Labiaplasty: Most Common Questions

Are You a Good Candidate for Labiaplasty?

Women of all ages seek to improve the shape of their Labia. Usually Most of these Manchester and Liverpool patients come to see me because they are not happy with the appearance of their labia Minora and sometimes even of the Labia Majora. Often my patients are not really sure what can be to improve the look of the vagina area.

Labia Minora reduction or the so-called Labiaplasty can change the shape of the either the labia minora or the labia majora or both.

Often my patients are keen to consider the procedure of labia Minora reduction because they do feel that they are not happy with the appearance of their labia because it does cause them sometimes irritation and make them feel self-conscious due to the fact that their labia being sometimes visible when wearing extremely tight or very scanty clothing. They tell me that they wish to have their labia reduced for cosmetic and functional reasons.

I always stressed that it is important for them to understand that there is a wide range of labial sizes which are encountered in perfectly normal and asymptomatic women, so that defining how much the labia should be reduced is itself a difficult task. Although there are no widely accepted guidelines for labiaplasty, however, the goal is to tuck the labia within the confines of the labia majora.

So, How Is the Labiaplasty Performed?

The Labiaplasty surgery takes about one hour to one hour and half. Usually, the excess tissue of the labia minora is trimmed and this is called the Edge Resection Technique. Effectively, there are two ways to remove the excess tissue, either through an edge or wedge resection. Often, the hood is also reduced, and this is called Hoodectomy.

Therefore, Dr Mounir will discuss with you using different diagrams, the different techniques of labiaplasty that have been described including de-epithelialization, Edge excision and wedge resection. He will explain to you that de-epithelialization involves removing a small amount of tissue while preserving the labial contour. This is best suited for patients with minimal over projection and he will let you know if this is suitable for you or not.

The wedge technique, that also aims to correct clitoral protrusion and hooding in addition to labial reduction. If your hood is big and you have a hypertrophy of the clitoris hood, Dr Mounir will advise you such technique, which is associated with a higher rate of complications and reoperation rate than other techniques.

The “Edge” reduction is easy to perform and do heal well. The excision is then closed using dissolvable Vicryl rapid stitches. Patients are typically discharged the same day.

If the labia majora is also deflated, Dr Mounir may offer you different options:

• Fat transfer to restore the volume of the labia majora.

• If there is a lot of excess skin of the labia majora, then the labia majora reduction is needed.

How much skin needs to be removed?

During your consultation, Dr Mounir will ask you to hold a mirror, so you can see while he examines you and mark with a marker pen how much skin is going to be removed.

You will be encouraged to talk about what is bothering you with the appearance of your Labia and you can explain to Dr Mounir how you would prefer your labia to look.

When is the best time to have a Labiaplasty?

Dr Mounir performs labiaplasty on very young patient. In fact, if a 15 year-old teenager has a hypertrophic labia minora that makes her feels very self-conscious while changing in the changing room or in front of her friends or it shows through leggings (this is what is referred to sometimes as a “camel toe”), Labiaplasty can be done with an extremely high satisfaction outcome.

How long do I need off work?

Patients can return to work after one week after labiaplasty, assuming they don’t lift anything heavy at work. Patient will come back for a wound check after one week. Sex can usually resume 4 to 6 weeks after the procedure.

Will I still be able to have children if I have this procedure?

Of course, Labiaplasty will not affect your ability to become pregnant and/or give birth to children. However, if you’re actively trying to get pregnant, maybe it’s better to postpone the labia reshaping procedure as childbirth may affect the results.

For a consultation about labiaplasty, where I can address any of your questions you have about your personal goals, please contact us call my office at 800 228 9227.