Penile Melanosis: Dark Spots on the Penis

The patches are typically flat (not raised), brown to black in color, and can appear gradually over time, sometimes after minor skin irritation or friction. They're painless and don't change in texture the way an infection-related bump or sore would.

This is a pigmentation change, similar in concept to a freckle or age spot elsewhere on the body — there's no infectious cause, and it isn't contagious. It's worth distinguishing from melanoma (a skin cancer), which is one reason a new or changing dark patch is still worth a doctor's look even though penile melanosis itself is benign — a doctor can confirm which one it is, since the distinction matters even though penile melanosis is the more common and far less serious explanation.