Labiaplasty 101: Your Options

Pregnancy, childbirth, age, weight fluctuations, and genetics can all result in the dissatisfied or embarrassing appearance of a woman’s most private and personal area. A deflated, asymmetrical, or long labia isn’t just aesthetically unpleasant; it can also result in discomfort caused by tight-fitted clothing, exercising, or engaging in intimacy with a significant other.

At Restora Austin, we strive to help women love how they look and feel. Continue reading to explore the many labiaplasty options at our Austin practice to help improve your comfort and self-confidence.

What Is Vaginal Rejuvenation?

The term “vaginal rejuvenation” is generally used to describe surgical and non-surgical procedures that enhance or repair the appearance and physical comfort of the vaginal area, externally, internally, or both. The goal of vaginal rejuvenation is to restore the inner and outer portions of the vagina to its youthful feel and appearance and improve issues of sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness, or discomfort while exercising.

Labiaplasty/ Labia Minora Reduction

Large or uneven inner labia can be due to genetics or caused by pregnancy, childbirth, weight gain, aging, or hormonal changes. Long, hanging, or sagging labia can significantly lower a woman’s self-confidence and interfere with their sexual pleasure and physical comfort in tight clothing or while exercising.

Labiaplasty is a straightforward surgical procedure that reduces the labia minora (inner labia). Sometimes, a labiaplasty can also address the outer labial tissue (labia majora) or the clitoral hood, depending on the patient’s concerns and aesthetic goals.

Two common techniques are used during labiaplasty: trim or wedge procedures. The trim procedure removes excess skin of the labia minora to prevent it from sagging past the labia majora. Dissolvable sutures are used to close the edges of the labia minora during healing. This method results in nearly invisible scars along the edges of the vaginal lips.

The wedge technique removes a segment of the labia minora tissue. The remaining tissue is stitched together, and the resulting scar is away from the labial edge.

Labia Majora Fat Grafting

Deflated or thin labia majora (outer lips of tissue surrounding the vaginal opening) can be uncomfortable and unattractive for some women. Pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, weight changes, or genetics can all lead to losing volume within the labia majora. Labia majora fat transfer restores volume within the labia majora by using fat cells harvested from another part of the body via liposuction and injecting them within the labia majora. This vaginal rejuvenation technique takes advantage of your own tissue and has long-lasting results.

Mons Pubis Liposuction

Mons pubis liposuction is a cosmetic procedure that uses liposuction to extract fat from the pubic mound. The mons pubis is the rounded tissue mass located just above the pubic bone that typically dons pubic hair. While having a fuller pad of fatty tissue in this area is completely normal, excess fat can make the mons pubis overly prominent, especially in tight jeans, yoga pants, or bikini bottoms.

The cause of excess pubic fat can vary from one patient to another. Some patients are genetically predisposed to extra tissue in this area while others can develop a larger mons pubis after pregnancy or weight gain.

During mons pubis liposuction, small incisions are made in the crease of the groin. The unwanted fat is extracted from the area through a thin cannula tube. Once the area has been reshaped to the surgeon’s and client’s desires, sutures are used to close the incisions, and the patient is sent to recovery.

Clitoral Hood Reduction

The clitoris is a highly intricate portion of the female anatomy with over 14,000 nerve endings. These nerve endings make it extremely sensitive and easily stimulated by external stimuli, i.e., clothing. Cue the clitoral hood. The clitoral hood is responsible for protecting these nerve endings from being excessively stimulated.

A regular-sized clitoral hood should easily move aside when you are sexually stimulated. However, when the hood is larger than normal, this movement is impeded, which in turn affects sexual pleasure and satisfaction.

A clitoral hood reduction, or clitoral hoodoplasty, reduces the amount of skin that covers the clitoris. When this excess tissue is removed, it’s easier for women to become sexually aroused and eventually reach satisfaction. Additionally, women with a large clitoral hood will often feel uncomfortable in snug fabrics. So, in addition to improving sexual arousal, clitoral hood reduction also prevents it from rubbing against an external stimulant, causing pain.

Labia Majora Reduction

The labia majora are the outer labia (outer lips) made of hair-baring skin and subcutaneous fat. Labia majora enlargement or laxity can cause patients to feel uncomfortable in swimsuits, underwear, jeans, or tighter pants. A labia majora reduction involves surgically reducing the labia majora by removing excess skin through small hidden incisions between the labia minora and the majora. During this procedure, the labia majora is carefully reduced and reformed to the patient’s aesthetic desires and comfort.

ThermiVa

ThermiVa is a non-invasive and non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatment that uses temperature-controlled radiofrequency energy to gently heat the tissue and tighten the vagina both internally and externally. This painless, non-surgical procedure is also used to treat excess vaginal dryness, vaginal looseness, and vaginal atrophy. ThermiVa is a fairly straightforward procedure that requires 30 to 45 minutes of application time. However, the women’s health benefits are extraordinary. As the skin and muscles tighten, blood supply and nerve function improve, resulting in women experiencing both cosmetic and medical vaginal rejuvenation.

Which Options Are Right for Me?

When considering your vaginal rejuvenation options, consider these important questions as you make your decisions.

Are you prepared to take time off for recovery?

Most non-surgical treatments involve little to no downtime, whereas surgical labiaplasty, mons pubis liposuction, or labia minora/majora reduction will involve a few weeks of recovery. If you have a busy schedule that makes taking time off difficult, a non-surgical treatment may be the better option until you have time to recover properly.

How significant are your concerns?

Surgical vaginal rejuvenation is typically the superior choice for women with significant tissue laxity. Women with mild to moderate concerns are often satisfied with the result of their non-surgical treatment.

Schedule Your Austin Labiaplasty Consultation Today

Unsure whether your concerns are mild or severe? Ultimately, the best way to find out which option is best for you is to schedule your consultation with Restora Austin surgeons Dr. Ashley Gordon or Dr. Dustin Reid. If you’re ready to get started, please request a consultation online or by calling (512) 371-8817. We can’t wait to hear from you!