What is Labiaplasty?

Are you self-conscious about the appearance of your intimate areas? Your labia, the inner and outer lips around your vaginal opening, may not look the way you want, or they may be long enough to cause physical discomfort and even problems during intimacy. Labiaplasty gives you the appearance you want and can relieve discomfort for more confidence and more freedom to enjoy life.

What is Labiaplasty?

While labia come in a wide range of appearances, many women feel uncomfortable with theirs, especially after factors like aging, pregnancy, or weight loss that can make them feel looser and longer. This procedure can be performed on the inner lips (labia minora) or outer lips (labia majora). It can shorten and decrease the size of your labia or even enhance the volume with fat transfer to achieve your desired look and comfort level.

How is Labiaplasty Performed?

Labiaplasty can be performed using general or local anesthesia, depending on the details of the procedure and your overall comfort level. The average procedure takes about two hours, although it may take longer if the outer and inner lips are treated.

During the procedure, your surgeon will use incisions to remove excess skin from the labia to tighten them and improve their appearance. They may also use liposuction to collect fat from another part of the body and inject it into the labia to correct a stretched or thin appearance that often occurs over time or after pregnancy.

What are the Benefits of Labiaplasty?

Women choose to get labiaplasty for many reasons. While appearance is often a factor, long or stretched labia can become physically uncomfortable and interfere with your intimate life. In many cases, this procedure has a powerful effect on your life in more ways than you even expected.

Improve Your Confidence

While very few people may ever see your labia, their appearance can still make you feel self-conscious, especially during intimacy. After your labiaplasty, you will find that those frustrating worries about your appearance stop bothering you, replaced by the confidence of feeling at ease with this part of your body.

Make Intimacy More Comfortable

If your labia are long, they can get in the way during intimacy. Along with being embarrassing, this problem can be very uncomfortable. Labiaplasty can shorten your labia so they not only look more pleasing but no longer hinder your enjoyment.

Enjoy More Activities

Long or stretched labia can also cause physical discomfort during a variety of activities, including bike riding, jogging, or even walking. They may also make you feel self-conscious in fitted clothes or bathing suits. If your labia rub or become pinched during activities or keep you from doing things you enjoy, labiaplasty can restore your freedom.

What is Recovery Like After Labiaplasty?

You can expect some soreness and swelling after your labiaplasty. We will provide you with detailed aftercare instructions, including how to care for your incisions. Most people can return to light-activity jobs after a week but should avoid strenuous activities and sexual intercourse for four weeks after surgery.

You may notice that full sensation takes several months to return, and swelling can also take a few months to resolve completely. Your surgeon will monitor your recovery through follow-up visits and will clear you to resume activities as you heal. The details of your recovery will depend on factors such as the type of procedure and your body’s natural healing abilities.

What Results Will I See After Labiaplasty?

Immediately after surgery, your labia will look swollen, and it will take several weeks for you to appreciate your full results. Many people experience a temporary loss of sensation after labiaplasty, but this will return within a month or two.

Within a few months of your procedure, you can expect to feel more comfortable during intimacy, enjoying a wider variety of clothing, and participating in activities that used to be difficult. Even if few people see the results of your procedure, your enhanced self-confidence will shine through.

While labiaplasty results can last a lifetime, you will experience normal age-related changes that affect your labia. Future pregnancies can significantly disrupt the results of your labiaplasty, so you may choose to have the procedure after you have finished expanding your family.

Am I a Good Candidate for Labiaplasty?

How you feel about your labia is deeply personal, so only you can decide if they are affecting your happiness. Good candidates for labiaplasty may want to address several different concerns, including aesthetic and physical issues. When considering this procedure, candidates should ensure they are choosing labiaplasty for themselves and no one else. If your labia affect how you feel about yourself, this procedure may be right for you.

Take the Next Step – Request a Consultation

Want to learn more about labiaplasty? Schedule your consultation online or by calling Specialty Aesthetic Surgery at (212) 737-8700. We look forward to working with you!

Specialty Aesthetic Surgery serves the greater NYC metro area.

About Our Surgeons

Bruce Moskowitz is an experienced and board-certified oculoplastic surgeon. His practice encompasses all areas of oculoplastic cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. He has a well-known reputation for revision surgery, and a large portion of his practice comes from other colleagues to revise sub-optimal outcomes.

Grigoriy Mashkevich is an experienced and double-board certified facial plastic surgeon. He belongs to a highly select group of surgeons with a focused specialization in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the nose, face, and neck.

Dr. Anna Frants is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who is experienced in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Her areas of expertise include surgery of the face, neck, nose, eyelids, eyebrows, and ears.

*Individual results may vary