Am I too Old or Young for Labiaplasty? 18-75

When people think of plastic surgery, a few of the procedures that probably come to mind first are breast augmentation, liposuction, and butt lifts. Tales of celebrities undergoing these surgeries frequently grace the pages of popular magazines, and some of these procedures even make appearances in advertisements on billboards and park benches. However, there is at least one area of plastic surgery that is becoming increasingly common, but still remains somewhat taboo – labiaplasty. This is a surgical procedure that reduces the size of the labia or “wings” that frame the vaginal opening. This blog post will explain the reasons many women are interested in labiaplasty, provide a brief overview of the procedure itself, and address a common question of there is a such a thing as being too old or too young for this procedure.

Whether it’s due to aging, the effects of childbirth, or simply one’s genetics, it is not uncommon for a woman to experience embarrassment or discomfort due to her external genitalia at some point in her life. Sometimes, women are unhappy that their labia appear elongated or asymmetrical, causing embarrassment with sexual partners or even showing through form-fitting clothing such as yoga pants or bathing suit bottoms. In other cases, the labia may be enlarged to a point of causing pain or discomfort during intercourse or from rubbing against clothing. Dr. Traci Temmen understands that experiencing embarrassment or discomfort over this very intimate area of the body can be distressing for many women, and is committed to making every patient feel comfortable and cared for from initial consultation to post-op follow up. Patients are consistently impressed with her gentle bedside manner and meticulous surgical approach, and feel at ease knowing that their procedure will be performed with the utmost discretion and privacy at Temmen Plastic Surgery.

The labiaplasty procedure itself is a short procedure that generally takes approximately 45 minutes, and is performed under local anesthesia. Most patients are very pleased with the short length of the procedure and that they are able to return home shortly after with little to no down time. During the consultation for a labiaplasty, Dr. Temmen works with the patient and makes precise measurements to determine exactly how much tissue will be removed in order to create the desired final result. During the surgery itself, Dr. Temmen carefully removes the excess tissue from the labia minora and closes the incision so that the suture line is oriented away from the vaginal opening. This ensures that there will be minimal rubbing against the incision line during intercourse, optimizing patient comfort. Generally, the goal of this part of the procedure is to make it so that the labia minora lie closer to the body where they can be protected by the outer labia majora, eliminating painful friction. For some women who wish to also reduce the size of their labia majora, Dr. Temmen may peform liposuction or surgical excision of this tissue as well during the procedure.

Now that we have gone over the possible indications for a labiaplasty as well as the overall description of the procedure, I will answer one of the most common questions on the minds of many women who are considering this procedure, which is, “What age should I get a labiaplasty?” When considering this procedure, many women find themselves asking if they’re too young or too old for a labiaplasty. In fact, for this procedure, age is actually not a big factor. As discussed above, this procedure is fairly short, requires minimal down time, and is performed primarily on the superficial soft tissue in the genital region. Dr. Temmen has performed safe and effective labiaplasties on patients of all ages, ranging from as young as 13 up to age 75, with great results across the board. There is no need to worry if you are the “wrong age” for a labiaplasty, because there isn’t really a wrong age. What’s important is that the patient has thought through her reasons for getting this procedure such as those discussed above, and feels confident in her decision and in her choice of a board-certified plastic surgeon who frequently performs labiaplasties with excellent outcomes. It is always a good idea also to view some real patient examples of Before and After pictures when choosing a surgeon in order to get a better idea of what kind of result you may expect. There are many photos of labiaplasty results in the Before and After section of this website that show Dr. Temmen’s consistently excellent surgical results.

Whether a woman is interested in learning more about labiaplasty due to embarrassment or dissatisfaction with her appearance or to alleviate pain and discomfort, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Traci Temmen understands that this is a very personal decision, and works hard to ensure that every patient feels listened to and cared for throughout their experience. If you are interested in learning more about if you may be a candidate for this procedure, please call 813-771-6393 to schedule your one-on-one consultation with Dr. Traci Temmen, MD today.