What Is Involved In Labiaplasty?These days, when plastic surgery has become a very popular thing, people can modify almost everything on their bodies. These plastic surgery procedures can either aim at making one’s body parts more aesthetically pleasing or enabling one’s body parts to function better (or the way it is supposed to function) or both at once. Aside from facelifts, liposuction, and other widely known plastic surgery procedures, labiaplasty is a quite common thing now.
What is Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty is a plastic surgery procedure that aims at making one’s vagina look more aesthetically pleasing. Due to aging, sexual intercourses, giving birth, and genetic factors, one’s labium can get larger and give it a disturbing look. Along with feeling insecure about their genitalia, women may not be comfortable wearing tight clothes because of this situation. Also, an enlarged labium may cause hygiene problems if not taken care of well.
In order to fix all those problems, women can undergo a labiaplasty surgery, which can be basically defined as trimming the labia minora (inner lips) and/or labia majora (outer lips).
Things to Consider before Having a Labiaplasty
Undergoing a plastic surgery can affect someone’s life widely. It has both pros and cons to consider. People with insecurities about their genitalia’s look may consider having a labiaplasty and really get better both in physical and mental issues after the surgery. However, you should have realistic expectations from the procedure, as it may not result as perfect as you expected. Also, you should be aware that, like any other surgery, undergoing labiaplasty has some risks you should keep in mind. You should discuss every aspect thoroughly with your surgeon during the consulting appointment so you will not be disappointed when you heal and see the results. Aside from that, you should calculate how much you will have to pay for the labiaplasty surgery and aftercare because the health insurance plans do not cover labiaplasty as long as it is not medically necessary.
How to Get Prepared for the Labiaplasty Procedure
First of all, you should schedule your work, school, and family activities regarding your surgery and recovery period. Aside from that, it is enough to be careful about your general health (eating a healthy diet, staying hydrated, trying not to put yourself under stress, and pay attention to your hygiene).
Risks of a Labiaplasty Surgery
Labiaplasty is generally a safe surgical operation to have. But in very rare cases, some complications may occur. Your surgeon will inform you about the risks that are involved in the procedure before you decide to undergo the surgery. Some risks are:
- Excessive bleeding
- Infection in the operated area
- Scars
- A decrease in the genitalia’s sensitivity
- Allergic reactions
- A blood clot in a vein
The Labiaplasty Procedure
There are two main types of procedures for labiaplasty:
- Edge Trimming Procedure
The most common labiaplasty procedure is called edge trimming procedure. It is carried out under the effect of anesthesia. During the procedure, the surgeon trims the unnecessary parts of the skin (the outer edge) of the inner lips to make it matched with the outer lips. With this procedure, the darker layer of the vagina gets trimmed, so, women sometimes choose this procedure for aesthetical reasons rather than health.
- Wedge Removal Procedure
In this procedure, the surgeon removes a wedge from either side of the lips. It is also carried out under the effect of anesthesia. As it does not involve the removal of the darker skin from the genital area, it is not preferred as common as the edge trimming procedure.
Also, there are some labiaplasty procedures that are concerned with the labia majora. They are generally about the appearance of the outer lips and involve liposuction on lips that are bulging or injection of fat to make the lips look fuller.
Choosing the Best Labiaplasty Procedure Type for You
You should let your surgeon decide which procedure will be better for you considering your body, health issues, and expectations. Your surgeon will also decide which type of anesthesia will be used for the procedure (local or general anesthesia). You should not be hesitant to ask anything to your surgeon as he or she will know the best for you and there is no need to be shy. You should co-operate with your surgeon to achieve the best results.
Recovery from a Labiaplasty Surgery
Generally, patients are not required to stay in the hospital for the night. You can go home a few hours after the labiaplasty surgery. Your surgeon will instruct you about what you should and should not do. Also, he or she will prescribe you the necessary medication to minimize your discomfort during the recovery period.
After the labiapalsty surgery, swelling and bruising may occur in the operated area and you may feel itching. You can apply a cold compress with regular intervals to reduce the swelling. It is also a good idea to place pillows or something else to keep your hips elevated when you are laying, so less fluid will accumulate in the operated area. The itching should be gone away within a week, but if it does not, you should contact your surgeon as it might be a symptom of an infection or caused by an allergic reaction.
Between a month or two, you can use tampons again and have sex. Most of the swelling should be gone in around 6 weeks but it may take more time to fully disappear.
You should avoid wearing tight clothes, exercising and heavy house chores, using tampons, having sexual intercourse, and taking salt baths to relieve the aching. Also, your doctor may call u for follow-up appointments after the surgery to check if the area is healing as the way it is supposed to.
Results of a Labiaplasty Procedure
Because the general expectation from the labiaplasty procedure is shortening the lips, they generally result in fulfilling the expectations. Most of the people who have undergone labiaplasty state that they are pleased with the results they have.
