Clitoral hood reduction is a surgical procedure that reduces the length, width, or protrusion of the folds of skin around the clitoris, called the clitoral hood. Removing excess skin can increase clitoral stimulation and sexual pleasure, while improving the aesthetics of the vulva.Â
Also known as a clitoral hoodectomy, hoodoplasty, or unhooding, the procedure can also reduce discomfort, since a large clitoral hood can rub against clothing and cause irritation. In some women, it can also trigger yeast infections and urinary tract infections.Â
Clitoral hood reduction surgery is commonly paired with a labiaplasty, which removes excess tissue from the labia minora, the inner lips that surround your vaginal opening. âThe clitoral hood is connected to the labia minora, and frequently when you have to reshape the labia minora, you also have to reshape the hood,â says Dr. Marco Pelosi, III, an OB-GYN in Bayonne, New Jersey. Clitoral hood reduction can also be done as part of a full vaginal rejuvenation.
The clitoral hood is a fold of skin (aka prepuce) that protects your clitoris (aka the glans), which is the small nub thatâs just above your urethral opening, the tiny hole that you pee out of.Â
The clitoris is filled with nerve endingsâabout 8,000, according to the Cleveland Clinicâthat make it very sensitive to touch and play a critical role in achieving orgasm. Without any clitoral hood, your clitoris would be overly sensitive to touch and irritants, like friction from clothing rubbing against it. Your clitoral hood makes a lubricant called sebum that helps it glide smoothly over your clitoris.
âThe clitoral hood is there to protect the glans when youâre not sexually aroused, but elevates out of the way during sexual stimulation,â says Dr. Mark Scheinberg, an OB-GYN in Deerfield Beach, Florida, who specializes in vaginal rejuvenation.Â
Though it plays an important function, the clitoral hood can sometimes be too large or lengthy, or not retract during intimacy. Excess clitoral hood tissue is usually genetic and, contrary to what you might have heard, not caused by masturbation, explains Dr. Leila Kasrai, a plastic surgeon in Toronto.
Some women are just fine with a significantly hooded clitoris, but others struggle with the physical, cosmetic, or emotional symptoms related to this excess skin. âSometimes women complain about the excess tissue,â says Dr. Gary Alter, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, California, who helped pioneer clitoral hood reduction surgery. âIt makes it look like a little penis.â
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The clitoral hood is very delicate tissue and requires careful surgical technique to avoid complications, such as scarring and removing too little or too much skin, and create the best results.Â
Itâs essential to choose a board-certified expert in female genital surgery. This procedure is highly specialized and delicate and should only be performed by someone who performs clitoral hood contouring on a regular basis âand can prove this to you with at least dozens of before-and-after pics,â advises Dr. Michael Goodman, an OB-GYN in Davis, California. âGetting the procedure correct the first time is critical, since revising imprecise surgeries can lead to a loss in sensation and irreparable outcomes,â says Dr. Stanton.Â
Clitoral hood reductions are typically performed by surgical specialists:
Your clitoral hood reduction cost will depend on your surgeonâs level of experience, expertise, and/or their practice location. Choosing an experienced, board-certified plastic surgeon may be more expensive, but it can help you avoid complications that may cost more to correct.
If youâre getting a clitoral hood reduction along with labiaplasty, you can expect to pay more.
Very rarely, health insurance plans will cover this procedure, if itâs deemed medically necessary by your doctor. In most cases itâs considered elective plastic surgery.
Clitoral hood reduction is an outpatient procedure that takes about an hour. It can be performed under local anesthesia, conscious sedation, or general anesthesia, depending on whether itâs being performed as a standalone procedure or in combination with another procedure.Â
Reducing excess clitoral hood tissue can be addressed with several different incision patterns. Your surgeonâs technique will depend, in part, on your unique anatomy and goals. Some surgeons use an electrosurgical knife, while others use a laser, to seal the blood vessels as the tissue is removed, resulting in quicker healing and less scarring. Â
When done as a standalone procedure, clitoral hood reduction may be performed via simple skin excision:Â
Another technique to achieve a clitoral hood lift is to remove excess length of skin where the clitoral hood meets the pubic area. âEssentially I do a double-inverted âVâ incision, or an upside down âVâ incision times two, and the hood is elevated upwards,â says Dr. John Miklos, a urogynecologist in Atlanta.Â
Special caution should be taken not to remove too much tissue, which can put tension on the clitoral hood and result in poor healing. Â
If your procedure is being performed with a wedge labiaplasty, a V-Y wedge technique can be used. During this procedure, the upper portion of the V-shaped wedge of tissue thatâs removed during a labiaplasty can be extended to encompass any redundant hood tissue into a single incision line.Â
If youâre having a trim labiaplasty, during which one continuous incision is made along the edge of the labia minora to remove excess tissue, the incision can be extended up to the clitoral hood.
Whatever technique is performed, most surgeons close the wound using dissolvable sutures that the body breaks down and absorbs over four to five weeks.
Your surgeon will send you home with post-op instructions, but hereâs what a typical recovery process involves.Â
âThis area of the body has a robust blood supply, so it heals relatively fast,â explains Dr. Stanton. âInitial results can frequently be appreciated within 2â3 months, but final results cannot be judged until 4â6 months post-op,â once all swelling has resolved.
If you have your hoodectomy along with a labiaplasty or vaginoplasty, a procedure that tightens the vaginal canal,it may take up to a full year for the swelling to fully resolve.
The clitoral hood reduction photos in our gallery have been shared by the provider who performed the procedure, with the patient's consent.
Every surgery carries inherent risks. The most common risks of clitoral hood reduction include:
More rare occurrences include bleeding, infection, wound separation, and nerve injury that could lead to numbness or changes in sensitivityâsomething most RealSelf members say they didnât experience after the procedure.Â
Unfortunately, that wasnât the case with RealSelf member, SeaGoddess, who lost all sensation in her clitoris after the procedure and is unable to achieve orgasm.Â
To minimize the risk of complications, choose your surgeon carefully and follow all of their pre- and post-surgical instructions, including to stop smoking at least two weeks prior to your procedure.
Updated June 30, 2022