If you’re like many women, you may be self-conscious about one or more aspects of the way you look. It’s quite common, for instance, for a woman to “hate” her hair, the shape of her nose, or the extra weight she carries in her thighs. We all want to look and feel attractive.

Given the ease with which we can access images of nude men and women, including pornography, these days, it’s perhaps not surprising that more and more women are asking themselves if their pubic region looks “normal”. Single women, as well as those in long-term committed relationships, naturally want to look and feel sexy when being intimate with a partner. Worrying that your genitalia looks unattractive or abnormal is not conducive to a healthy sexual relationship.

Every Body (and Every Vagina) is Different

Variety is, as they say, the spice of life. It’s perfectly normal that no two vaginas are alike, just as no two women are alike. Additionally, many people use the term “vagina” to describe a woman’s entire pubic region. It means that what you’re probably wondering is whether your vulva looks “normal”.

Vulva or Vagina?

Your vulva includes the mons Venus, which is the mound of fat-padded skin beneath your tummy, as well as the inner and outer labia, the clitoris, and the openings of the urethra and vagina. The vagina, or birth canal, is tucked inside your body, with only the entrance visible externally.

What is Normal, Anyway?

Unless you have a rare birth defect or have suffered a grievous injury to the area, your vagina and vulva are almost certainly normal. However, what may concern you is whether the size, shape and appearance of your genitalia are “typical” or fall within the range of what you’ve seen in other women.

Overly large, hanging or drooping inner labia are normal for some women, due to genetic factors as well as age and childbirth. Normal or not, if your large inner or outer labia make you physically or emotionally uncomfortable, that’s probably outside the range of “average”. If you’re unhappy with your large labia, there is no reason you shouldn’t do something about it.

Some women have trouble achieving orgasm due to an excess of bulky tissue surrounding the clitoris. There are normal variations in the thickness of the clitoral hood from one woman to the next, as well as variations in how much of the clitoris protrudes from the hood. If your clitoral hood is preventing you from reaching orgasm, there is help available. A clitoral hood reduction may be the solution you seek.

Another common concern among women is that, after childbirth, their vaginas or labia look different than they did before. In cases such as these, there may be an undesirable slackness, or loose feeling, to the vagina. In some instances, the opening may not be fully closed when at rest, resulting in a gaping look. While this is normal—after all, you pushed a human being through that opening—that doesn’t mean you have to live with a vagina that doesn’t make you happy!

What Can I Do if I’m Unhappy With My Vulva?

If the function or appearance of your vagina, clitoris or labia is not to your liking, for whatever reason, there is help available. Just as someone with a large or unattractive (but still normal) nose can undergo rhinoplasty, you have several options available to achieve the look and function you desire:

  • Vaginoplasty
  • Labiaplasty
  • Labia majoraplasty
  • Clitoral hood reduction
  • Hymenoplasty

Many women elect to have more than one of the above procedures. In most cases, your surgeon can combine them into a single surgery. It will greatly reduce your healing time, compared to having separate procedures.