Glans

The head of the penis. It's the most sensitive part and is covered by the foreskin in uncircumcised males.

The glans is the tip or head of the penis. It's the rounded part at the end. It's the most sensitive part because it's full of nerve endings. Girls and women have a glans too — it's the sensitive tip of the small body part between their legs near the front.

Simplify

The glans is the head or tip of the — the rounded, slightly wider part at the end. It's packed with nerve endings, making it the most sensitive part of the penis. The also has a glans, which is the small visible part at the top of the . In both cases, "glans" just means "the sensitive tip."

The glans is the head of the penis (or the visible tip of the clitoris).
It's the most sensitive part, with a very high concentration of nerve endings.
On an uncircumcised penis, the covers the glans when the penis is soft and retracts during an .
On a circumcised penis, the glans is always exposed.
The glans of the clitoris has about 8,000 nerve endings — more than any other part of the human body.

[DIAGRAM: Labelled diagram of the penis with glans highlighted]

The penile glans

The glans of the penis is the rounded, mushroom-shaped tip. It's a slightly different colour and texture to the shaft — often a bit smoother and pinker or purpler. The urethral opening (where urine and come out) is at the tip of the glans.

In people who haven't been circumcised, the foreskin covers the glans when the penis is soft and slides back during an erection, exposing it. In people who have been circumcised, the glans is permanently exposed. Because it's always in contact with clothing, a circumcised glans can become slightly less sensitive over time — though this doesn't mean it stops being the most sensitive part.

The clitoral glans

The clitoris also has a glans — it's the small, pea-sized bump visible at the top of the vulva, protected by the clitoral hood (which works a lot like the foreskin on a penis). The clitoral glans is even more densely packed with nerve endings than the penile glans — roughly 8,000 in a much smaller area. This makes it extremely sensitive, and it's the main source of for most people with a vulva.

The penile glans and the clitoral glans actually develop from the same tissue in the womb. They're anatomically similar — just expressed differently.

Things people ask about the glans

Why is the glans a different colour?

The skin on the glans is thinner and more mucous-membrane-like than the rest of the penis, similar to the inside of your mouth. This makes it appear pinker, redder, or purpler depending on your skin tone. This is completely normal.

Is it normal for the glans to be really sensitive?

Yes — that's its job. Some people find direct touch on the glans too intense, especially the clitoral glans. Indirect stimulation (through the foreskin or clitoral hood, or around the area rather than directly on it) can feel better.

What are the small bumps on the edge of the glans?

If you're talking about a ring of small, pearly bumps around the rim of the penile glans — those are called pearly penile papules. They're completely harmless, not an , and extremely common. They don't need treatment.

Should I clean under the foreskin around the glans?

Yes, if you have a foreskin. Gently pull it back and rinse with warm water. This prevents smegma buildup. Don't use soap directly on the glans — it can irritate the sensitive skin.

The glans is the rounded tip at the end of the . People sometimes call it the head. It's the most sensitive part of the penis because it's packed with nerve endings.

If someone hasn't been circumcised, the covers the tip when the penis is soft and slides back when it gets hard. If someone has been circumcised, the tip is always uncovered.

The tip is often a slightly different colour from the rest of the penis — a bit pinker or darker. That's normal. The skin there is thinner and more sensitive.

Girls and women have a glans too. It's the small, very sensitive tip of the body part between the legs near the front. It's tiny — about the size of a pea — but it has even more nerve endings packed into it than the tip of a penis. It's the main source of pleasure for most girls and women.

Both of these body parts actually start out as the same thing in the womb before a baby develops.

If you have a foreskin, it's important to wash gently around the tip with warm water to keep it clean. You don't need to use soap there — just water is enough.

Penis

The male sexual organ, used for urination and sex. It contains erectile tissue that fills with blood during an erection.

The penis is the body part that boys and men have between their legs. It's used for weeing and for sex. It gets hard when someone is turned on. Penises come in all shapes and sizes, and all are normal.

Foreskin

A fold of skin covering the head (glans) of the penis. Some people have it removed through circumcision.

The foreskin is a fold of skin that covers the tip of the penis. It can be pulled back. Some people have it removed through an operation called circumcision.

Clitoris

The most sensitive part of the vulva, located near the top. It's the main way most women orgasm.

The clitoris is a small, sensitive body part that girls and women have. It's between the legs, near the front, and its main job is to feel good when touched.