Cosmetic surgery on a woman’s vagina is a relatively new field of specialty, owing to the sensitive and highly personal nature of any elective procedure that involves the reshaping of a woman’s genitalia. Considering that this particular region of a woman’s body does not receive quite as much exposure as, say, the face or even the breasts, it comes as something of a surprise that many women go under the knife in order to reduce the size and protrusion of their inner vagina lips, or the labia minora. Apparently, a lot of women experience a condition known as labial hypertrophy, where the labia minora are enlarged and protrude much further than the outer vaginal lips, or the labia majora. In some cases it is congenital, and will affect even teenagers and young women, but it also develops as a result of pregnancy or vaginal childbirth. Regardless of the reason, labial hypertrophy produces a distended or collapsed appearance of the vagina that women may find embarrassing or aesthetically unpleasant. Moreover, women with this condition have trouble wearing tight-fitting clothes or engaging in various sports activities due to constant irritation from the overly large or thick labia minora. To alleviate these concerns, cosmetic surgeons have developed the technique which is known today as a labiaplasty.

A labiaplasty basically involves the removal of the excess tissue forming the enlarged lips of the labia minora, and a reshaping of the remaining skin to produce a firm, youthful, contoured appearance. The procedure used to be little more than an amputation of the protruding or enlarged portions followed by a suturing of the edges; however, this method raised a number of clinical problems that are typically associated with amputation, and resulted in an unsightly discoloration of the labia minora, which was also stiffer and more prone to damage. The modern labiaplasty uses laser technology to hone the precision of the excess tissue removal, and may also include the reconstruction of the natural contour of the vagina. The incisions made will follow the curve of the vagina as closely as possible, and are typically not made on the outside of the vaginal wall so that scarring is minimized or eradicated altogether. The process itself takes between one to two hours to complete.

After the surgery, the patient may experience bruising and mild discomfort in the treated region, which can be alleviated with standard pain medication and ice packs to minimize swelling. Patients can normally return to work and resume non-strenuous activity within a few days, though some may require up to two weeks of rest to ensure proper healing. It is also advised that patients wear panty liners for the first few days after the surgery in case of periodic bleeding. Strenuous physical exercise and activity should be avoided for two to four weeks after the surgery, to facilitate swift healing of the adjusted labia. In particular, since the operation did involve the woman’s genitalia, sexual intercourse is prohibited for at least four weeks following the surgery, though surgeons highly recommend that the patient wait six weeks before engaging in any sexual activity. Insertion of objects like tampons in the vagina is also discouraged, and patients are advised to use pads instead for the same duration as with sexual intercourse. Lastly, surgeons recommend that patients take a gentle shower or bath every day, as this is supposed to stimulate healing.

The risks inherent in a labioplasty are similar to those of any other surgical procedure involving the removal of tissue, such as infection, scarring and bleeding. However, these complications are fairly rare and are not expected if the labiaplasty is being performed by a capable and experienced surgeon.