Increased Confidence and Comfort with a Labiaplasty

The tissue that surrounds a woman’s vagina is known as the labia. There are the labia minora, or inner lips, and the labia majora, or outer lips.

This might sound weird, but you could compare labia to earlobes. No two have the same length, thickness, or color.

With the labia, sometimes the inner lips are longer than the outer lips. Sometimes it’s the other way around. In some cases they’re symmetrical.

For many women, this isn’t an issue. But for some, an enlarged and/or uneven inner labia can be problematic. That’s why the labiaplasty procedure was developed.

Candidates for Labiaplasty

An enlarged labia might be the result of genetics, aging, childbirth, or any number of factors.

Many women find the look of an enlarged labia disturbing and may choose to have labiaplasty to simply reduce the size of the labia.

But for other women, an enlarged labia can create pain during intercourse, bicycling, or any time they experience chafing and irritation while wearing tight clothing or bathing suits.

It’s even considered medically necessary when the labia gets tucked into the vagina during sex resulting in painful tears in the vulva skin.

Whatever the case, the procedure has restored comfort and confidence for many women. As such, the demand for labiaplasty has increased dramatically over the last 10 years.

The Labiaplasty Procedure

The primary objective of the labiaplasty procedure is to decrease the size of the inner lips of labia to make it flush with the outer lips. It is a surgical procedure that lasts between one and two hours.

There are several different surgical techniques depending on the patient’s specific situation.

Trim Procedure

The trim procedure is the original technique and is the most widely used by surgeons. With this procedure, the excess part of the inner lip is removed and sutured so that it is flush with the outer lip.

Wedge procedure

A partial thickness wedge is removed from the thickest part of the inner lip with the aptly named wedge procedure. Meanwhile, there’s a layer of tissue beneath the mucous membrane that’s left intact.

Other Techniques

There are several other techniques for decreasing the size of the inner labia lip. The key to attaining the desired outcome is to be sure you are going to a board-certified plastic surgeon who will work with you to determine your goals.

Any labiaplasty procedure is performed under either local anesthesia and sedation, or general anesthesia. It’s the patient’s decision.

After the surgery, incisions are closed with absorbable sutures so that they don’t need to be removed. Furthermore, incisions are created in the natural crease of the labia to keep them as hidden as possible.

Fat grafting can be performed for deflated outer lips, or labia majora. This rejuvenates the labia majora to appear more youthful.

Recovering From Labiaplasty

After surgery, sitz baths are often recommended and refraining from sexual intercourse for 3-4 weeks is also advised. Any swelling or bruising that develops in the first few days resolves with time.

There will be also be an office follow-up a few days after the surgery.

Restore Confidence and Comfort

If you’re unhappy with the appearance of or are experiencing pain from an enlarged labia, contact us today for a free consultation.

Our surgeons will discuss your options for labiaplasty to correct these issues that cause you discomfort and self-consciousness.

The end result will be a happier and more carefree you!