Who Can Benefit From Labiaplasty?

Each year in the United States, around 10,000 labiaplasties are performed to help women achieve some personal goals. Our goal here isn’t to tell you whether you might benefit from a labiaplasty, but to report some of the benefits our own clients have received from undergoing a labiaplasty.

Dr. Jack Tubbs and our team at Associates in Obstetrics & Gynecology have solid experience performing the labiaplasty procedure, and we understand that no two women seek our help for the exact same reasons.

Here, we review some of the more common concerns that we address with a labiaplasty to help you decide whether you can benefit from the procedure.

Labiaplasty — what it is and what it isn’t

Before we get into why women come to us for labiaplasty, we want to quickly define what the procedure is and what it isn’t. 

In this modern world of vaginal rejuvenation technologies, a labiaplasty is different. This is a surgical technique in which, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, we, “... decrease the size of the labia minora (inner tissues of the female genitalia) so that it is flush with the labia majora (outer part of the female genitalia).”

To do this, we perform a minor surgery during to remove excess tissues and tighten what’s left, which is different from procedures that are performed with laser technologies. There are also different surgical approaches, depending on your goals, but our point here is that a labiaplasty goes beyond vaginal rejuvenation to a genital contouring procedure.

Reasons for a labiaplasty

There are several different reasons why women come to us for a labiaplasty, including:

Tightening after childbirth or as you get older

Some women are delighted with their children, but not as excited about the effects that vaginal births have had on their labial tissues. Through a labiaplasty, we can tighten loosened labial tissue after you’re sure you’re done having children.

We can achieve this same effect if your labia tissues are losing elasticity and tone with age and starting to droop. This happens everywhere in your skin, which includes your genitalia.

A matter of comfort

When the labia minora sticks out too far, it can lead to issues with comfort. For example, the tissue may twist in your yoga pants or in your swimsuit. Or, perhaps you’re a cyclist and the excess tissue is causing comfort problems. 

Whatever the scenario, problematic tissue in the labia minora can lead to comfort issues that a labiaplasty can address.

Improving sex

Just as excess labial tissue can create problems with your clothes, it can also lead to discomfort when you’re unclothed and engaging in sex. Some women report that tugging of the tissue during intercourse is a concern, and they undergo labiaplasty to address this concern.

A matter of health

Some women develop frequent urinary tract infections, and one of the drivers may be an overly large labia minora that traps infection-causing bacteria.

A matter of aesthetics

Some women opt for a labiaplasty to achieve aesthetic goals in their genitalia. Perhaps the tissue extends too far or it’s not symmetrical. Whatever the concern, the odds are good that we can address it through genital contouring.

Again, we want to underscore that only you can decide whether you might benefit from a labiaplasty, and we're here to help guide you. If you have more questions about the procedure, we invite you to contact our office in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to schedule a consultation.