Not many of us had heard of labiaplasty just 5 years ago, but suddenly, it’s all the rage in the world of plastic surgery. What explains this sudden explosion of interest in the procedure? There have been no scientific polls that explain the reasons that more people are seeking labiaplasty, but there are many probably explanations.
I tend to think that the increased interest in labiaplasty is related to the evolving social trends affecting ladies across the U.S. (and to some extent, around the world). There are four areas that probably motivate more people to want to receive this procedure.
First, many women experience physical irritation and even pain of the labia minora. This discomfort is aggravated by trying to take part in a physically active lifestyle. When the labia minora protrude beyond the labia majora’s protection, they are apt to come into contact more often with external forces. Thus, activities such as horseback riding, biking, or just wearing tight clothing become less than enjoyable because of prolonged labial irritation. And these physical activities, as American women become more health-conscious, are gaining in popularity at about the same time that labiaplasty is.
A second reason that more women are seeking labiaplasty is that they feel humiliated about accidentally exposing their labia to public view if they wear certain kinds of clothing. Sheer panties or thong bathing suits are two good examples. Again, these are much more in style than they were even a couple of decades ago, which means exposed labia is more of an issue than it once was. A third reason explaining the increased popularity of labiaplasty is the impact that “Brazilian Grooming”is having regarding a woman’s pubic region.The trend today, adopted by more and more women, is toward waxing, shaving or other forms of hair removal. And when a woman gets rid of pubic hair, this makes the labial detail much more visible. So for many women, their choice comes down to either not shaving the pubic hair, shaving it and risking embarrassment, or getting a labiaplasty to get rid of the embarrassment.
The fourth probably explanation of the rising interest in labiaplasty is that there is an increased scrutiny of other women’s genital appearance, thanks to an increased fascination in the media, such as movies, magazines, websites and other media. And women want to be like the women they see in these media.
Are any of these reasons “right” or “wrong” reasons? It depends on the woman. As long as she’s an emotionally mature person and understands that labiaplasty should be done to make her comfortable, but not to make her happy, then she is the best qualified person to make that decision.
