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Is Labiaplasty Painful?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get about Labiaplasty is, "will it hurt"?

And though it always depends on your inpidual relationship to pain, I will say, I have seen many women (definitely more often than not) walking around fine the day after surgery. 

On several occasions patients even declined to use pain meds after the labia reduction (though it is not advised), simply because the pain was "minor" and not overly bothersome.

Every woman is unique, has different pain thresholds and experiences, so follow your doctor's orders and common post-op instructions.

The truth is, though it is a surgery and all surgery has discomfort associated with it, it can be a relatively minor one.

With that said, because of the nature of the surgery, swelling will take place and will worsen by day 3-5.  This is when pain may be most uncomfortable.

Most women getting a labiaplasty have lived with pain or hygiene issues caused by the labia for many years.  They look forward to feeling or looking "normal".

A labiaplasty can be performed in a doctor's office and the anesthesia used can vary.  If it is done under local, the discomfort may be felt sooner, where general usually can carry on to the next day. 

Your doctor should prescribe some type of pain medication to help after the surgery, if standard over-the-counter meds are not enough.

In working for one of the best out there, never did a woman tell me that labiaplasty was terribly painful or unbearable.  But again everyone is different and so are the doctors.

Keep in mind that your doctor's technique and skill may also impact your recovery.

Get all your questions answered before choosing to move forward with this type of procedure and see lots of before and after pictures of your doctor's patients.

Take your time, educate yourself, and determine what is the best option for you.

To see if you labiaplasty might be right for you, take the "Are You A Candidate Quiz".

Want to learn more about labiaplasty surgery?

Comments (2)Add Comment
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written by Kelsey, January 14, 2012
I gotta say, I don't know why you would post such a thing. The vulva is a highly sensitive area, not only physically but emotionally connected to a women's comfort and self esteem. I had a labiaplasty nearly a week ago and it has been the most painful thing I have ever experienced in my life. I knew it would be painful but no one prepared me for this, probably because I was reading posts from people like you encouraging women to get a labiaplasty by lying about the pain. How could it not be painful?? There are sutures a centimetre away from either side of my clitoris. There was cutting and stitching done all over my vulva! it is swollen, bleeding, and painful. I just hope in the end it is worth it to have a "normal" vulva without all that extra skin getting in the way and causing pain during sex and getting pinched in my clothes. If it all turns out, I will be glad I got it and won't regret the surgery. I would possibly even recommend to other women to get the surgery if they are having the same problems I was. But I would NEVER tell them that it isn't painful. If a episiotomy is painful (cutting and suturing of the vagina) then why wouldn't a labiaplasty be?? How frustrating. Like I said. This has been the most painful experience I've ever had in my life, by a long shot. Do you know how many nerves are down there?? Disgusts me that someone would be passing out information to girls and women about this surgery and lying to them about the pain.
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written by Vanessa Scott, January 14, 2012
Hi Kelsey,

Thank you for your comment and sharing you experience.

Though it is a bit unfair that you would write such an emotionally charged comment after reading 1 article on the site, your experience is certainly welcomed.

As mentioned in the post and through out the site, EVERYONE is different and so is your pain tolerance. Your experience helps provide additional insight as to other possible outcomes.

No where in the post does it read "Labiaplasty is not painful". It can and will naturally have some pain associated with it. It is surgery. However, the level or amount is relative. That is the reality of any surgery.

Because of the field I am in I have spoken with hundreds of women before and after surgery. There are women that have minimal discomfort compared to what they were experiencing prior to surgery (as stated in post that was also working with one of the best in the field) and then there are those that have excruciating pain when dealing with a botched procedure.

In no way was that to minimize labioplasty, but I also talk with hundreds of women that had vaginal tightening, so again relatively speaking it is a minor procedure.

In terms of an episiotomy, actual muscle has been cut or torn and it is of the perineal body/perineum.

In my professional experience, your pain is also related to your doctor's technique, your pain threshold, how you have been caring for the area, type of surgery, etc. To suggest that your experience will be everyones or everyones will be the same is naive and one-sided.

My apologies if that is what you understood or interpreted from reading this post. However no one is lying.

As mentioned through out the post, it is based on my experience. Thank you for providing yours.

However, if you are wanting to thoroughly inform more women, you are encouraged to do it here or even as a real patient http://vaginal-surgery.info/real-stories.html.

It would be helpful to know more about you, your research, your doctor selection, how you chose them, their training, the type of labiaplasty you had, what other surgeries you have had, your age, have you returned to work, etc. Provide a more complete and balanced understanding of your outcome to help other women and even perhaps to get some help yourself.

As you can tell once you take some time to visit the site, it is to here help educate and inform women (whether you have surgery or not).

Thanks again for sharing and let me know if you have any questions regarding your surgery/recovery.

Best wishes.

Vanessa

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Last Updated on Monday, 23 January 2012 15:22