Labiaplasty – What you need to know

With so many magazines, media and TV programmes throwing around the term ‘Designer Vagina’ Antonia explains what it is exactly. You might want to cross your legs as you read this.

Labiaplasty is the surgical reshaping and re-sizing of the inner labia, carried out on women who are unhappy with the appearance of their labia, or whose labia cause pain and discomfort.

What is Labiaplasty for?

Some women experience difficulty with intercourse because of large labia, sometimes there’s asymmetry or a general unhappiness with the appearance of their labia, and many women who request surgery have difficulty with exercise, in particular, cycling and riding. Labiaplasty surgery can help address these issues – surgery involves removing a section of labial tissue to make it shorter thus giving the area a neater appearance. 

Procedure gains popularity

Commonly referred to as ‘designer vagina surgery’, there has been a 45% increase in requests for the procedure since 2010, according to Transform cosmetic surgery group. Over 2,000 labiaplasty surgeries were carried out on the NHS in 2013, a fivefold rise since 2008. The vast majority of labiaplasty surgeries are carried out via private clinics and hospitals, however, because of the rationing of NHS resources. 

Functional and aesthetic labia problems

“An asymmetrical labia can lead to functional problems as well as aesthetic problems,” said Paul Banwell, Consultant Plastic Surgeon from the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).”Over 50% of my patients see me due to functional reasons. Only a small proportion are there for purely aesthetic reasons.” 

A 2008 study by the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that labiaplasty surgery was carried out for aesthetic reasons alone in 37% of women, as opposed to 32% to treat a functional impairment, and 31% to treat a functional impairment and for aesthetic reasons.