How do I talk to my parents about Labiaplasty?

Something Extra Where You Don’t Want It

Getting your period, growing breasts, fragrant armpits, and hairy legs are some of the perfectly natural but sometimes challenging gifts of blossoming into womanhood. Some days it feels exhilarating. Others, like an inconvenient truth.

Surfing a giant wave of new hormones can feel like an extreme sport physically and emotionally. As part of this sea change, some young women develop something “extra” that’s almost never discussed in a typical “right-of-passage” conversation. That is the development of larger than average labia (vaginal lips). Trust us when we say that the bloom on two roses is never alike, and there is nothing bad or weird about your labia. But, if they reach a size that causes discomfort as you go about your daily activities, you may be dealing with what we refer to as labial hypertrophy. While it sounds like some sort of bronze statue on steroids, it can be a pain.

The New Normal…

We at ALVR are guessing you’ve found yourself here out of a mixture of curiosity and concern. You may be perusing labiaplasty photos, (labiaplasty before and after pictures), and/or vaginal rejuvenation pictures hoping to see an image resembling your own anatomy. Maybe you’ve advanced to searching for labiaplasty procedures in Austin, or you’re seeking an understanding about what kind of doctor does this sort of thing. In which case, a search for a board-certified Austin urogynecologist may have brought you here. In short, you’re an intelligent young woman conducting independent research on Vagina Variations. Specifically, you may be wondering why your vagina is causing you grief…

If your labia happen to fall into the XL category, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Women of all ages can have enlarged labia and it’s typically related to the completely normal hormones that rolled in on the pubescent tide. So, how do you know if you’re a Plus Size? You’re likely experiencing rubbing or tugging of your clothing “down there”. By the end of the day, you may be irritated or sore. Perhaps you’re the only one among your friends that seems to find form-fitting bottoms, like swimsuits, torture to wear. While either set of labia can become a little too large for comfort, it is often the inner labia (labia minora) that grow enough to create problems. These labia may be seen to protrude or hang down a bit.

Women find that excess labial tissue is a huge hindrance in running, ballet, swimming, gymnastics and more, due to the increased potential for rubbing and pinching. Protruding labia can also cause irritation that promotes or leads to recurring yeast infections that can become a real bane of existence.

What’s available? 

If you’re tired of living large, labia-wise, labiaplasty may be for you. Dr. Shashoua is a highly respected Austin urogynecologist with a staff that includes the awesome and lovely nurse practitioners Sarah Stiriss, and Kristin Longshore. Dr. Shashoua has performed hundreds of successful labiaplasties (an average of three per week). As the most trusted and recommended provider of labiaplasty procedures in Austin we thoroughly evaluate you and your medical history prior to recommending any surgical procedure or treatment. We make certain there is a mutual understanding of your objectives and the results you can expect.

If you are a candidate, your labiaplasty may be performed in our outpatient clinic under a local anesthetic and will require an intensive recovery period of about one week. Post-operative swelling can be soothed with cold compresses, and we’ll prescribe pain relievers that you’ll want to use as directed to stay head of any post-op pain. We are very experienced in helping women minimize pain and maximize comfort following surgery. You will need about a week off work or school, and to refrain from vigorous exercise (including sexual activity) for about six weeks. Then, you will begin to enjoy freedom from all the discomfort you suffered pre-surgery. Hello hiking, beach volleyball…bike rides!

The Talk

Now that you know all of this, how do you go about broaching the subject with your mom? With some mothers and daughters, this will be easier than others. But, what if you don’t have your mom to talk to and it’s your dad that you rely on for all things medically related? Whether it’s your mom, dad, or your Aunt (or Uncle) Sophie, one way to get started would be to point them to this blog post. Ask them to take a look, and say, “Ahem”…they’ll get the idea.

You can let them know that Dr. Shashoua is an experienced physician and surgeon board certified in the fields of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is highly experienced in pelvic floor reconstruction surgery and pioneered a widely adopted surgical procedure. He’s served as a member of the teaching faculty at Brackenridge Hospital and is highly respected by both patients and peers. There is no more inherently qualified Austin urogynecologist to perform labiaplasty procedures in Austin.

If you’re not sure you’re ready to broach this topic with your family member, or you have questions you’d like answered first, please call us. If your labia majora or minora is on your last Minerva, or if any other “female mystery” is worrying you, don’t be afraid to talk about it.

Use the facts to your advantage. To aid you in your research, our YouTube channel has tons of testimonials, before and after animations, and explainers on these procedures.

Speaking of…

Here are just a couple of more things that don’t get talked about much.

One thing we sometimes see and address are instances of an excessively, or completely hooded clitoris. Yep, just like it sounds, your clitoris wears a little “hoodie”, a fold of skin that protects your clitoris much like the penis’s foreskin. Sometimes this skin is excessive leading to issues including reduced pleasurable sensation during sex (once you choose to “go there”). A procedure called a clitoropexy can be performed to address this concern. If it’s indicated, it can also be performed at the same time as labiaplasty so that only one recovery time is involved.

Another issue, hymenal tags, are small outgrowths from the hymen that may concern for those that have them. Sometimes confused with genital warts, these usually benign growths can be removed during labiaplasty or as a separate procedure called hymenectomy (or hymenal remnants removal). Even though they’re generally harmless, they can become irritated through friction.

We’re ready to talk when you are. Young women often tell us how relieved they feel once they are able to speak to someone who understands their experience.