Apparently not only houses and humans need to be restored to their former appearance or vigor, but vaginas do too.
Welcome to the world of female genital cosmetic surgery – where “stressed” vaginas can be rejuvenated with procedures such as vaginoplasty, labiaplasty, G-spot augmentation, clitoral “unhooding” and hymen reconstruction (aka “revirginization”).
The past decade has seen an increase in the popularity of surgery in the nether regions – among women who’ve experienced multiple childbirths, married couples who are trying to “put the sparkle” back into their marriage, or single women who are trying to regain their “maidenhood”.
With prices ranging from US$5,000 to $10,000, vaginal rejuvenation is now a multi-million dollar industry. Health Sense managed to speak to Dr Marco Faria Correa, the winner of the “Most Outstanding International Leader in Liposuction and Cosmetic Surgery for the year 2009” award, to give us some insight into this new phenomenon.
HS: What is vaginoplasty?
DM: Vaginoplasty, otherwise known as vaginal rejuvenation, is a surgical procedure that tightens vaginal muscles that have stretched as a result of childbirth, for enhanced sexual experience. For women who’ve experienced multiple childbirths, vaginal muscles tend to experience enlargement because of the stressful expansion during delivery.
What is the most common form of female genital cosmetic surgery you do?
I specialize in labiaplasty – a surgery to help reduce and/or reshape the labia minora, which is the skin that covers the female clitoris and vaginal opening. At times, women with large labia can experience pain during intercourse, feel discomfort during everyday activities or become embarrassed when wearing tight-fitting clothing.
Others may feel unattractive, or wish to enhance their sexual experiences by removing some of the skin that covers the clitoris through liposuction in the pubis area. The aim of labiaplasty is to better define the inner labia. During this procedure the urethral opening can be redefined, and if necessary improvements to the vagina may be made. The problem can be caused by genetics, sexual intercourse or difficulties in childbirth. Sometimes the problem is related to the flabbiness of the lower abdomen, where the whole pubis and growing area are drooping.
I mostly focus on external cosmetic work. A gynecologist performs the inner work of tightening the vagina, like perineoplasty.
Who would be a suitable candidate for labiaplasty and why?
Normally this procedure is for women who are in their 40s, but those who have had multiple pregnancies in their 30s may also be suitable.
While some women dislike excess hanging skin for aesthetic reasons, others simply cannot bear the pain they experience when the excess skin rubs against their pants or underwear. Not to mention the excruciating pain from friction during intercourse. This causes them to lose confidence and have low self-esteem when they are with their partners.
The actual cause of the excess hanging skin of the labia minora is unclear, but it is mostly due to aging, decreasing estrogen, menopause or even loosing weight. The major labia and the pubis area also tend to shrink and become empty when one starts to age.
With this in mind, we can assume women opt for labiaplasty for both aesthetic and medical reasons.
How is this procedure performed?
The procedure can be done as a stand-alone surgery under local anesthesia and it usually takes between one and two hours, depending on how much work needs to be done. Patients can be discharged the same day. I start by accessing the amount of excess skin a patient has while standing.
The excess skin is marked then trimmed. The wound is closed with stitches that are absorbable. This is a very dry and bloodless procedure. The incision scars are hardly noticeable.
On the other hand, if the major labia has shrunk in size and become empty, we would recommend fat grafting to the labia minora and also to the pubis area to rebuild the fullness of the area. This makes the pubis and labia area to have a younger and more attractive appearance. The fat is harvested with a small session of liposuction. Excess fat can be extracted from the arms, inner thighs, knees or wherever the patients feel would be suitable for a small liposuction.
How can labiaplasty improve a woman’s life?
The purpose of labiaplasty is to improve the external appearance of the vagina. After the procedure most women have less discomfort during intercourse, feel more positive about their appearance and show overall improvement in self-esteem. The hanging labia sometimes also interfere with women’s personal hygiene.
How much do such a procedures cost?
The cost for labiaplasty alone starts at S$6,000.
Articles in this column, which will appear every two weeks, are provided by a panel of doctors from www.flyfreeforhealth.com, a platform providing adopters of healthy lifestyles with travel and lifestyle incentives. Doctors include Dr. Marco Faria-Correa, one of Brazil’s most renowned plastic surgeons, a worldwide pioneer in endoscopic techniques in plastic surgery. Join our free online seminar on “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)” on Wednesday, January 19, 2010, at 12.00 WIB. Register your email address by SMS to +65 98473224 to receive the link invite or email us at info@flyfreeforhealth.com
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