Why is the head of the penis protected by a skin sleeve? It just crossed my mind that the skin protects the most sensitive part of the head, which is above the shaft of the penis and under the ridge of the head. This is where there must be the largest number of nerve endings. Even when the skin is pulled over the head, the skin folds there protectively when the penis is not erect. For some reason, this question has not occurred to me until today, while I was sunbathing on my terrace. How is that possible after sixty years with that wobbly piece of flesh between my legs? I was about fifteen when I pulled the skin over the head of my penis and left it there for good. Circumcision without pain, as it were. In other words, years ago I pulled that skin sleeve out of my mind, too.