Let’s start by clarifying that ALL vaginas and vulvas are normal. Know that no 2 vulvas are the same! You should be proud and grateful of your vagina and vulva! She serves you well! She is a vessel of pleasure, she brings life into the world, she gives us insight into our internal hormonal milieu.
But that’s not to say that there are those women that sometimes feel like they could be better served by their vulva. I often speak to ladies that complain their inner lips are long and uncomfortable in certain clothing. Athletes have shared with me that they have chafing of the lips with their strenuous activities, and that this prohibits them from performing at their full capacity. I have ladies that have had babies, or had fluctuations in weight that ultimately changed the way their vulvas look and feel.
For these ladies (and others), I am happy to inform you that there are ways to alter the look and feel of the vulva! So many women out there don’t KNOW that labiaplasties or clitoral hood reductions even EXIST! Yes ladies! You have options! You can get relief!
No ma’am, you are not the only one. This is one of the most common complaints I hear from the patients that come to see me. They are having to constantly tuck the lips back into their underwear, leotards, or bathing suits. They cannot comfortably wear certain types of lingerie for fear that the labia will escape! They feel self-conscious because they think there is a large bulge showing through tighter clothing. These are COMMON complaints that patients share with me.
In general, there are two common techniques used for labiaplasty. Wedge vs Trim. During your consultation we will determine which technique would work best for your specific anatomy. There is no one size fits all technique, and depending on your goals, we will decide the best approach to your labiaplasty.
The clitoris sits just at the top of the opening to the vagina and is responsible for the pleasurable sensation associated with sex. Occasionally, labial hypertrophy (labial overgrowth) can also go hand and hand with redundant tissue surrounding the clitoris. The tissue on either side of the clitoris is referred to as the clitoral hood. So in many scenarios where a patient desires a labiaplasty, a clitoral hood reduction also needs to be performed in order to make the vulva appear more balanced. If the clitoral hood is not addressed, then the final outcome of the labiaplasty may make the area appear “top-heavy.”
In the world of cosmetic gynecology, some patients may present with complaints that their outer labia (labia majora) appear “deflated,” or complain that the outer labia don’t come together in the middle to cover the inner lips (labia minora). One way to address this issue is by “puffing-up” the outer lips. We can use fat obtained from another part of the body, via liposuction, to “puff-up” the labia. What is nice about a fat-transfer is that the fat cells are actual living cells. 20-30% of the fat cells injected into the labia will actually take hold and remain permanent in their new home. In essence, this should be a “one and done” procedure with long-lasting outcomes. On the other hand, off-the-shelf dermal fillers can also be used for labial puffing. Dermal fillers typically last about 12 months, which means the patient will need to be reinjected every now and again to get her desired look.
This is where PRF or Exosomes can help. Platelet rich fibrin, or PRF, is the component of your blood that contains special proteins, called growth factors, that aid in healing and supporting cell growth. Exosomes are growth factors and cytokines harvested from stem cells. By injecting your own PRF or Exosomes around the clitoris and G-spot, we can help enhance your sexual stimulation! Results typically last for about a year.
The thing is, any surgery comes with risks, but when it comes to cosmetic gynecology, it’s crucial to ensure the procedure is performed by well-trained and experienced hands. A labiaplasty isn’t a simple snip-and-stitch job. Yet, some doctors approach it with a cavalier attitude, thinking it’s a quick fix without considering the complexities involved.