriate to naturism and my being a naturist.
One of the hallmarks of naturism is BODY ACCEPTANCE -- without judgement, without evaluation and without criticism. I felt if there were any place I could ask this very personal question, this was the place to do it. If I offended anyone or made you uncomfortable, I am sorry.
I have always had my stripe but never paid much attention to it. I wondered if it were "normal" but that was that.
I discovered my "stripe" had a name when I visited a doctor a few years ago. I was developing dark splotches on the TOP of my penis that looked like old age spots, which is what I hoped they were. I was concerned I might have skin cancer due to a severe sunburn there 25 years ago.
The dermatologist checked the splotches and assured me they were merely pigmentations, lifted my penis, looked and said "You have a racing stripe, same thing." What a relief! But now I had a new thing to wonder about.
Thanks for welcoming me to the chat forum. You have given me both support and valuable information. I think this shows we all still have so much more to learn about our bodies. And what good is living if we don't learn what we can?
Last summer I went to the Eastern Naturists Gathering in Lenox Mass. In one of the workshops we openly discussed some very personal body image issues. All words were spoken with compassion, without judgement or criticism. The workshop dealt with body image and how what people say to us effects our body image. I have struggled with my own body image all my long life.
Thank you for giving me support and welcoming me to the forum.
Still Growing,
Littlebare

[NakedGary]

The ridge or closure of the penile skin is known as the:

raphe
The "seam" up the underside of the penis (actually running all the way from the anus to the urinary meatus), where the urethra closed up before birth.


http://www.circumstitions.com/Images/Glossary/raphe.jpg

"NakedGary"