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Designer Vaginas - Is There Such Thing as a Perfect Pussy?

Originally published on SexReally.com on January 11, 2011.

We all know plastic surgery is no stranger to the porn industry—think size DDD boobs—but recent trends indicate that more women outside the industry are looking to nip-tuck their lady parts as well. Labiaplasty and other cosmetic surgical procedures including vaginoplasty and hoodectomies are becoming more mainstream—in fact, some doctors are calling it “the new nose job.” Women are going under the knife to boost their genital self-esteem and sex lives.

Labia (inner and outer lips) surgery can be used to make the genitals symmetrical if one lip is larger than the other, but most surgeries are done to decrease the size of the labia minora and/or labia majora to create a “prettier pussy.” Vaginal rejuvenation, also known as vaginoplasty, is the tightening of the vagina. A hoodectomy exposes the clitoris by removing the clitoral hood in order to increase sexual pleasure. Hymen reconstruction, also referred to as “revirginizing,” reconstructs the hymen to restore the appearance of virginity. Other genital surgeries include liposuction of the mons pubis or labia majora, clitoral repositioning, and G-spot amplification (injected collagen which swells the area). One word comes to my mind when I think of any of these surgeries—OUCH!

A British television show called Embarrassing Bodies showed a woman stating she had a disfigurement so bad she feared she might never find a man who would love her. What did she think was a disfigurement? She had slightly larger than average labia. Lady parts—like any other body part—come in all different shapes, colors and sizes. So where are women getting the idea that they are horribly disfigured because of larger labia? The messages are coming from media and in particular pornography. Plastic surgeons are cashing in on women’s low self-esteem. In an article in the Metro Times titled “Does this make my labia look fat?” the author mentions that women have already nipped, tucked, implanted, and vacuumed every other part of their bodies and are now turning their perfection-obsessed eyes to their own genitals. These surgeries are being marketed as empowering women, but at the same time they are sending a message that to be desirable women should have a youthful vulva and tight vagina.

Several studies suggest that women seek out genital surgeries after seeing digitally altered nude pictures of women with smaller, tighter genitals in pornography. The presence of crotch shots in magazines and pornography has made women more aware of their vulvas and caused them to compare their vulvas to an ideal look. In a Los Angeles Times article investigating the topic, Judy Norsigian, co-founder of Our Bodies, Ourselves, says that women who have these surgeries are taking risks in order to adhere to an ideal beauty standard that is dictated by a society in which men are fixated on barely legal girls.

Dr. Matlock, a plastic surgeon at the Laser Vaginal Rejuvination Institute of Los Angeles, says that airbrushed images of women in Playboy are examples of what constitutes pretty labia and that none of the women featured in the magazine have excessively large labia. According to Dr. Matlock, “Women want to be tight…They don’t want sagging or loose labia.” He goes on that say that his patients often bring pornographic material to his office and say they want to look like what is on the page.

Despite what Dr. Matlock may say, a large labia is not viewed the same in all cultures. In Japan the condition of “winged-butterfly” (as it is known) is seen as attractive and a sexual delicacy. In North America however, a large labia is viewed as unsightly. Again, there is no such thing as “normal” when it comes to a woman’s genitals. Women need to become more acquainted with their nether regions. Betty Dodson, creator of Viva La Vulva, encourages women to take hand mirrors and look at their genitals—get up close and personal. Women are slapped in the face with the ideal vulva is supposed to be the four “S”s; smooth, simple, symmetrical and small. Everything is supposed to be tucked inside the labia majora like a nice, neat little package. No one is mentioning that vulvas are supposed to change in shape and size during puberty. Many women believe that their genitals are too dark, too big, or too hairy after comparing them to the pictures they are increasingly exposed to through the Internet.

So what is normal? Vulvas come in every size, shape and color imaginable. Remember that many of the most beautiful things in nature aren’t nipped , tucked, liposucked or airbrushed. So, give yourself and your vulva a break—you are normal and beautiful.

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Danielle DeSilvis is a blogger and sex-positive activist. She holds a Masters in Sexual Health Education and a Masters in Science. Danielle is currently teaching at the university level and pursuing her nursing degree specializing in women’s health. She blogs at The Boom Boom Blog.