Labiaplasty is the surgery of labia to reduce its size after abnormal enlargement. It is a folding skin around both sides of the vaginal opening. Due to the discomfort of enlarged labia, some women prefer labiaplasty. It is a crucial decision to go under labia surgery without complications.
Naturally, women have noticeable skin folds around the vaginal opening. In maximum cases, it will not create any discomfort.
Labiaplasty also describes as vaginal rejuvenation. This surgery helps to correct the hanging, misshaped and unusual large labia minora. Many women get embarrassment due to labia damage. An increased labia size cause to rub against undergarments and create discomfort.
The labia surgery is very expensive, and there are many risks and complication can occur during surgery.
In some cases, the labiaplasty will not match the expectations of the patient. There is the possibility of worsening the labia condition. The results may not make you feel happy about the body appearance. It depends on the patient’s health conditions.
What is labia?
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Labia is a set of thin skin folds which is a part of a woman’s genital organs. It protects the genital structures of urinary opening, clitoris, and vaginal opening. Naturally, for every woman the labia having different width, shape, length, and color.
Causes of Labia enlargement
The exact cause of labia enlargement is unknown. Some women have large or misshaped labia by birth. Here are the major causes.
Puberty
After reaching the puberty, the labia size change. It happens due to the growth of tissues in the vulva area during puberty.
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Childbirth and pregnancy also cause labia enlargement. During pregnancy woman’s hormones changes. The levels of estrogen and progesterone hugely undergo in change and sometimes fluctuate abnormally. These changes increase the blood flow in the entire body including your labia skin. It causes labia majora and minora to get swelling and change in its original size.
After childbirth, some women experience the tearing or stretch in labia. Once your delivery period is over, the body returns to its original shape including labia. If the labia unable to get its original size, then there might be other cause.
Aging
The size and shape of labia changes over time as age increase. Different hormonal changes of puberty, menstruation, and pregnancy affect the woman labia. When a woman grows older, her labia length and thickness cause to increase.
Masturbation and Sex
Whenever a woman sexually stimulated through masturbation or intercourse the blood rush in genial parts. It causes swelling and stretching. Over the time the stretching of labia increases.
Why a woman chooses labiaplasty?
There can be multiple reasons for which a woman decides to undergo labiaplasty. Here are the main reasons.
- Pain while tugging and twisting
- Discomfort while driving a bike
- Distress while an intercourse
- Irritation
- Itching
- Self-consciousness
- Burning sensation while sweating
Cost of Labiaplasty
The cost of labiaplasty depends on the expert surgeon you are consulting. The cost also varies from place to place.
In India labiaplasty cost around ₹200000 – ₹ 600000 which depend on the severity of the patient’s condition. However, the labiaplasty starts with USD 1,550 in India which depend on the type of surgery and expertise of the surgeon.
According to 2017 labiaplasty statistics, the plastic surgeons of American society start with the average cost of $2,984 for labiaplasty
In the United Kindom, the labiaplasty cost around £1,000-£3,000, plus follow up consultation includes in the price.
Labiaplasty what to expect?
The advantages of labia surgery are not only good looking, but it reduces the irritation and discomfort. You can continue exercising comfortably, wearing your favorite clothes and having sexual intercourse without a problem. It helps to encourage self-esteem.
Undergoing labiaplasty is a critical decision which needs careful consideration. The cosmetic surgery center and the cosmetic surgical team try their best to enhance the labia on patient’s demand. Labia surgery is a personal decision, and it is natural to clear the doubts before taking a decision. Here are the details about what you can expect from labiaplasty.
Mild Pain After Surgery
The labia surgery performed with anesthesia and you will feel no discomfort, but mild pain sensation is likely to occur as usual like any surgery. Your surgeon will give you some medication to ease your symptoms after the labia surgery. These medications require to take as under the surgeon guidance.
Swelling and Bruising
After the few weeks of surgery, it is normal to have bruising and swelling. There will be mild pain sensation while urinating and taking a shower. You can reduce the labia swelling with an ice pack, but it should not be applied directly. Use cloth over the ice and do not apply ice directly. You may notice there is one side of labia have swelling than the other.
Hygiene and Clothing
Wearing loose undergarment and clothing can help to reduce the discomfort. Tight clothes cause to rub against the labia which will hurt and take more time in recovery.
You need to avoid using tampons while labia surgery recovery. Until you reach the recovery, use the panty liner and pads to avoid discomfort.
Avoid Sex
After surgery, the labia skin and tiny nerves are under recovery. After surgery at least for six weeks, you need to skip having intercourse. Once, you recover properly you can continue with the sexual activity. Do consider checking with your doctor before starting ahead.
What to do before surgery?
- Consult a plastic surgeon for your labiaplasty.
- Take advise from your family doctor to know you have a good health condition. If you are healthy, then your blood work is done which depend on your medical history and age.
- After getting ensure you can proceed to book your surgery.
- If you smoke, then consider quitting at least six weeks before surgery.
- If you take any medicine or herbal supplement, then stop the consumption before ten days of surgery to avoid the risk bruising and bleeding.
- One day before surgery take the prescribed medicine if any.
- On the day of surgery take a shower and remove the pubic hair.
During the labiaplasty
Before starting the surgery, your surgeon will give you general anesthesia. Local anesthesia also needs to give for the numbing area after a few hours of surgery.
Your surgeon will mark the labia removal area.
The specific procedure will involve individual needs and depend on the surgeon expertise.
Amputation
Amputation is a simple and original method which involves cutting of labia minora to the required size. The surgeon does it with the help of laser or scalpel. If your surgeon use scalpel, then stitches will require to do in the edges.
The main disadvantage of the scalpel method is that the labia’s natural edges will appear as sacar after surgery. It can create an artificial appearance. This method also has a high risk of damaging nerves.
Resection of Central Wedge
During this technique, the labia’s natural edges remain fixed. The excess tissues from wedges get removed from the middle part. Again the whole flesh part needs removal which might damage the connected nerves. It may result in post-operative numbness.
De-epithelialization
It is also a method of labiaplasty which removes the extra tissue of the middle labia part. This method helps to remove epithelial the outer layer of labia’s both sides tissues. As a result, this labiaplasty method protects the labia’s edges and sensitive nerves ending completely in the whole structure. In some cases, tissue removal causes bleeding and epidermal cysts.
Pros and Cons of Labiaplasty
Pros
Labiaplasty can boost your self-confidence if your surgery goes well without any complications. You will no more need to feel awkward during sexual intercourse.
According to reports, some woman feels no discomfort while wearing their favorite clothes.
Women with large labia look ugly while wearing a bikini as well as bigger labia interrupt the intercourse.
Large labia also increase the chance of getting a bacterial infection due to the excess tissue. Therefore, labiaplasty helps to decrease the size and make it look good.
Cons
In some cases, there will be a bleeding problem which requires immediate plastic surgeon helps.
There can be chances of developing infections, but you can relieve it with antibiotics.
Some women experience wrinkles on labia skin and abnormal pigmentation or discoloration toward the edges including labia majora and minora.
Normally the labiaplasty patient can continue as a usual lifestyle within 4 – 6 weeks after surgery. If you are unable to recover in given time, then it may be because of allergic reaction, weather, and internal health problems.
According to your health and skin type, there is the possibility of swelling, scarring, and pain after surgery.
In the worst cases, the patient is unable to get the desired result even after paying a huge amount of money. Making the right choice for a cosmetic surgeon is important for labia surgery. Every gynecologist is not capable of reshaping the labia. Apart from normal operation, labiaplasty requires surgical specialization.
The safety factor of labiaplasty
Many women worry about the safety of labiaplasty because of the incapability of some surgeons to start the procedure. Earlier, the surgery procedure involves many scars, and huge bleeding but these problems have improved with time.
The cosmetic surgery society has developed new and improved methods and techniques over time which reduced the risky complications.
Labiaplasty has emerged as safe and most effective surgical procedure for reshaping labia and enhancing vagina. After surgery, you can enjoy sports, swimming, and bike riding with comfort.
After tips for labiaplasty
Get proper rest
Patients’ family member must stay around for any help for the first 24 hours after surgery.
After labiaplasty surgery, the patient must take proper rest. The patient needs to stay at the clinic for many hours for recovery before going home. It is important to take bed rest after 2 to 3 days.
The patient must keep the pillow under their buttocks to decrease the swelling.
During initial weeks after surgery, the patient must sleep flat on their back.
Take medication on time
Follow your doctor’s instruction and take all the medication as prescribed.
The patient must complete the medication course and take medication for nausea and pain. There is the possibility of growing yeast infection because of the antibiotic Diflucan side effects. Keep a record of the time and date of taking medication to avoid the missing of medication.
Care your surgical area
For better recovery and healing the surgery spot, you need to care for yourself. It will reduce the growing complications and helps to recover fast.
- During the beginning of 2 days, the labiaplasty patient should use anesthetic spray.
- Take one sitz bath every day.
- Apply cloth-wrapped ice on the surgery area to reduce swelling and bruising.
- Avoid your surgical area getting exposed to the sun until you recovered completely.
- You can use scar cream and ointment only after getting a suggestion of your surgeon.
Avoid Strenuous activity
The labiaplasty patient must avoid strenuous activity such as swimming, dancing, running, and sports. The patient must skip having intercourse for the initial 6 to 8 weeks.
Get ready for discomfort
After labiaplasty, you will experience the discomfort during recovery. You will feel the pain for one week, and itching will continue for many weeks.
Due to pain medication and anesthesia, you will likely to get constipation problem.
You need to start laxative medication after 2 – 3 days after procedure under your surgeon’s guidance.
Hygiene
The Labiaplasty patient must keep the surgical section clean. You can continue your normal showering routine but take advice from your doctor. Due to the dehydrated blood while improving the shower water appear tinted. Do not use the swimming pool and beach water until you completely recover. After using washroom lightly pat the surgical area because wiping can create pain.
Labiaplasty results will take time to improve the desired results. Do not upset during this time because tissues swelling will not show the surgery result in initial weeks. You may see surgery scars will disappear and begins to display the result in a year.
During the first six weeks, the genital section looks bumpy due to swelling. The stitches will disappear with time and progress your positiveness about your appearance.
Visit your clinic regularly to make sure your surgery is recovering normally. Your surgeon can clear all the doubts and tell you about the healing process.
These labiaplasties after tips can help you heal faster and in a healthy way.