Benefits of Labiaplasty

The size and shape of one woman’s labia may be far different than any other. Historically, labiaplasty has been misunderstood as a “designer” type procedure that might make all women’s labia look a little – or a lot – more alike. The truth about labiaplasty, also known as labia reduction, is that it is a customized procedure that offers many more benefits than some people think. We’ll discuss them here.

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About Labiaplasty

Labiaplasty is a conservative surgical procedure that is often performed in the office using a local anesthetic. It is usually performed on the inner labia to bring them into better proportion with the outer labia. However, surgery can be performed on either or on both, depending on the situation.

There are two primary techniques a surgeon may use to perform labiaplasty, the trim and the wedge.

• Trim labiaplasty removes excess skin from the inner labia, the labia minora, by trimming along the edges of these pieces of tissue. The new contours are secured using dissolvable stitches.
• Wedge labiaplasty removes a wedge-shaped segment of tissue from the labia minora. The new edges are secured with dissolvable stitches.

Both of these techniques can achieve excellent results with little downtime. Patients recover with minimal discomfort that is managed with appropriate medication and rest. Normal daily activities can resume beginning one to two weeks after the procedure, and sexual intercourse may resume about three weeks after labiaplasty.

Common Labiaplasty Benefits

To repeat, labiaplasty is not about getting a “designer vagina” or about trying to look like “everyone else.” This very personalized procedure is performed for many reasons and it offers several benefits, including:

• Improved physical comfort. Enlarged labia may chafe and get tugged on or twisted, all of which can be quite uncomfortable. In this case, reduction can eliminate the painful problem and allow the patient to engage in exercise and other activities with much more enthusiasm.
• Improved sexual pleasure. Sexual intercourse should be pleasurable, not painful. In the case of enlarged labia, patients sometimes reveal that their external tissue gets painfully stretched or may otherwise interfere with sexual pleasure. Labiaplasty may not only put an end to these problems but may also make the clitoris more accessible and thereby more stimulated during sex.
• Improved cosmetic appearance. Virtually no one sees a woman’s labia because this part of her body is covered by clothing. However, some garments, such as leggings or a bathing suit, may fit in such a way that enlarged labia are difficult to overlook. By reducing these pieces of tissue, labiaplasty can improve a woman’s sense of comfort and confidence when wearing any type of clothing.

Plastic surgery procedures are not intended only for cosmetic gains. To explore the benefits of labiaplasty for yourself, contact our Spokane office at 509-747-5773 and schedule a consultation.

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