Women are increasingly spending more than $10,000 on intimate cosmetic surgery, but one Australian plastic surgeon warns that the trend of so-called "designer vaginas" carries significant risks. Dr Brigid Corrigan, a specialist plastic surgeon based in Western Australia, told 7NEWS.com.au that demand for female genital cosmetic surgery is rising, with labiaplasty being the most common procedure.
What Is Labiaplasty?
Labiaplasty reduces or reshapes the labia, the skin surrounding the vaginal opening, and typically costs around $10,000. Dr Corrigan explained that women seek the procedure for a mix of functional and aesthetic reasons. "A lot of women will say they’ve got discomfort maybe with exercise or with wearing particular clothes, like jeans or swimwear," she said. "But others will also report not liking the appearance."
Increasing Demand Over Five Years
Dr Corrigan has been performing labiaplasty for 15 years, though it is not her most common surgery—breast reconstruction makes up the largest part of her practice. However, she noted that demand for genital cosmetic surgery has increased over the past five years. She attributes this rise partly to greater discussion on social media, which has made more women aware of the procedure. "It’s important for women to understand what’s normal and there’s a huge range of normal," Corrigan said. "Social media, and even things like Brazilian waxing, have made the general area much more visible, it’s made people start to ask the question: ‘Is that normal down there?’"
Risks and Long-Term Complications
Dr Corrigan warned that complications from labiaplasty can have long-term consequences, especially if performed by unqualified surgeons. "One of the really important things, like any plastic surgery procedure, I’ve also seen complications of women coming through who’ve had it done by surgeons who didn’t necessarily have the correct surgical qualifications," she said. The biggest risk is removing too much tissue, which is very hard to fix and can cause chronic pain and hypersensitivity. "It’s difficult to correct that because once that tissue’s gone, it’s very hard to restore," she added. She stressed the importance of seeing a surgeon with proper training and qualifications from the College of Surgeons.
Procedure and Recovery
Labiaplasty can be performed under general anaesthetic, typically takes about one hour, and recovery can take up to six weeks. Dr Corrigan advised that women considering the procedure should ensure they have accurate information and are doing it for the right reasons, as social media can skew perceptions of what is normal. "Unless you personally have concerns, then my message would be there’s no need to be doing anything," she said.
