How Much Does Labiaplasty Cost

Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure that reshapes the labia minora, a set of skin folds around your vagina. It is a type of vaginal rejuvenation technique or genital plastic surgery. It is often done to improve the appearance of the genital area and make the skin folds symmetrical. But it can also help relieve uncomfortable symptoms caused by excess skin and improve genital hygiene.¹

Here’s everything you need to know about the procedure, including labiaplasty cost, benefits, risks, recovery, and more.

Who Is Labiaplasty for?

Female genitals include two skin folds or lips that surround the vaginal opening. They are called the labia. The larger outer skin folds are the labia majora, while the smaller inner folds are called the labia minora. The labia minora protect your vagina and urethra. The labia and the vaginal opening form the external genitalia called the vulva.²

Labia vary in size among women depending on factors like genetics, childbirth, aging, and sexual activity. Some women may feel self-conscious about the size of their labia, especially during intercourse. They may want to increase or decrease the size of their labia.³

Aging and childbirth can elongate and enlarge the labial skin folds. Women with enlarged labia may not feel confident or comfortable wearing swimwear or exercise pants. Others may experience discomfort caused by the pinching or twisting of their labia’s excess skin during exercise, activity, or intercourse. The excess skin may result in pain, itching, irritation, poor hygiene, and an increased risk of infection. Women may want to remove the excess skin from the labia minora.⁴

If you’re not satisfied with the size of your labia, you can get a labiaplasty done. It is one of the most common genital plastic surgeries.⁵

How Is Labiaplasty Done?

Labiaplasty is a simple, outpatient procedure that takes 1 or 2 hours.⁶ Depending on your requirement, your plastic surgeon will either remove excess skin to decrease the labia’s size or inject filler material to enlarge it. Sometimes, your doctor may even reconstruct your labia from other tissue.⁷

Techniques to reduce the size of the labia include:

Trim procedure or direct excision: The trim procedure involves surgical removal of excess skin. The doctor then sutures the incision.⁸ But it may not retain the natural look and texture of the labia.⁹

Wedge procedure: The wedge procedure involves reducing the volume of the thickest part of the labia minora to retain its natural look and texture.¹⁰

Deepithelialization: This procedure involves removing small amounts of skin tissue from the labia.¹¹

For enlargement, your surgeon will collect fat from your thigh or abdomen through liposuction and inject it into your labia. Alternatively, they may inject fillers like hyaluronic acid into your labia.¹²

What Are the Benefits of Labiaplasty?

Women with large labia may have trouble with exercise, physical activity, hygiene, infections, and sexual activity. They may also feel self-conscious in front of their sexual partners.¹³

Labiaplasty offers both functional and cosmetic benefits including:¹⁴

Improved genital hygiene
Reduced risk of infections
Improved appearance of the labia, especially post-childbirth
Improved self-esteem and confidence
Relief from pain and irritation
Restored ability to exercise and have sex without discomfort

How Much Is a Labiaplasty?

As per the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the average labiaplasty price is $4,000 to $10,000 as of 2024. However, the total labiaplasty cost may vary based on the following factors:¹⁵

Experience and qualification of your plastic surgeon
Location of your treatment provider
Inclusion of consultation fees
Anesthesiologist fees
Medical expenses for drugs, equipment, and materials
Recovery expenses including special equipment, follow-ups

Is A Labiaplasty Medically Necessary?

Labiaplasty is considered a cosmetic procedure and isn’t medically necessary. But if you have irritation, painful symptoms, or recurring infections because of your labia, it can interfere with your daily activities. In such cases, labiaplasty is required.¹⁶

Is Labiaplasty Cost Covered by Insurance?

Labiaplasty reshapes the labia and alters their appearance. It is typically considered cosmetic surgery. Most insurance policies don’t cover cosmetic procedures.

However, some women may undergo labiaplasty if their labia are damaged due to trauma, injury, or childbirth. In such cases, labiaplasty is considered a reconstructive surgery, which can be covered by insurance.¹⁷

So, check with your treatment provider to know if labiaplasty costs are covered by insurance at their clinic.

What Are the Risks of a Labiaplasty?

Like any other procedure, labiaplasty may have some risks. They include:¹⁸

Bleeding in the treated area
Scarring on the labia
Infection in the treated area
Reduced sensitivity of the genitals
Too much skin removal, leaving the vaginal opening exposed and vulnerable to infection
Numbness and dryness in the treated area
Pain during vaginal sex

Some people may also have clot formation in the labia and allergic reactions to anesthesia.¹⁹

What Are the Results After Labiaplasty?

After a labiaplasty, you’ll notice that the pinching and twisting sensation goes away. About 91% of women feel satisfied with their labiaplasty.²⁰ However, you may have soreness, bruising, or swelling in the treated area. It can last for about two weeks. You may find it difficult to sit or pee. But your doctor will give you painkillers to relieve your symptoms and antibiotics to prevent infection.²¹

What Is the Recovery Time of a Labiaplasty?

You’ll need about two weeks off work to recover after the surgery.²² But the swelling and treatment wound will fully heal in about 4 to 6 months.²³

During the recovery period, keep the treated area clean to prevent infection. You can take salt or sitz baths to relieve soreness. Also, wear loose underwear and clothes to avoid chafing. Visit your doctor for follow-ups to ensure proper recovery.²⁴

Post-labiaplasty, avoid taking long showers and doing strenuous activity and exercise for a few weeks.²⁵ Avoid sex and tampon use for about 4 to 6 weeks. Use sanitary pads instead of tampons.²⁶

Find the Right Doctor for a Labiaplasty

If you wish to get a labiaplasty, here are some tips for finding a good plastic surgeon for you:²⁷

Check the doctor’s qualifications, specialization, and experience
Ensure that they’re a board-certified plastic surgeon
Check the clinic’s reviews by previous patients
Book an appointment for a consultation before the procedure
Ask the doctor questions about the labiaplasty surgery, its complications, follow-up, and patient satisfaction rates

To learn more, check out My Body Treatment’s repository of information on labiaplasty and other cosmetic surgeries.

SOURCES:

American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty and what does it involve?”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty and what does it involve?”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty?.”
NHS: “ Labiaplasty (vulval surgery).”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
Eplasty: “ Indications, Techniques and Complications of Labiaplasty.”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty and what does it involve?”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
Eplasty: “ Indications, Techniques and Complications of Labiaplasty.”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty and what does it involve?”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
Aedit: “ How Much Does A Labiaplasty Cost?”
Healthline: “ Everything You Need to Know About Labiaplasty.”
Aedit: “ How Much Does A Labiaplasty Cost?”
Healthline: “ Everything You Need to Know About Labiaplasty.”
NHS: “ Labiaplasty (vulval surgery).”
Healthline: “ Everything You Need to Know About Labiaplasty.”
NHS: “ Labiaplasty (vulval surgery).”
NHS: “ Labiaplasty (vulval surgery).”
Cleveland Clinic: “ Labiaplasty.”
Healthline: “ Everything You Need to Know About Labiaplasty.”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty and what does it involve?”
American Society of Plastic Surgeons: “ What is a labiaplasty?.”
NHS: “ Labiaplasty (vulval surgery).”

Table of Content