What The Heck Is A “Designer Vagina”?

You’ve heard of designer shoes, designer bags, and designer brands – but have you heard of a “designer vagina”?? Also sometimes referred to as a “barbie vagina” or an “innie vagina”, designer vagina refers to the increasingly popular procedure known as labiaplasty. Labiaplasty is a safe, straightforward treatment that uses a trimming technique to reduce the size of an enlarged labia. The purpose of labiaplasty is to leave patients with a natural-appearing, more even, or thinner labia. 

At first blush labiaplasty might sound like a purely cosmetic procedure, but it can have major implications on your quality of life. Patients with an enlarged labia often deal with chronic irritation due to friction from everyday things, like exercise or tighter pants. Having an enlarged labia also impacts your sex life, making it harder to acheive clitoral stimulation during sex. 

If you’re considering a labiaplasty, you’re in the right place: Dr. Shashoua performs at least 150 labiaplasties every year. Patients not only seek out Dr. Shashoua for his surgical expertise; they also come to ALVR because we’re able to safely conduct many procedures  from the comfort of our offices to keep costs down. Ready to learn more? Let’s chat about what you can expect from your procedure. 
First and foremost, all patients that come to ALVR for a labiaplasty will have an initial consultation. During your consultation, we’ll review your symptoms and work together to determine the best treatment plan for you and your labia. We’re thrilled to offer virtual consultations too, for patients who might not be in the Austin-area but want to have a labiaplasty at ALVR (vajay-cays are totally a thing we recommend!). After your consultation, we’ll schedule your labiaplasty!

On the day of your procedure, you’ll come to our office and we’ll provide you with medications to help you relax and ease any discomfort. We’ll apply a topical anesthetic to help numb the area beforehand, and we will continue to use analgesic to use throughout the procedure as needed. Dr. Shashoua then uses a trimming technique to minimize the thicker skin that runs along the opening of the vagina to the clitoral hood. In some instances, we might also perform a clitoral hood reduction. This involves reducing the skin where the clitoral hood meets the labia using something called the wedge technique. If the clitoris is drooping, we are also able to perform a clitoropexy, which reduces the tissue around the clitoris and “lifts” it away from excess tissue. 

Once you’re done with your procedure, it’s time to recover! Because you’re going to be drowsy from the medications, you’ll need to have someone who can drive you home afterwards. We recommend that you take a week off work or any activity – more time to chill in bed and watch your favorite shows! We’ll also schedule time for a couple follow-up appointments to ensure everything is healing appropriately. 

If you want to learn more about labiaplasty, feel free to contact us and schedule a free consultation. We’re happy to answer any questions you might have – seriously, ask us anything!