Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery
It may be a bit of a social taboo but the fact is that vaginal cosmetic surgery is becoming a mainstream cosmetic procedure - accelerated by the new found interest in the ?designer vagina'.
When some of the world's biggest women's magazines start printing features about the wonders of the designer vagina and vaginal surgery you know that perceptions are changing.
In the US, plastic surgeons are beginning to step up the marketing for such vaginal cosmetic procedures as vaginoplasty, labiaplasty, pubis reduction and labia majora augmentation - all of which fall under the umbrella of female genital surgery - as demand begins to grow.
So what is the big deal about vaginal cosmetic surgery and where is the demand coming from for labiaplasty, labia majora augmentation, mons pubis reduction and vaginoplasty? The first thing to do is to explain briefly what each one is.
Types of Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery
Labiaplasty - This is where plastic surgeons reduce the size of the inner or outer vagina lips or labia and is the most common female genital surgery procedure. It is often done to stop the inner lips protruding out for women embarrassed about the look of their vagina or they even experience pain because of it during such activities as cycling, rowing and even walking.
Labia majora augmentation - When a woman gets older and experiences the menopause the outer labia (labia majora) thins due to a lack of fat deposits. Plastic surgery will correct it, usually by having fat injected into the labia majora.
Mons pubis reduction - The pubic bone, or mons pubis can also caused embarrassment if it is too big and some women want it reduced to help feel more comfy in tighter clothes. Good old liposuction is used here to remove fat from it, reducing the size of the area.
Vaginoplasty - This procedure is carried out on a regular basis on women that have had children and found that their vagina is no longer as tight as it was. A matter that can inhibit their enjoyment of sex. This is commonly the procedure referred to as designer vagina surgery and vaginoplasty is a very common surgery. During the Plastic surgery the vaginal muscles are tightened and vaginal wall excess is removed to enhance feel.
Other vaginal cosmetic surgery procedures - There are lots of smaller vaginal surgery procedures including G-spot amplification and even re-virginisation, which is where the hymen is recreated, often because of cultural beliefs, sexual crimes or religious beliefs.
The Truth about Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery:
While a lot is written about the pros of female genital surgery you hear very little about the realities of such vaginal surgery and facts are the currency of Cosmetic Answers. So what do the experts really think about female genital surgery?
All the talk and media interest has just provoked the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to release an official opinion on vaginal rejuvenation, designer vaginoplasty, revirgination and G-spot amplification. Their take is that it is wrong to make women believe that any vaginal surgery is ?accepted and routine'. They are not. They are plastic surgery procedures in the same way that liposuction or breast augmentation is.
They went further too, saying that there are ?obvious risks' involved and that patients may be further traumatized by vaginal rejuvenation, designer vaginoplasty, revirgination and G-spot amplification.
These statements of caution are welcome, making women more aware of the risks involved so they can make a more informed decision. By far the most important thing to do when considering and female genital surgery is to get all the facts first and talk at length with trusted plastic surgeons that specialise in the procedures and, if possible, clients who have already undertaken the surgery.
The ACOG took a slightly more mellow stance on procedures such as labiaplasty for the treatment of labial hypertrophy (increased labia size/bulk) or asymmetrical labial growth, as these are seen as procedures that treat more traditional medical conditions.
So how do you make the choice of whether or not to undergo vaginal cosmetic surgery?
A good place to start is to understand what a normal vagina really is.
Doctors working in the area of gynaecological health can play an important role here as they see a wide variation of genitals in their practices. They can allay any concerns a woman might have about the appearance of her genitals by explaining the commonness of different variations and how the genitals change throughout life. After all, a ?normal' vagina for a 60 year old is a very different thing to a 20 something and is not something to be embarrassed about.
The fact is, vaginas, like the rest of your body, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and so normal is quite often a very hard thing to pinpoint. Women don't see other women's genitals in the same way that men do so it can be easy to become self conscious about your supposed abnormality, when the reality could be that every third person is the same!
Take a recent study as an example, which measured 50 women between 18 and 50. It found that the labia minora ranged from 20-100mm long ways and from 7-50mm in width. And the colour of the labia minora was anywhere from deep pink, brownish pink to reddish pink!