Can I have a labiaplasty without a clitoral hood reduction?

Question

Hi what should I do if I want a Labiaplasty, and then the surgeon reccomends a clitoral hood reduction too, however I can’t have both due to the high cost. What would the outcome be? Could I still have a Labiaplasty without the clitoral hood reduction?

Ram Kalus, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. An examination in person would be required to properly evaluate you and make specific recommendations, but as a rule, unlike a labiaplasty, a clitoral hood reduction is rarely indicated for functional reasons and usually just aesthetic. It is important to articulate to your plastic surgeon your wishes and have him or her discuss and explain the implications. In my own practice I strictly adhere to my patients’s requests unless I truly feel those requests are not in their best interests, and I make sure I explain my concerns so that there is no misunderstanding.

If your follow up consultation leaves your uneasy, consider a second opinion before scheduling your surgery. As a patient you should never feel pressured to do something you don’t want to do, or cannot afford. Best of luck to you.

If your follow up consultation leaves your uneasy, consider a second opinion before scheduling your surgery. As a patient you should never feel pressured to do something you don’t want to do, or cannot afford. Best of luck to you.

Mehmet Bekir Sen, MD · Answer

hello, Clithoral aesthetic is usually required in 60- 70% of labiaplasty cases. Otherwise, micropenis image may occur in the clitoral area and the image may disturb you. If it will not bother you, you do not have to do it. In addition, one-sided urination problem may occur in some cases..Beauty always comes from within you
Thank you
Dr. Mehmet Bekir SENGenital Aesthetic Expert

Irena Karanetz, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question.

Based on what you are describing, you appear to have enlarged and elongated inner lips (labia minora).  I would recommend a Labiaplasty procedure in order to reduce the length and the width of your labia minora which will help achieve the look you desire.  It will also make wearing tight clothes more comfortable.

During clitoral hood reduction, excess folds of the clitoral hood can be removed to create a more balanced appearance of female genitalia. However, not everyone is a candidate for this procedure.

I suggest that you seek an in person consultation with a Board-Certified plastic surgeon specializing in Labiaplasty to further discuss  your options, specific techniques, concerns and expectations.

I hope this helps.
Best regards, Dr. Karanetz

Dr. Irena Karanetz
Fellowship-Trained
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Mark N. Scheinberg, MD · Answer

Thank you for your questionTo answer your question you need to understand the anatomy. There are actually two pair of inner labia. A lower pair that inserts into the clitoris and an upper pair, called Prepuce, which forms the hood and can insert into and even overwhelm the lower pair. Whether this prepuce needs to be reduced (what is frequently referred to as clitoral hood reduction) depends on the amount and position of the prepuce you have. Most patients who are looking to have a labiaplasty will have excess prepuce and not removing this excess tissue will give a poorer result. I'm sure you could find a surgeon to do this but I would not advise this. Personally, I would not perform a labiaplasty without the prepuce reduction if there is excess tissue. Again, this depends on your particular anatomy.

Christine Rodgers, MD · Answer

HI kolivia,
Yes, you can have a labiaplasty without the clitoral hood reduction. Be aware however, that the clitoral hood will appear more prominent when the enlarged labia are reduced in size. Typically, most surgeons do not charge a lot more to reduce the clitoral hood along with the labiaplasty. Perhaps it might not be bad idea to get another opinion?
Hope this helps a bit?
Best,
Dr.Christine Rodgers

Courtenay Poucher, MD · Answer

Hello kolivia,
This is a question I encounter frequently. While it is my experience the 90% of the patients I see need a hood reduction in combination with the labiaplasty to be able to achieve their goal, there are cases where labiaplasty can be done alone either if the patient can accept less of a reduction that they had hoped for or if their anatomy lends itself to labiaplasty alone. The key is how much extra hood skin is present and where it attaches to the back side of the labia. The more there is and the closer it attaches to the edge of the labia the more it becomes necessary to reduce the hood to be able to reduce the labia size.I hope this is helpful to you and best wishes on your journey.~Dr. Poucher

Michelle Jones Singer, MD · Answer

Yes, you can have just a labiaplasty without clitoral hood reduction. You must remember however if only a labiaplasty is done sometimes the clitoral hood will look enlarged and disproportionate to the labia minora. Many times the surgical technique can include some clitoral contouring to help decrease the resulting fullness from only having a labiaplasty

Amir Sadr, MD, MSc (Plast), FEBOPRAS · Answer

Dear kolivia
Thanks for your question. Ideally I need to examine you or see a photograph to tell you if you can have a labia minora reduction only or clitoral hood as well. I still try to explain some principals:There are some specific situations that patient may need a clitoral hood reduction for example there is a lot of excess skin covering the clitoris and patient does not get enough exposure to have adequate clitoral stimulation. In these circumstances, one my need a clitoral hood reduction to improve the exposure. By far the most common situation that I recommend a clitoral hood reduction in addition to a labia minora reduction, is the anatomic relationship between clitoral hood and labia minora. In this situation you have to do a clitoral hood reduction in addition to labia minora to get a harmonious reduction and avoid over resection of labia minora. If a patient insists on just having a labia minora a surgeon might do a conservative labia minora reduction to avoid a step deformity but most surgeons would recommend the clitoral hood as well to get the best result for their patient.I hope you find this explanation useful.

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

It is possible to not have the clitoral hood reduction, however please note that while the rest of your labia minora is reduced in prominence, your clitoral hood may remain bulky and more disproportionate. The bulkiness may become more prominent as well, since the rest of your labia is reduced.

Cynthia Diehl, MD · Answer

A clitoral hood reduction does not need to be part of a labiaplasty. The resection of labia minora tissue may need to be modified somewhat so that the final result is a smooth transition from a clitoral hood that has some fullness. The goal would be to not make the clitoris and clitoral hood appear more prominent than necessary. This can be easily achieved with a very smooth transition from the hood to the labia minora which will now be significantly smaller.

Marco A. Pelosi III, MD, FACOG, FACS · Answer

If you want to have a labiaplasty to reduce the size of the labia and nothing else needs to be reduced, then a labiaplasty, properly done, should give an acceptable aesthetic result. If the hood happens to be enlarged, it will look even larger after the labiaplasty. How large will it look? Well, that requires seeing what it looks like. If it's too large you won't be happy. It makes no sense to do rush into a surgery that wont meet your expectations. Labiaplasty isn't an emergency procedure. Do some virtual consults and see what other experts think about your issue.

Can I have a labiaplasty without a clitoral hood reduction?

Answers (14)

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