Cosmetic Vulval Conditions.

Increasingly many women are becoming aware of the effect of their general vulva appearances on their overall self and sexual confidence. The perception of what is acceptable of what should be acceptable is further strengthened by increasing propaganda for health consciousness and physical exercise, resulting in increasing use of the gyms, swimming pools, spas, where ladies tend to have the opportunity to compare their genital configuration and features with thoses of other in the changing room, etc. The ease availability of pprnogrpahic photograpy and ot her media presentations and discussions have created awareness of a need to review what ladies considered acceptable for them, or more commonly, what they had “suffered” in silence, without the confidence to discuss with anyone or seek help, becasue of lack of awareness that these conditions (or rather concerns) exisit. The manin concerns expressed relating to vulva appearances are:

• Excessive Inner Labial Skin and Protrusion
• Excessive Clitoral hood Skin and Protrusion
• Enlargement of Clitoris
• Bulky and Enlarged or Lax Outer Labia
• Perineal Disfigurement following Childbirth

Amongst scientific bodies, it is not agreed that any of these constitute clinical abnormalities and therefore are not regarded as abnormal findings, but rather individual variations and the result of life events and aging.

The usually age range of ladies who express concerns in this area ranges from 15 – 60 years, but the peak ages are between 21-35 years. Concerns with perineal disfigurement are often an issue for those in their 30-40s, and often following breakdown in marital or sexual relationships. The anxieties generated by prospects of commencing new sexual relationships with their own concern about their vulva appearance are what drives them to seek help in this area.

Despite attempt for clinician to allay their concerns in helping them understand what is acceptable as normal variations, many ladies do not find this particualry helpful. While it is quite common to delay surgical plans, after this type of clinical input, encouraging them to “accept” their physical difference, eventually, opt to have cosmetic surgical correction.

Surgical correction available include Labial Reduction, Clitoral Hood Reduction, (different from Clitoral Reduction – which is treatment of Clitoral enlargement), Perineal and Fourchette Reshaping or Reconstruction or Perineoplasty. A combination of these surgical procedures is what constitute labioplasty or vulvoplasty. See www.gynecosmetics.com for more information.