Labiaplasty Plastic Surgery

In a labiaplasty, the surgical reshaping of female external genital structures, larger or uneven inner vaginal lips are cut and shortened. Labiaplasty and vaginal cosmetic surgery are the fastest growing emerging growth trend in cosmetic plastic surgery. Physicians that perform vaginal cosmetic surgery have reported enormous increases in patients, particularly over the past decade.

As society pressures women to look younger and more perfect, many physicians believe the popularity of these types of surgeries will continue to grow.

Labiaplasty was once the domain of sex workers, nude entertainers, nude models, swimsuit models and the occasional woman who needed her labia reduced for medical reasons (labiaplasty might be covered under health insurance)such as infection or pain. Not anymore. Doctors have reported that women from every walk of life and from ages 15 to 75 are having labia and cosmetic vaginal surgery.

Many doctors who perform the surgeries say while there are some women who opt for the surgery because they are unhappy or their labia has caused them physical discomfort, the bulk of the women getting this surgery are ultimately being pressured by men who want them to conform to a idea of beauty most often seen in the porn industry. Doctors say these women request the procedure because they are afraid of having "old looking" vaginas. Feedback from male partners is the number one reason women request the surgery.

The most common reason we hear is that they have had a negative comment made by a male sexual partner. Women are made to feel that they are not perfect the way they are and often it's the partner that sets this off.

Women are having labiaplasties and other forms of vaginal cosmetic surgery because longer, lose hanging inner lips is a sign of aging and women don't want to look old there, either.

Youth-enhancing surgery is very common now. Why should it stop with the face? Girls 20 to 30 years old now want every part of their body to look as young as they are.

Another cosmetic surgery--vaginal rejuvenation--is also rising. It entails tightening the vaginal and perineum area, often stretched during childbirth. Some doctors also claim it increases sexual pleasure for both partners.

Some doctors dispute whether constructing a tighter vagina increases a woman's sexual pleasure. But anytime you make an incision you cut nerves, induce scarring and there is a downside risk, including pain.

In addition to the physical risks, critics cite the more insidious psychological ramifications, whether women get the surgery or not. "Before" and "after" photos that are on normal, healthy bodies alongside surgically streamlined ones — readily available online — promote the impression that so-called aberrations are abnormal, when in reality genitals are as diverse as faces or fingerprints. The focus on a quick fix, puts even more pressure on women's sex lives.

Long-term consequences are troubling. Women are projecting their anxiety about sexuality onto this one thing: 'If only I could get this fixed, then I would feel confident to be sexual.' This is a complicated issue.

Less risky alternatives to cosmetic surgery should be considered for boosting confidence and enhancing sex. Sometimes psychotherapy can help -- be it talk therapy to discuss the normal woman-to-woman body variations or marriage or sex therapy to resolve conflict between partners and revitalize their lovemaking.

Many factors may be at play when a woman has a sub-par sex life. They shouldn't feel embarrassed to talk to their health care providers about whether depression or another medical illness is suppressing their sex drive, or whether medications such as antidepressants and hormonal therapies may be to blame.

Don't count on Kegel exercises to tighten the vagina. The method -- in which women practice contracting the muscles used to stop urine flow -- is more likely to improve bladder control than to make sex more satisfying.

But when non-surgical approaches fall short and women are considering vaginal cosmetic surgery as the next resort, a surgeon needs to ensure that the risks are made clear. The procedures can not only fail to meet a woman's expectations for a perfect private part, but in the long term can end up causing pain instead of pleasure during sex.

Men like the results of the surgery because it makes for a tighter fit and women like it, say doctors who perform it, because, well, it makes for a tighter fit. Some doctors advertise that the surgery can radically enhance a woman’s sexual experience, but there is no guarantee.

Hymen-recreation is important to some women; young rape victims can also be given recreated hymens. This surgery is called hymenoplasty, also known as revirgination, a surgical procedure which reattaches the hymen.

The latest in juicy bit augmentation is the G-spot enhancement. Techniques for this vary but the point is to plump up the G-spot to make it more prominent, easier to find and more easily stimulated by a penis. Some surgeon use hyaluronic acid, the fluid that lubricates our joints. (It is also used in cosmetic procedures as a skin filler to erase wrinkles.), while others use collagen injections.

Whatever surgeries you decide to have, make sure you have your own reasons and find a qualified surgeon to perform the procedure. Don’t have vaginal cosmetic surgery for someone else or it might be time to find a new partner.




UPDATE: 2/09/09 CHICAGO FLAME

Who designed your vagina? - Features