The vagina opening is surrounded by two folds of skin. The outer folds are known as labia majora or large lips, while the inner folds are known as labia minora or small lips. The labia majora protect the external genital organs and get covered with pubic hair after puberty. The labia minora protects the urethra (from where urine leaves the body) and vagina.
Labiaplasty is a type of vaginal rejuvenation procedure performed to improve the appearance of the labia, reduce any physical discomfort that may be present, or as a part of gender-affirming surgery.
Purpose: A labiaplasty may be needed in the following cases:
1. Physical and medical reasons:
To improve hygiene and health and prevent urinary tract infections due to the presence of excess tissue
To reduce the size of the labia minora so that it does not protrude beyond the labia majora edges
2. Cosmetic reasons:
To get a more youthful look after childbirth or increased age
To reduce the uneven shape of the labia majora or labia minora
To improve the confidence, comfort, and sexual well-being of a person regarding the appearance of the genitalia during physical contact
To eliminate the bulges, visual lines, or camel toe appearance while wearing tight-fitting clothes
To prevent physical discomfort when there is excess labia tissue
3. Gender-affirming surgery:
As a part of a sex reassignment surgery, in which people can transition themselves to their self-identified gender
Causes: The causes of enlarged labia include:
Symptoms: The symptoms of an enlarged labia include:
The labiaplasty procedure may be performed under local anesthesia, in which the treatment area is numbed, or general anesthesia, in which the patient is made to fall asleep during the procedure.
The procedure takes approximately one to two hours to complete and most patients are discharged from the hospital on the same day of the surgery.
Labiaplasty may be performed in the following different ways:
1. Trim technique:
The surgeon first makes an incision or cut vertically along the length of the labia minora.
The excess tissue around the labia minora is then removed to make it look more symmetrical with the labia majora.
The incision area is then sutured or stitched using dissolvable stitches.
2. Central wedge resection technique:
This procedure involves the removal of the thickest part of the labia minora in the shape of a wedge to reduce its size.
This procedure gives a natural appearance to the vagina after the surgery.
3. De-epithelialization technique:
The procedure involves cutting the epithelium, which is the outer lining of tissue, using a scalpel.
This procedure ensures the labia minora’s erogenous and sensitive nature is preserved while cutting off the extra tissue.
This ensures the maintenance of the natural corrugation or wrinkled appearance of the skin of the labia minora, giving it a natural appearance.
4. Laser Labiaplasty:
The procedure involves using a laser to cut the labia minora.
This is an uncomplicated and quick procedure having a rapid recovery.
Labiaplasty may be associated with the following complications:
The cost of labiaplasty in Mumbai is between INR 30,000 to INR 35,000.
The cost of labiaplasty in Delhi is between INR 25,000 to INR 30,000.
The cost of labiaplasty in Chennai is between INR 20,000 to INR 25,000.
The cost of labiaplasty in Bangalore is between INR 25,000 to INR 30,000.