The Coverage Index (CI)

The Coverage Index is the scale the foreskin restoration community uses to describe how much skin coverage someone has, from a tight circumcision (CI-0) to full coverage with overhang (CI-10). It gives restorers a shared vocabulary for starting points and progress.

The classic CI chart, generally attributed to restorer Paul Sherriff, is pictorial: you compare yourself against reference drawings rather than written definitions. The official chart runs CI-1 to CI-10; the community informally adds CI-0 for very tight circumcisions, and half steps like CI-2.5 are common. The illustrations below show each level flaccid.

These drawings are instructional reference cartoons, in the public domain. Written captions are community interpretation; the chart itself is the reference. When in doubt, match the picture, not the words. Most restorers move roughly one CI level per one to two years of consistent tugging, and almost everyone starts somewhere between CI-0 and CI-4.

Coverage Index 0 illustration: flaccid penis with no slack shaft skin, glans fully exposed — CI-0

Very tight circumcision. No slack skin at all; erections may feel tight or uncomfortable. An informal level below the official chart.

Coverage Index 1 illustration: flaccid penis with minimal slack shaft skin — CI-1

Very little slack skin when flaccid. A typical tight circumcision.

Coverage Index 2 illustration: flaccid penis with some loose shaft skin, well short of the corona — CI-2

Some skin movement along the shaft, still well short of the glans rim.

Coverage Index 3 illustration: flaccid penis with skin bunching behind the glans rim — CI-3

Noticeable slack; skin bunches up behind the glans rim. A loose circumcision.

Coverage Index 4 illustration: flaccid penis with skin reaching the coronal rim — CI-4

Skin starts reaching the coronal rim when flaccid. The first big milestone for most restorers.

Coverage Index 5 illustration: flaccid penis with skin rolling over the glans rim, less than half the glans covered — CI-5

Skin rolls over the rim; less than half the glans covered when flaccid.

Coverage Index 6 illustration: flaccid penis with more than half the glans covered — CI-6

More than half the glans covered when flaccid.

Coverage Index 7 illustration: flaccid penis with the glans fully covered — CI-7

Glans fully covered when flaccid, though the shape may still show through. The turning point to full flaccid coverage.

Coverage Index 8 illustration: flaccid penis with full coverage and a closing overhang — CI-8

Full, reliable flaccid coverage; some coverage begins to hold when erect.

Coverage Index 9 illustration: flaccid penis with full coverage and overhang forming — CI-9

Full flaccid coverage with overhang forming; near-complete coverage when erect.

Coverage Index 10 illustration: flaccid penis with full coverage and clear overhang beyond the tip — CI-10

Full coverage flaccid and erect, with overhang beyond the tip. The end of the chart.

The Real Coverage Index (RCI)

Because the CI chart is picture-based, restorers sometimes find that no drawing quite matches their anatomy. The Real Coverage Index, written in 2006 by a restorer posting as kong1971, describes each stage by how the skin actually behaves instead of how it looks. Many people track both: a CI number for the chart, an RCI stage for the day-to-day reality.

Stage	What it means
RCI-0	Extremely tight circumcision; skin barely moves and erections can be painful.
RCI-1	Tight circumcision with no slack skin, but without pain or problems.
RCI-2	Moderately tight; flaccid skin reaches the corona and moves a little when erect.
RCI-3	Loose circumcision; skin bunches at the corona with good mobility.
RCI-4	The hump: flaccid coverage of the glans comes and goes through the day.
RCI-5	Consistent partial flaccid coverage at your smallest flaccid size; if it slips, you can tug it back into place and it stays.
RCI-6	Full flaccid coverage that stays put all day.
RCI-7	Coverage holds except during a full erection; some flaccid overhang.
RCI-8	Partial coverage maintained during erection.
RCI-9	Full coverage maintained during erection.
RCI-10	Full erect coverage plus overhang beyond the tip.

Stage descriptions paraphrased from the original RCI published at restoringforeskin.org.

Forced Erect Coverage (FEC)

CI and RCI are judged by eye. If you want a number you can measure with a ruler, use Forced Erect Coverage: while fully erect, gently pull as much skin forward as it will go, then divide the covered length of the glans by its total length. A negative value means the skin does not reach the glans yet, 100% means the tip is just covered, and more than 100% means overhang. Because it is measured the same way every time, FEC picks up progress the eyeball scales miss. TLC Tugger maintains a good walkthrough at tlctugger.com.

Tracking your progress

Whichever scale you use, progress in restoration is slow enough that memory is unreliable. Consistent photos and a dated journal are what make change visible. The Forestorers journal records your CI level, sessions, and progress photos entirely in your own browser: no account, no cloud, free.

Nothing on this page is medical advice. It documents scales the restoration community uses to describe itself. If you have pain, skin damage, or a medical concern, talk to a healthcare professional.