Video
Voiceover: 45 year old interior designer Alison is deeply embarrassed by her vagina.
Alison: I remember when I was 16, I just seemed to have a little bit of extra skin and I thought ‘is this how it’s supposed to look’? I don’t even really remember why I thought it wasn’t quite normal but my ageing process has made my problem worse. I think it’s saggy knees and wrinkles, everything goes south including that. It’s all vain stuff but you know it really matters when you are 45.
Voiceover: Newly single, Alison is all in a flap when it comes to exposing herself to a new partner.
Voiceover: She’s plucked up the courage to visit our clinic.
Alison: The debilitating factor for me is psychological, it’s mental, it’s what I will and won’t do in the intimacy of my bedroom and that means that I won’t easily undress in front of somebody. I won’t do certain acts of sex. Maybe I’m neurotic but it matters to me and that’s all I care about really.
Dr Pixie: What can I do for you?
Alison: It’s very embarrassing. I have a worrying concern down there.
Dr Pixie: Women’s bits.
Alison: Yes.
Dr Pixie: Right, ok. What exactly is the problem?
Alison: There is some skin hanging down and being just too much.
Dr Pixie: Does it seem to be on both sides of…
Alison: It’s on the inner part. It’s not really very attractive. I’ve just come to find out if I am normal or not normal.
Dr Pixie: Ok. Well, look Alison. No time like the present. Let’s get you up on the couch and let’s have a look. Now let’s take a look. Alison, you’ve got quite a lot of excess skin round here. Now the skin itself looks very, very healthy alright? So, I can’t see anything that would worry me, alright? Now it might be helpful if we could just get you to stand up. I just want to see how these lips actually protrude and stick out for you, you know, because that’s obviously what’s bothering you.
Alison: Yes. Absolutely yes.
Dr Pixie: From here, I can see straight on that they’re sticking right down aren’t they? Normally you wouldn’t get that appearance. I think I’ve seen all I need to see, I am sure you’re keen to get your clothes on.
Alison: Thank you.
Dr Pixie: Women will come in for a smear or an examination for another reason and they will have a similar appearance to yourself but to some women it doesn’t bother them. Don’t think you’re abnormal or a freak, what you’ve got is a normal variant.
Alison: Ok.
Dr Pixie: I think that we will be able to help you with this.
Alison: So they can help be look ok?
Dr Pixie: I’m not thinking a gynaecologist here, I’m thinking more a cosmetic surgeon.
Alison: Right.
Dr Pixie: They can do a fairly minor procedure and remove that excess skin for you.
Alison: That sounds brilliant.
Voiceover: It’s good news for Alison. Thanks to her courage, Dr McKenna has referred Alison to top Harley Street Surgeon Angelica Kavouni.
Ms Kavouni: The problem is more obvious on the right hand side; there is a degree of asymmetry.
Alison: It’s horrible isn’t it?
Ms Kavouni: It’s not horrible but there is definitely too much tissue there.
Voiceover: Ms Kavouni suggests a surgical technique to take the weight off Alison’s mind and remove her little secret. Alison is having a labiaplasty where the excess tissue from her inner labia will be surgically removed. Ms Kavouni performed 250 labiaplasties last year for women like Alison.
Ms Kavouni: For other women it is the appearance and it is not a problem the patient will easily talk about and quite often it takes an amount of years to go ahead and do something about it.
Voiceover: When Alison comes round she will be comfortable in the knowledge she will not be going home with these.
Voiceover: Back in the clinic Alison has come to show Dr McKenna the results of her op.
Alison: All done four weeks ago.
Dr Pixie: Right. How did it go?
Alison: Overall I’m absolutely delighted. I’m not too sure it’s finished healing yet.
Dr Pixie: Do you want to pop up on the couch Alison and we shall have a look.
Alison: Ok.
Dr Pixie: So, Alison how much in total do you think she removed?
Alison: Quite a lot I think.
Dr Pixie: I think she’s taken off about an inch and a half.
Alison: Easily. It has got to be, hasn’t it? It’s all gone it’s great.
Dr Pixie: Clearly, we are not even quite four weeks post the operation. Can I get you to stand down because I’m intrigued to know how it looks standing? It is quite incredible. Brilliant.
Alison: Yes.
Voiceover: A month ago Alison couldn’t bear to let anyone up close and personal.
Dr Pixie: What are you looking forward to doing?
Alison: I suppose I’m hoping that the next relationship I have all my insecurities will have completely gone.
Dr Pixie: Best of luck with it.
Alison: Thanks very much.
Dr Pixie: Hopefully it’ll open new doors for you so to speak.
Alison: Yes, well. We’ll see.
Dr Pixie: Thanks a lot Alison.
Consultation: Enlarged Labia
A woman comes to see Dr McKenna about her enlarged labia.
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To all the guys commenting on this, I can see that you are trying to make the women who are insecure about their bodies feel better, but you are not helping at all. I hate to break it to you all, but the sole purpose of being a women is not for "a man's pleasure". Here's a crazy thought, girls, we go out and do some awesome stuff with our lives and stop caring that every inch of our being has been given the stamp of approval by guys. Thoroughly depressing to see all these super young girls hating themselves so much and men thinking they are somehow saving them by basically saying "its ok, someone will still have sex with you".
I have the same problem. Since I hit puberty. It seems to have gotten worse since I've given birth. I use to be really self concious about it all, I can't even look myself because it just makes me cry and fully depressed. Wish there was a way to sort this problem out.
I am 17, and have a very large labia. Ive recently got in a relationship,but im to insecure and embarrassed to do anything sexual because of it. Im very un-confident and feel like i cant get naked infront of him. Can anyone recommend where to go to get surgery or some sort?
Men think it is beautiful. You don't need surgery !!!!!
Im 21, and from the age of about 14 i thought it was weird, it makes me feel uncomfortable, especially where I've just in to a relationship, i wont even let me partner look at me, and he always asks why. i wanna make them smaller so i feel more comfortable with myself. where would i be able to get surgery from? and if any one has had it does it hurt?
Hi, im currently 15 turning 16 in a few months. i also have a large labia on the left side, and its gotten a a bit longer as i grew up. its not that long though. i want to get surgery because ive had it for a few years now and the older i get the more insecure i am about it. im scared to do anything sexualy active with a guy cause you know.. its just ehh!! its stopping me.. im scared to let anyone see me down there..
im 13 i hate it i scard
My vagina lips are large and it is quite embarrassing and it's very noticAble I have tried talking to the doctor Bout it but she just says its normal but I still want them to be fixed
yes, you bet! it is normal. just like us males feel that we are inferior too. the problem is that in the past pornography didn't allow us to see other peoples genitles in the same way as we do now as they had them air brushed out. today, women today seem to favour shaven vulvas and that leaves them feeling insecure as they see female models posing in the nude who seem to be perfect down below. this is not the case and is not want they want but they are forced to have surgery to carry on in their industry. i have not got a large penis but i love the feel of long labia lips around it as does pubic hair on a woman. it's natural and there for reasons, one of which is a mans pleasure
One of my labia is a bit larger than the other, I do not want to have surgery so what can I do about it?
To all those girls out there who think their not normal because they have large vaginal lips, stop worrying because we come in all shapes and sizes, who cares what men think about us as long as its not sore and everything works, in my younger days this subject was taboo so we suffered in silence but nowadays you can just go on line and check out someone elses vagina ,,
Yes, we all come in different shapes, sizes, personalities and colors and isn't that great!!! It would be boring, UN exciting, if every person we meet was the same... If yours body works well that is a beauty in itself, and how lucky you are... Confidence, it seems is the only thing lacking... Enjoy life, it is short enough and filled with so many issue to face as we take this journey thru it.Try to not get bogged down with the little stuff.
I would like to a situation in which instead of the inner Labia ( Labia Minora) be an issue, but yet the outer Labia ( Labia Minjora). I have been doing alot of research on this subject. I am fairly confident with myself. But my concern is instead of being inner, being my outter "lips." I have been told this is normal and a positive thing. But I would like some more information on this.
URGH! Normal variant, beautiful vagina - but instead of telling her shes fine as she is they just surge straight away. What is the matter with these people!?
