Labiaplasty: Surgery, Recovery & What To Expect - Cleveland Clinic

What is labiaplasty?

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure to reduce or increase the size of your labia. People usually get this procedure to reduce physical discomfort or as part of reconstructive surgery. Sometimes, you might want it for cosmetic reasons, but there’s a wide range of normal labia. Everyone’s labia are unique and there’s no ideal or “normal” way for them to look.

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Your labia are the folds of skin around your vagina opening. You have two folds of skin there. The outer folds are called the labia majora, which means large lips. These are the larger fleshy folds that protect your external genital organs. They’re covered with pubic hair after puberty. The inner folds are called the labia minora, which means small lips. These skin folds protect the opening of your urethra (where your pee leaves your body) and vagina.

During a labiaplasty and depending on why you’re having it, your surgeon either:

• Removes some tissue from your labia to reduce its size.
• Injects a filler material or fat into your labia to enlarge it.
• Reconstructs your labia from other tissue.

Why would someone get a labiaplasty?

There are medical reasons for labiaplasty. There are also physical, cosmetic and emotional reasons. Sometimes, labiaplasty is part of reconstructive surgery.

Medical and physical reasons

• To reduce the size of your labia minora so they don’t protrude beyond the edges of the labia majora. Excess labial tissue can twist, turn, get pinched or tugged, and cause physical discomfort and irritation during exercise, physical activities (like bike riding or jogging) and intercourse.
• To improve hygiene and health since excess tissue can make cleansing more difficult and can harbor bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections (UTIs).

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Cosmetic and emotional reasons

• To reduce asymmetry (uneven shape) of the labia minora or labia majora when one side is longer or shaped differently.
• To improve comfort, confidence and sexual well-being about the appearance of your genitalia during intimate contact. Keep in mind that people have a variety of lip sizes and shapes, and there’s no labial appearance that’s considered normal.

Reconstructive surgery

• Your surgeon can create labia using existing genital tissue. You may also have labiaplasty before or after other reconstruction surgeries.

What causes a labium to become oversized?

• Puberty can cause a growth spurt in your labia.
• Menopause or other hormonal changes can thin the tissue of your labia majora.
• Pregnancy and childbirth.
• Changes in your weight.
• Genetics.

What is the average age for labiaplasty?

Most people who have labiaplasty are between the ages of 18 and 50. But, since your labia may stretch during pregnancy and childbirth, you might want to wait until after you’re done adding to your family. A child may have labiaplasty, but only to correct problems related to daily function and activity.