When to Consider Adding a Clitoral Hood Reduction to Your Labiaplasty Procedure

If you're feeling uncomfortable with the appearance of your vaginal area or if excess skin in that area causes you pain and discomfort, you aren’t alone. More women than ever are choosing to undergo vaginal restoration procedures, such as clitoral hood reduction and labiaplasty, to improve their vaginal appearance and sexual confidence.

You may feel awkward or embarrassed to talk to your doctor about your vaginal appearance or issues, but you don't have to feel that way at Female Health Associates of North Texas in Fort Worth. Board-certified urogynecologist Jeffrey Hantes, DO, is our highly trained and skilled surgeon you can talk to about your concerns and issues. He specializes in minimally invasive vaginal restoration procedures and goes out of his way to put his patient at ease and offer compassionate advice about their most intimate concerns.

Clitoral hood reduction and labiaplasty are procedures where excess vaginal skin is removed. They’re often performed at the same time. But how do you know if you need one, or the other, or both? Here, Dr. Hantes and our team offer advice about what to consider when deciding between vaginal restoration procedures. 

What is a labiaplasty?

A labiaplasty is a procedure to remove excess skin from your vaginal lips, also called the labia. The labia are folds of skin surrounding your vaginal opening. The inner lips are called the labia minora, and the outer lips are called the labia majora.

Most labiaplasty surgeries involve reducing the size of the labia minora, although you can also get a labiaplasty majora to reduce the size of the outer lips. The reason women choose to get a labiaplasty is that when the labia minora extends past the outer lips, the excess skin can cause pain and discomfort during sex, exercise, or while wearing bathing suits and tight clothing.

What is a clitoral hood reduction?

A clitoral hood reduction is also a procedure to remove excess skin from your vaginal area. It’s minimally invasive and provided for women who want to reduce the size of their clitoral hood and is often done along with a labiaplasty. 

The clitoris is the female sex gland; its sole responsibility is female pleasure. Your clitoral hood is the tissue that covers and protects your clitoral glans, the outer part of your clitoris. As with all body parts, the clitoral hood comes in different sizes. The reason women consider a clitoral hood reduction is that excess skin can interfere with sexual pleasure, cause discomfort, and affect their self-confidence.

It's often done with a labiaplasty for a couple of reasons. For one, if you have a large clitoral hood, reducing the size of your labia can make your clitoral hood look even more prominent. A clitoral hood reduction, along with a labiaplasty, can ensure a pleasing aesthetic and a balanced look.

Additionally, during both procedures, Dr. Hantes administers anesthesia to keep you calm and pain-free. So, while you’re already under anesthesia, it's simple to add a related surgery and recover from both at the same time.

Should you get a clitoral hood reduction along with a labiaplasty?

If you're considering either procedure or both, schedule a consultation with Dr. Hantes. During your appointment, he’ll conduct a comprehensive health examination and review your medical history to determine if you're a candidate for either vaginal restoration procedure and if it makes sense to do both at the same time.

Call Female Health Associates of North Texas to schedule a consultation or request one online.