Common Reasons for Lack of Progress, and How to Fix Them

When someone says that they have been restoring for X amount of years and haven’t made any progress, it is almost always because of one or more of the following reasons:

1. Not Measuring Progress

In order to determine if you are making progress, you need an accurate way to measure it. The popular Coverage Index (CI) is not precise or accurate in measuring skin growth. Since restoration is so slow, it can be difficult to determine if you are making progress just by feel or appearance alone. Although not perfect, the two best ways to measure progress are by using Forced Erect Coverage (FEC) and Retracted Inner Skin Length (RISL). Instructions for how to obtain both of these measurements are found in The Complete Guide to Foreskin Restoration.

2. Restoring “On and Off”

When someone says they have been restoring “on and off” and haven’t seen any progress, this is the main issue. In order to trigger skin growth, it needs to consistently be under tension. This means that restoration needs to be done 5 days a week minimum, and ideally every day. You reap what you sow, and if the skin isn’t under tension, it won’t grow.

3. Not Measuring Tension

Tension is what stimulates skin expansion, and therefore it is the main variable in foreskin restoration. In order to figure out what amount of tension is going to produce the best results, you need to measure how much tension you are using and adjust accordingly. For this reason, I recommend that beginners use an elastic strap or weights that allow you to accurately gauge tension. Details on measuring tension on with an elastic strap can be found here.

4. Too Much Tension

Lack of progress is more often from using too much tension rather than too little. Restorers grossly overestimate how much tension is needed to stimulate skin growth, and there actually seems to be a point where too much tension halts skin growth. Even more problematic is that too much tension can create skin tears or injuries. If you have to take breaks to let injuries heal, then you aren’t restoring and aren’t making progress.

5. Inadequate Tension

In order to skin growth to be stimulated, the skin needs to be stretched to its elastic limit, meaning it needs to be taught. When skin is stretched to its elastic limit, this sends a signal that there is not enough skin to accommodate the underlying tissues, and more skin needs to be grown. If the skin is not taught, there is no reason for the skin to grow. Wearing just a retainer will not provide enough tension to cause significant skin growth.

6. Not Enough Time Under Tension

While the skin needs to be stretched to its elastic limit, it also needs to be under tension for a long enough time to stimulate skin growth. Under normal biological circumstances, skin expansion occurs with the skin under tension at all times. This means that it is ideal to be restoring for as much of the day as possible. Men who are under tension for 8-12 hours a day consistently get good results. Those who only restore for a few hours here and there without a consistent schedule don’t.

When someone hasn’t made much progress, this is the simple strategy that I recommend they try for at least 6-12 months. This is also what I generally recommend for beginners:

1. Use either T tape, the canister method, or a basic tapeless device with an elastic strap or weights. This is so you can measure how much tension you are using. Detailed guides for all of these methods are in The Complete Guide to Foreskin Restoration.

2. Start with just enough tension to get the skin taught, which is typically in the range of 4 to 8 ounces.

3. Be under tension for 8-12 hours per day

4. Take FEC and RISL measurements every month 

5. If you aren’t seeing measurable progress, increase tension by 1-2 ounces for a month and remeasure.

I can’t say that this is the most effective way to restore, but I have yet to see it fail. Tracking progress, tension, and time is very important in the beginning in order to make sure that what you are doing is working. Most importantly, using this simple, streamlined strategy will help you get a feel for how much tension and time are needed to make progress. Once you have a good feel for this, you can switch to other methods that are less precise if desired, such as dual tension or air devices.