Labiaplasty has become an essential procedure in vaginal rejuvenation. This superstar surgery has been referred to as the path to a designer vagina. In our Bloomington office, we view labiaplasty as an advantageous surgery through which women regain optimal physical and emotional comfort.
What is labiaplasty?
The labiaplasty surgical technique is performed on the external tissue we refer to as the labia minora and labia majora. These flaps of tissue may change in adolescence when hormones flood the body’s sexual organs. Childbirth and the natural aging process are also factors in the transformation of a woman’s labia. Whatever the cause of unexpected changes, loose and elongated skin can make a woman feel uncomfortable with her physical appearance. Excess tissue also presents physical challenges with clothing and sex. Labiaplasty can resolve the discomfort a woman endures.
What You Want to Know
Scarring
Women who are struggling with the issues created by excess labia tissue can tolerate the idea of surgery to improve the area around the vaginal opening. After all, anesthesia and painkillers make the procedure completely comfortable. What patients do sometimes worry about is post-surgical scarring. Labiaplasty incisions are typically closed with dissolvable sutures. Over the course of 3 to 4 weeks, these stitches spontaneously absorb, leaving behind natural scars. At first, scar tissue will feel firm. As tissue healing progresses, though, the labia return to a softer, suppler texture. Labiaplasty scars are usually neither felt nor seen.
Swelling and Itching
Prescription or over-the-counter pain medication can dramatically improve comfort by decreasing soreness and tenderness after labiaplasty. The side effects that are most troublesome are swelling and itching. Fortunately, both of these side effects can be alleviated with the same remedy: cold compresses. In most cases, itching and swelling decrease considerably within a week after surgery. Skin can also be dabbed with a cotton ball soaked in witch hazel to soothe itching.
Activity after Labiaplasty
Patients considering labiaplasty often want to know how long they can expect to be off their game, so to speak. The extent of activity that can be enjoyed after labiaplasty relates to the progression of tissue healing. For instance, most patients can return to work after a week to ten days. Exercise may be slowly resumed after two weeks, with more strenuous exercise resumed after a month of rest. Sexual intercourse may be resumed after several weeks. Some patients need to weight eight weeks or more to allow full healing of incisions.
Learn more about the labiaplasty procedure at (309) 664-1007.