During puberty, after pregnancy and childbirth or with ageing some women develop enlarged labia minora (inner labia or lips). This can be psychologically, socially and sexually debilitating due to feelings related to appearance.
The labia can be reduced in size to lie with the labia majora (outer lips) resulting in an improved appearance. This is performed as a day case procedure usually under a general anaesthetic. Dissolving stitches are used and the wounds healed by 7-10 days. A pad is worn inside the knickers while the wounds heal. The surgery takes 1-1.5 hours. Showering is encouraged following the procedure on a daily basis to ensure wounds remain clean. Strenuous exercise should be avoided for 4-6 weeks but a return to work at 2 weeks is expected. This is a well tolerated procedure with a good success rate.
More information can be found at the BAAPS website.
