Simosa
wrote on October 28 2008 @ 10:18 am:

Fascinating

chloe
wrote on October 28 2008 @ 12:32 pm:

thanks for sharing this. i’ve considered this surgery myself...i have one small labia, and one big flappy labia. i hate it. thanks for letting me know the surgery is worth it.

Jessica
wrote on October 29 2008 @ 03:32 pm:

I’ve got to say, although I’m one of the lucky girls who doesn’t have any problems in this area, I truly sympathize with those who do. I also think it’s very brave of you to share so candidly about something that I would be sooo in the closet about. Kudos!

camelia
wrote on October 29 2008 @ 06:10 pm:

I have floral labia and they don’t hurt. They don’t interfere with sex. I never felt anything but normal until I started reading about “ugly vaginas” and labiaplasties, and watching porn. I don’t get it. Somewhere someone decided that the less fleshy, smaller lips were prettier and - even worse - normal. My big lips have lots of pleasure-giving nerve endings. Would I cut them off? I don’t think so.  You all should check this site: http://www.nickkarras.com/gallery.htm

ClatieK
wrote on October 29 2008 @ 10:52 pm:

The grass is quite often greener—I wish I were MORE floral.

dirgish
wrote on October 30 2008 @ 10:06 am:

i’m half and half, and though the bigger one sometimes gets in the way, i do think it is much more sensitive.  whatcha going do… (shrug)

Sarah
wrote on October 30 2008 @ 11:26 am:

Mine are “flappy"--should I be embarrassed? WTF. They don’t cause any problems w/my clothing...!! I wonder if the author’s are even larger than mine...What’s wrong w/labial diversity?

Fattyfattytwobyfour
wrote on October 30 2008 @ 11:55 am:

I guess it’s the same thing as w/breasts - only a certain shape [or whatever you wanna call it] is considered acceptable, even though everyone is different [me included, as I have ‘ugly’ breasts (even my own mother stated so many times and wanted to take me to the doctor to see what was ‘wrong’ with me/them!), but my sweet hubs defends The Girls, *sigh, flutters eyelashes*], and it really doesn’t make sense.  It seems to me that the author was having not just image issues with her anatomy, but real physical discomfort.  I say if you feel the need and have the means, why not?  But yeah, it isn’t fair.  The world just ain’t fair.  Bleah…

robf
wrote on October 30 2008 @ 12:15 pm:

Issues of physical comfort aside (that’s an entirely different angle), I wish more women were comfortable with their bodies as they are.  What makes you unique is what makes you interesting, and any guy/girl worth being with will realize that about you.

Society’s pressures and conventions are often worth ignoring.

tilepusher
wrote on October 30 2008 @ 06:03 pm:

As a man, I am all for anything that makes you less self-conscious and causes less pain and more pleasure.

I admire your bravery to do something about a part of your body, so intimate...... and to share your experience here so that other women will have a little more knowledge about, what their options are.

I love all types of women, but not all of women love their bodies, like I do. My close-alone time with women has made me understand how lucky I am as a man. In general, I was raised believing that I am beautiful, whatever I did, while my sisters were raised believed that everything revolved around their looks at that moment. It is sad that most people are very superficial. At the same time I am glad that we are at a point, where we can safely change a lot of the things about our body’s that makes ourselves feel ugly or like a freak.

We all have options, but sometimes it is just more rewarding to change our physical self. It is so easy to say I love myself, and so hard to actually love everything about myself.

Tony Comstock
wrote on October 31 2008 @ 09:20 am:

I am not without sympathy for the author’s discomfort, either emotionally or physically. But it’s worth noting that many of our ideas about what constitute a beautiful vulva have been heavily influenced by censorship regimes that insist that vulvas that are opulent in their conformation to be either concealed or digitally mutilated. In a perverse twist, the censor’s morals become our aesthetics.

Andrew
wrote on November 03 2008 @ 01:47 pm:

I recognize that your decision was based on more than cosmetics- you said your lips were actually causing you phsyical discomfort.  But how much of that was caused by a hyper-awareness of your plus sized labia?

I personally find the smooth tucked in slit of what you might call a “normal” vagina pretty boring.  My most memorable vagina moments have all been with long labias, fat lips, or both.  I like something I can play with, jerk off, tug on, suck into my mouth, something I can have a good time with! 

My point is less this particular fetish of mine, and more that no matter what your body looks like, you can always find someone who thinks you look beautiful and who celebrates the little details that make your body exciting- and different than every other body out there. 

Do you feel better about yourself now?  Only you can answer that question.  But I think if you had found a mate (or mates) that complimented your luscious lips and were patient and understanding enough to know that it took extra lube, extra time, or extra effort to make you comfortable during sex, you might have accepted yourself more for who you were, and not for who you wanted to be in the mirror.

And take it from me, youre far in the minority.  Thankfully (in my eyes) many others aren’t ashamed to have vaginas that are big and beautiful

Renata
wrote on November 04 2008 @ 05:07 pm:

I just had labiaplasty performed yesterday and feel great. Absolutely no pain or bleeding. My throat and neck hurt worse, I guess from the tube. But overall I feel wonderful. Haven’t really taken a good look yet so hopefully it looks as good as it feels. No more tucking in that ghastly uneven skin that I hated and interfered with everything. We’ll wait and see in the coming weeks what transpires. Hopefully it will all be good especially after spending 4 grand on a new hoohaa.

Laura
wrote on November 05 2008 @ 12:30 am:

YAY thank you, i am always so embaressed because i have one huge labia that sticks out and one tiny one that u cant see! It looks horrifying!!! Thankyou for letting me know its worth it!

Elisha
wrote on November 06 2008 @ 08:13 pm:

Oh man! The last thing I want is something else to be concerned about in terms of appearance. Are mine normal?

Katia
wrote on November 06 2008 @ 09:32 pm:

I believe is was Somerset Maugham who wrote that a woman’s labia looked like a “rotting orchid”. I remember after I read that, I looked at myself with a mirror for the first time and thought “Oh my god! He’s right!” Yet I still felt it was a horrible comment to make about women’s genitalia. I always knew my labia were a little big but I thought I was still “normal” until I saw my first porn and realized how different I looked from all the porn actresses. I remember feeling a dull shock, then being suffused with a sense of ugliness and embarrassment. It really bothers me that something that is natural and unique to every woman is now judged on appearance and many women feel the need to mutilate themselves in pursuit of an aesthetic ideal. Granted, yes, in your case there was physical discomfort, which I can completely identify with. I do not judge you for your decision. We each walk our own path and I’ll be honest, there is a small part of me that envies you for achieving comfort, not to mention the ideal labia. I think what impresses me the most is the comments made by men regarding this issue. It’s nice to know that there are still guys out there who see the appreciate women of all shapes and sizes.

Darren
wrote on November 09 2008 @ 02:54 pm:

Ladies, don’t run off and have this surgery for purely cosmetic reasons!  The author had discomfort, so apparently this was a good decision for her.

But let me tell you, if your vagina is not the hidden, neatly-tucked “prototype”, then you should be proud of the fact that it has some character.  If I see pictures of nude women (not that that happens frequently! *wink*), my eyes will immediately gravitate to the woman who has some “plumage” every time.

It’s just very attractive and overtly feminine.  And as a previous poster mentioned, it is MUCH more pleasurable to perform oral sex on a woman who has larger labia.

No matter what you look like down there, most men enjoy your “uniqueness”.

So cross this off of your list of physical attributes to worry about....

BevMac
wrote on November 09 2008 @ 04:02 pm:

Or you could hang up a gallery of Georgia O’Keeffe.  Her floral creations are infamous.

Joni
wrote on November 09 2008 @ 10:31 pm:

You wouldn’t believe how one persons story gets around. i clicked the link to this from a moms group. I remember seeing my cousin give birth when I was 17. I thought OMGosh those things are huge. I was scared that after I had a baby I too would have a HUGE labia. Yea they did get bigger, and sometimes I have to use some lube, but over all I am not scared off by mine. In fact reading this article made my “junk” hurt. I think tonight jsut for giggles I am going to tell my husband I want to get a labiaplasty and see what he says. He might push me off the bed. I am one of those women with breasts that are so big my back hurts, and that’s what I am putting my money towards. I want smaller breasts not a smaller labia. However I give props to you for having the courage to do something that was no easy choice to make. It was clear this wasn’t a vain choice. I am glad your feeling better.

Katia
wrote on November 09 2008 @ 11:53 pm:

Joni-Good luck with the breast reduction. I had that procedure three years ago. BEST THING I EVER DID! I can live with my labia, but large boobs, now THAT was uncomfortable.

Lisa
wrote on November 10 2008 @ 07:16 am:

JONI-I also had breast reduction three years ago. My only regret is that I didn’t do it years ago! Sleeping without a bra, and sipping my coffee in the am without one on: these are a couple of the great joys of my life now. Before my surgery I had to slap a bra on those rebels the minute I was upright . When I was preggers my boobs were so big you could see them from SPACE. And when I was done nursing three kids, well, forget it. While my sweet husband always told me I was beautiful, I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror. So I did it, and hallelujah, my girls are back! Still me, just a younger perkier me. One caution though: I got a very painful infection and subsequently some scarring, from the internal stitches they used (which were supposed to dissolve, but didn’t). My doc told me some people are allergic and I was one of them. Lucky me. There are options out there. Do your self a favor and check them out. Good luck to you. And if you’re going to do it, don’t put it off! Life is short, go bra-less!

Fahrdaris
wrote on November 16 2008 @ 10:26 pm:

Gah where to begin! I suppose a thanks to the author as well as everyone elses bits is in order, therefore, my thanks =)

Now for my story. The first time I noticed something odd I was about 12, my right labia had started growing out. My not knowing what was going on, asked my mother to take a look, she said ‘Dont worry its normal, the other will catch up’. My thought was *Crap, I dont want the other to catch up, I dont even want THIS one* As years went on, the other did catch up, the right always remaining the longer of the two however. Both at this point, adulthood that is, were longer then they should have been in my opinion. They caused discomfort, and wreaked much havoc in the self esteem department. They would at times get pinched in my panties or whatnot, and seeing as them rubbing on my nickers was incredibly uncomfortable, id tuck them in to my labia majora =/ So here id be, constantly seperating my outer labia after showers, baths, going to the washroom, anything that would cause them to flop out, etc...just to tuck them in to their little home where they wouldnt rub or get pinched on/in any clothing. This has been a routine for about 20 yrs, so I now have slightly loose labia majora as well from the constant stretching of my outer labia, to protect my labia minora, yey. >.< So yes, there were comfort issues, and then theres the issues they caused in my love life. Although I’m lucky to say I’ve not had any discomfort during sex due to them, being self concsious about being touched in my nether regions, or my partner seeing that area was a very uncomfortable moment for me.

Now, to get to the reason we’re all here, The Surgery. I had the surgery on Nov. 7th. It was my gyno who performed the labiaplasty at the same time I was under for a tubal ligation. From what she has told me, it is a frequantly asked for surgery, and the percentage of women getting it is astonishing. I live in Quebec, Canada, and it seems here such a procedure is covered by medicare. Hence no cost. I am very fotunate and grateful for that, I’d not have been able to have the surgery done otherwise. How are things after the surgery? Not as bad as I thought or was told. I was made very aware there’d be much pain, so thats what I expected and was mentally ready for. To my surprise the pain was minimal if none existant most of the time. Yes I need/needed to be careful while sitting, or when I’d pat after going to the washroom, as well as be careful when applying the topic antibiotic. But in general there was really no constant pain. There can at times be discomfort, a sense of pinching now and then, which im assuming is just the stitches readjusting from the swelling going down. There is still swelling of course and some secretions from the wounds as well, but thats still to be expected, it has only been 9 days. I still take my sitzbaths at least 2 times a day, just to keep it clean, however the topical antibiotic I stopped using after about 7 days, you eventually need to let your body do its job and develope its own defenses against infection. I would have to say, that what has caused me the most stress and worry was the stitches oddly enough. One came undone before its time, leaving a slight opening in the labia, which within a day or two filled up with a sticky yellowish substance. My first thought was ‘oooh nooo,… infection!’ =( The stitch had come loose and was still hanging from a tender peice of flesh as well, causing some pain and discomfort, along with the sticky yellow substance, that just upped my stress lvl 10 fold. It was too sensitive for me to remove the now useless stitch, and I was beyond concerned about the yellow substance. So, I made my way to a clinic here in Quebec called a CLSC. Its basically a location you can go to see a certified nurse. To my complete and utter joy, she was able to remove the loose stitch, yes it was uncomfy, but she was very delicate and considerate of my situation. I was just glad to have the darn thing removed. And for the other huge concern of mine, the sticky yellow fluid I had assumed was puss from a developing infection, was far from =D I was ecstatic to be told it was only fibrin, a normal substance the body creates as part of the healing process. From that moment on I went from incredibly stressed to completely calm and content =) A huge concern had lifted. This happened yesterday. Today im doing alright, getting the rest I need, keeping it clean, and eating healthy foods. I’ve also gotten to drinking cranberry juice, Its good at cleaning out the system and the water works. Always good im assuming when trying to heal a wound in that area to have slightly cleaner pee? I dunno, but im doin it =P So there you have it!! I do hope this has helped some of you ladies, and given comfort to others, my apologies for the length, but I didnt want to do this half-assed =) Good luck to all you beautiful women who decide to get the procedure done, you are far from alone =)

Fabulosity
wrote on November 19 2008 @ 02:30 am:

Help!
I am a 20 yr old college student, and i have had yeast infections and utis at least 4x a yr since i started being sexually active at 16. yes, i get tested on a regular basis for std and hiv. so anyway, i started the new birth control Yaz 3 mths ago, and i find that the last 2 days of my cycle, the inner labia (minoria maybe?) gets extremely swollen and painful. it is so irritated and red, ive tried vagisil cream to lubricate it and help reduce friction from pads and pantiliners, ive tried just using tampons, i think ive tried everything… i dont know what to do! what could be the problem?

Katia
wrote on November 19 2008 @ 11:55 am:

Fabulosity~ You should get yourself checked out by a doctor. Perhaps they can help and give you peace of mind. It’s terrible when you’ve got problems down there and don’t know what to do to alleviate them.

Fahrdaris
wrote on November 19 2008 @ 01:16 pm:

Fab, the first thing I can think of regarding the UTI’s and yeast infections is that you may very well be allergic to sperm, do you wear a condom? If not, then the reactions youre getting could be an allergy to such bodily fluid, its not uncommon, as I know ppl who suffer the exact same thing. As for the pill and the labia reactions you get nearing the end of your period, im at a loss. Could be from all the hormonal changes?! But still, you should go back and see your gyno, perhaps that particular birth control is not good for you. There are many different side effects people can have, some can even be as odd as that. Maybe check with your Dr. and see about changing meds. And obviously, keep up with the checkups at least 2 times a year to make sure youre healthy down there =) As well as each time you change partners. So as i said, the UTI’s and yeasties could very well be caused by the sperm itself if youre not using protection. Theres not much you can do about it really, so do use a condom and see if the problems go away, then youll know for sure you have an allergy. Drink a lot of Cranberry juice as well when you have a UTI, it helps clean and flush out your system. I hope this helped, and just hang in there and be patient, itll all get resolved in time. =)

B Khuu
wrote on December 18 2008 @ 01:27 pm:

Wow, thanks for being so honest and open! I don’t have the exact same problem but don’t most women wonder at one time or another if they’re pretty down there?

Fahrdaris
wrote on December 18 2008 @ 02:01 pm:

I think women worry about their privates just as much as men do. ^^

In regards to my own labiaplasty, there were some complications. I definitely recommend looking up before and after photos. Asking your Dr for such photos of their own surgeries as well. Anti inflammatories I think are a must, which I was not given by my own Dr, which in turn is what caused much of the complications. (Too much swelling on my right labia, making the stitches split away from the skin on the left side of the right labia, leaving the wound open. The stitches did not break, but remained intact on the right side, basically being useless. Its been 7 weeks and the wound has still not entirely shut.) Also, I ended up having a resistance to the melt away stitches, therefore I had to have them removed, this you do NOT want to go through! One however was too painful to remove so it got left there. It did however fall out quite easily once I started my cycle. So my advice is try to plan the surgery when youre due to start your period in about 2 1/2 weeks. This way youre sure to not have them for too long. I had the stitches for 1 month which you do not want to have happen. I now have pretty deep knotch scars on my left labia. So its basically jagged. =/ Also, asides from too much swelling on the right labia causing it to rip away from the stitches, had too much skin removed as well. Make sure you ask them to try to measure. Gynos dont really bother to do such things it seems. So the fact too much was removed is most likely the reason the stitches ripped away from one side of the labia when it swelled, there was already lacking skin to stretch. All in all I’m not pleased with the Dr that did mine. She is a wonderful Gyno, but thats it. So definitely do your homework on your own Dr, wether it be gyno, or plastic surgeon. Hope this helps someone.

Pugs
wrote on December 18 2008 @ 02:36 pm:

Definitely interesting.  But if a guy told me my puss lips looked like roast beef, he’d be missing a wiener when he left my bed.

Don’t send flowers!  Send your girl a sexy gift basket instead!
[url=http://www.ComeTogetherGiftBaskets.com]http://www.ComeTogetherGiftBaskets.com[/url]

BrunetteBeauty
wrote on December 20 2008 @ 10:02 am:

You said it Pugs.  Seriously roast beef?  What an asshole. And besides, I don’t want my vajayjay looking like a carbon copy of anyone else’s anyway.

DidSheReallyGoThere
wrote on December 20 2008 @ 11:46 am:

My puberty process was interesting: A full flock of underarm and pubic hair in SECOND GRADE, yet no boobs bra-worthy or my first menstrual cycle until seventh grade! I remember seeing my enlarging labia (at the clueless age of 7) and sobbingly gasping to my mom, “You’d better make me a doctor’s appointment! I have cancer!” She laughed and assured me it was normal.  After having read a comment by Andrew, I now feel even MORE Sexy Leo Lovin’ than I already did! I guess my ‘exotic flora’ would explain why my sex partner[s] are so turned out! I’m talkin cunninglingus til I’m all but BEGGING them to proceed to penetration! I’m talkin’ demands from THEM to allow them to manipulate the G-Spot until IIiiii ejaculate (sorry for you gals that can’t!)!!! I’m talkin’ adoring praise and compliments about Va-jae’s wetness, looks, taste, and functions! I would NEVER risk the sensitive nerves which create so much intensity for the sake of looking like “Be-Be the Porno Bunny”.  That’s right on the list of breast implants to ‘make the man happier’.  One of my friends’ step-mother is from a country when female circumcision is the norm.  She only slept with [her husband] twice: for the honeymoon, and to bear him their daughter. Sex for her is so agonizing that she sleeps in a separate bedroom with the door locked! Not saying a labiaplasty does all that, but I can’t risk any side effects with the most sensitive member of my unique and BLAZIN anatomy! More power to those that wanna, though!

Fahrdaris
wrote on December 27 2008 @ 04:12 pm:

No offence Didshe, but not all woman get it for the reasons you seem to assume they do. Many of us get it for reasons revolving around comfort, which was my reason. Having to constantly tuck them into my labia majora to not rub on my underpants was beyond irritating. Many woman also suffer from pain during sex cause their labia get in the way and can rip. So if you wish to be ignorant and think all woman do it for esthetic reasons, then be my guest. Realise that your assumptions can be insulting to us woman who do it for reasons other then look.

On another note, my labiaplasty was acceptabley botched....im in the process of sueing the surgeon...I’ll need another surgery to hopefully fix what the initial surgeon has done, as well as need counselling due to the emotional trauma....