A “designer vagina” is a broad term that defines aesthetically pleasing and functionally impeccable female genitalia, and the medical and surgical procedures to obtain it. Sometimes procedures to enhance pleasure during sexual intercourse are included in this broad definition. Designer vagina refers to multiple anatomical structures in the vaginal region:
- Mons pubis, the round area of subcutaneous fat tissue extending from the lower abdomen to the vaginal lips
- Labia majora, or outer vaginal lips
- Labia minora, or inner vaginal lips
- Clitoris, located in the central upper portion
- Clitoral hood, also known as prepuce which is the skin covering the clitoris
- Vagina, the elastic canal between the external genitalia and the cervix.
- G-Spot, the erogenous area inside the vagina on its anterior wall.
- Hymen, the mucous membrane partially covering the vaginal opening
- Perineum, the area between the anus and the vulva (external genitalia)
Comments from partners or friends, comparison with pictures and videos found online, or self-judgement based on a perceived ideals may impair self-esteem and self-confidence; in the past, the aesthetics and functionality of the vagina were considered a taboo, but now thanks to celebrities speaking about it and media attention there’s been a huge increase in interest and patient demand for genital cosmetic procedures.
Table of Contents
What does a designer vagina look like?
Although there is no standard or ideal female genitalia as it varies among cultures, most people would define it aesthetically as:
- Symmetrical labia minora not protruding past the labia majora
- Symmetrical and full labia majora with no excess hanging skin
- Short non-protruding clitoral hood
- Non-protruding mons pubis
Overall all structures should be symmetrical, should not be visible when wearing tight clothing, and there should be no excess skin or too much volume / fat tissue.
From a functional point of view, the ideal female genitalia should:
- Not cause discomfort, pain or irritation. This often happens when wearing tight clothes, playing sports or during other physical activities.
- Not interfere with sexual intercourse.
- Not cause hygiene concerns.
- Feel pleasure during sexual intercourse
Besides the individual anatomy, also aging, congenital factors, trauma, pregnancy or childbirth can modify the anatomy of the female genitalia as well as cause issues such as pain and discomfort, incontinence, or decreased sensation.
What surgeries and procedures are available to have a designer vagina?
There is some confusion when it comes to the names of the procedures available for female genital cosmetic surgery. Here’s an overview of the most common surgical and non-surgical procedures and names used, both the medical terms and the general terms that you may encounter online.
- Labia minora reduction or Nymphoplasty or Labiaplasty
- Labia majora reduction or Majoraplasty
- Labia majora augmentation
- Clitoral hood reduction
- Perineoplasty
- Vaginal rejuvenation
- Vulvoplasty
- Vaginoplasty aka vaginal rejuvenation or colporrhaphy
- Non-surgical vaginal tightening aka nonsurgical vaginal rejuvenation
- Hymenoplasty or hymen reconstruction
- Monsplasty or mons pubis liposuction with pubic lift
- Genital Hair removal
- G-spot enhancement or g-spot amplification
- O-shot (orgasm shot)
- Vulvar lightening and anal bleaching
These procedures may sometimes be combined for best results and for meeting the patient’s expectations. Moreover, some procedures may cause changes to other anatomical regions: reducing the labia may overly expose the clitoral skin requiring subsequent or concomitant clitoral hood reduction; a perineoplasty generally produces also the aesthetic effect of joining the labia majora. For this reason it is important to be treated by surgeons with extensive experience in cosmetic female genital surgery, in order to avoid the need for unnecessary procedures or for subsequent corrective surgeries.
Labia Minora Reduction Surgery
Also known as nymphoplasty or labiaplasty, the labia minora reduction surgery addresses one of the most common reported issues by patients: inner lips protruding past the labia majora which also may or may not be asymmetrical. It is one of the most requested female cosmetic genital operations with an increasing demand over the past years: it is estimated that 90% of cosmetic genital procedures in women involves the labia minora. There are two main surgical techniques available and the outcome appears to improve not only the psychological state of the patient thanks to the improved aesthetics, but also improve sexual satisfaction and decrease or solve pain during intercourse.
Labia majora reduction
Also known as majoraplasty, the labia majora reduction surgery aims at reducing the sagginess, excess skin or excess fat deposit of the labia majora. It may be performed as a stand-alone procedure, or in conjunction with labia minora reduction, or as a two-stage surgery.
Labia Majora augmentation
Due to aging, changes associated with hormones or pregnancy, or due to massive weight loss, the labia majora may lose volume and fullness. A surgeon may perfom labia majora augmentation by fat transfer or filler injection to restore the volume lost and address the bagginess.
Clitoral hood reduction
Clitoral hood reduction surgery is the reduction of excess skin covering the clitoris.
Clitoral hood reduction is one of the most common reasons why patients may seek revision surgery after the labiaplasty: trimming of the labia minora may cause the clitoral hood skin to protrude or be more visible resulting in requests for additional surgery. For this reason, clitoral hood reduction is often performed in combination with the labiaplasty.
Perineoplasty
Also known as perineorrhaphy, the perineoplasty addresses muscular and tissue laxity of the perineal region and the vaginal opening. This may be caused by obesity, childbirth or physiological aging. The procedure may also tighten the lower vaginal wall in which case it is called colpoperineoplasty. Perineoplasty may also refer to the opposite procedure, performed to loosen the vaginal opening and perineal musculature in women who suffer from dyspareunia, which is pain during sexual intercourse.
Vaginal rejuvenation
Vaginal rejuvenation is a marketing/commercial term used to refer to any of the many female genital cosmetic surgeries as well as the noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures that may help in achieving a more youthful appearance of the genitalia as well as improve sensation and sexual satisfaction.
Vulvoplasty
Vulvoplasty is a medical term which literally means reshaping of the vulva. It refers to any of the many plastic surgery procedures that reshape the vulva which includes the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris and clitoral hood, vaginal opening and mons pubis.
Vaginoplasty
Often called surgical vaginal tightening and also known as colporrhaphy, the vaginoplasty is a procedure to tighten the walls of the vaginal canal. Due to childbirth, aging or other reasons a woman may experience vaginal laxity which will result in sexual dissatisfaction. With this surgery part of the mucosa may be removed, while muscles and other tissues are tightened by using sutures resulting in a tighter vaginal canal and improved sexual satisfaction.
Non-surgical vaginal tightening
Nonsurgical vaginoplasty involves the use of laser or radiofrequency medical devices inside the vagina. The energy and heat produced by such devices stimulates collagen production thus inducing vaginal tightening. The treatment appears to improve also mild and moderate stress urinary incontinence. ThermiVa®, FemiLift®, IntimaLase® and MonaLisa Touch® are some of the most advertised brand names of such devices.
Hymenoplasty or hymen reconstruction
Hymenoplasty, also known as revirginization, is the repair or reconstruction of the hymen. This may be done for socio-cultural beliefs or as a way of reclaiming control after a sexual assault in conjunction with psychotherapy.
Monsplasty or mons pubis liposuction with pubic lift
Monsplasty addresses the bulging of the fat pad in the mons pubis area. There may also be excess skin in the area which will require a pubic skin lift procedure as well. Often times when there is excess fat in the mons pubis the labia majora have excess volume as well. Excess fat and volume in these areas is often caused by obesity or being overweight, and weight loss by itself rarely eliminates such fat deposits, hence requiring surgical intervention.
Genital Hair removal
IPL or laser genital hair removal are permanent treatments to avoid the recurrent ingrown hair, pain, regrowth as well as time and money spent on waxing or other temporary hair removal procedures.
G-spot enhancement or g-spot amplification
Also known as G-Shot, the g-spot amplification is a nonsurgical procedure to increase sexual pleasure by increasing the sensitivity of the Grafenberg Spot. G-spot amplification consists of injecting a dermal filler directly into the G-Spot.
O-shot or orgasm shot
O-Shot is another nonsurgical procedure to improve sexual dysfunction and increase sexual pleasure. It uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) that is injected in the area of the clitoris and in the G-Spot.
Vulvar lightening and anal bleaching
Vaginal and anal whitening to even out the skin tone in the genital area may be achieved with a variety of treatments including the application of alpha-hydroxy acids, chemical peels and medical lasers.
Risks and controversies about the designer vagina procedures
Some medical professionals and medical associations raise concerns about cosmetic genital surgeries and procedures. The main ones, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), are:
- As any other medical or surgical procedure there are some risks. Being cosmetic procedures, they are not medically indicated.
- There’s lack of long-term studies about these surgeries and procedures. There is no high-quality data to understand the effectiveness of such procedures as well as their risk profile and potential complications.
- There is great variability in the look of female genitalia. Patients should be aware that size, shape and color vary considerably among women; aging, childbirth and hormones (puberty, menopause, …) further modify the appearance of female genitals. Moreover, there is no standard of beauty. Preoperative patient counseling is essential.
For more detailed information on the specific procedures and their potential risks and complications, check out the dedicated articles!
Sources
- Female genital cosmetic surgery: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
M Serati, S Salvatore – International Urogynecology Journal, Jun 2018 - Elective Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery: ACOG Committee Opinion, Number 795
PF Schnatz, LA Boardman – Obstetrics & Gynecology, Jan 2020 - Essential of Aesthetic Surgery.
JE Janis – Thieme, 2018 - Female Cosmetic Genital Sugery – Concepts, Classification, and Techniques.
CA Hamori – Thieme, 2017 - Plastic Surgery Principles, Volume 2: Aesthetic, 4th Edition
JP Rubin – Elsevier, 2018 - International Textbook of Aesthetic Surgery
N Scuderi – Springer, 2016 - Aesthetic and Functional Labiaplasty
S Gress – Springer, 2017 - The Art of Aesthetic Surgery Principles and Techniques – 2nd Edition
F Nahai – Quality Medical Publishing, 2011 - The Unfavorable Result in Plastic Surgery – Avoidance and Treatment, 4th Edition
MN Cohen – Thieme, 2018 - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
