WTF?? Vaginal Cosmetic Surgery??

Cosmetic surgery has become extremely popular over the last few years. More and more women are going under the knife to get bigger booties, slimmer waists, sculpted noses and lifted faces, but did you know that there is a type of cosmetic surgery for the Vagina??

Within the last 10 years or so, the medical community has seen an increase in the number of women who are choosing to participate in vaginal cosmetic surgeries to improve the appearance of their vaginas and labia (lips), but medical professionals within the American School of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ASOG) "remain skeptical and cautious about vaginal surgery due to its risks and lack of scientific data on safety and effectiveness." (1) There are three types of surgeries that are associated with vaginal cosmetic procedures, and they are listed below:

Labiaplasty

This procedure reduces the length or the size of the labia minora, the inner lips made up of thin skin, or the labia majora, the outer lips of the vulva. Some women have labia minora that consists of multiple folds of skin that extend past their Labia Majora and can get caught and be pulled between the legs while walking, and for that reason these women choose to reduce the size of the lips. Other women, however, simply want to change the labia's size for pure vanity.

Vaginoplasty

Vaginoplasty is the surgery that tightens the muscles within the vagina that have become lose due to childbirth or age.  One of the main selling points of this procedure is that the tightening of the muscles will bring more sensitivity during sex, however  "tightening the vaginal tissue in itself cannot guarantee a heightened sexual response, since desire, arousal, and orgasm are complex, highly personal responses, conditioned as much by emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal factors as aesthetic ones." (1)

Hoodectomy

Hoodectomy is the procedure where the clitoral hood (the skin that covers the clitoris) is removed to expose the clitoris for increased stimulation. The clitoral hood (or Prepuce tissue) serves the purpose of protecting the clitoris from over stimulation, however, some women have an issue with climaxing because of this tissue being too close to the clitoral node preventing the clitoris from protruding outward. This dysfuntion is called Clitoral Phimosis, and in this case, performing a hoodectomy is medically necessary.(2) Most cases of hoodectomy, however, are performed based on cosmetic desires instead of medical need.

When I first heard about these types of surgeries, I thought WTF?? WHO would risk complications just to make their vulvas look as "pretty" as the next woman's? I mean, every man and woman has a different opinion on what looks beautiful when it comes to the physical body. I understand if there is  a medical need for the surgeries, but to put yourself at risk getting a surgery that hasn't been approved, researched or recommended by the American School of Obstetrics and Gynecology is just plain foolish.  I had a conversation with my Gynecologist, Dr. Mary Lynn (Loyola University Medical Center) about this growing trend, and her opinion was that women who undergo these surgeries for vanity reasons have "low self esteem" and quite possibly "psychological issues that may need to be treated." She also stated that the increase in women's obsessions with "pretty vulvas" has to do with all of the "pictures of other women's vulvas available online."

Yeah, What she said...what do you think?

SOURCE

(1) http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/guide/vaginoplasty-and-labiaplasty-procedures

(2)http://www.clitoralunhooding.com/