The curious case of the labiaplasty: why scores of women across the world are now vying for Barbie vaginas

In India, labiaplasty is slowly gaining momentum. Photo courtesy: Facebook/ OfficialBarbieIndia

After melanin reduction and limb-lengthening surgeries, another body fad is creating an uproar-except it's far more disturbing than its predecessors.

Labiaplasty or designer vaginas, as they are commonly called, is a surgery that involves trimming of the labia minora (inner vaginal lips) that flank the vaginal opening.

With hordes of women fervently thronging the clinics to go under the knife, plastic surgeons are perplexed over the utility of it.

According to data from the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), more than 95,000 women worldwide underwent the surgery in 2015.

The staggering numbers are a result of the picture-perfect body image that women secretly harbour. Adding fuel to the fire, porn and photoshopped images are contributing to the popularity of labiaplasty.

The surgery leaves you with a flat vulva and no hair, much like that of a young girl or a Barbie--with nothing but a slit visible.  This, according to many, is the epitome of feminine beauty. Thus, women rush to go under the knife to have surgically-enhanced vaginas, without giving much thought to the side effects it may cause.

Also read: Should you be worried about that vaginal discharge?

Surgeons baffled by the craze are quick to recount the repercussions of the surgery.

"Some women go through chronic vulvar pain after labiaplasty", said Dr. Rebecca Shaw, gynecologist, Iowa Lutheran Hospital, USA said in an interview to AFP. "Any time you cut off a piece of tissue, there's a chance of bleeding, of infection and then subsequently of scarring. When you get scarring, you have a risk of catching nerve endings in that scar tissue which will then cause pain or discomfort going forward," she continued.

The question really is: it is worth all the pain and moolah? We definitely don't think so. Photo: Shutterstock/ IndiaPicture

What most women fail to understand is that at the end of the day, labiaplasty is a cosmetic procedure, which has little to do with sexual gratification or health.

"We know that in about 40% of cases when women ask for a surgery to relieve pain--they lie. What they really want is the 'Barbie' look. On Barbie, you don't see the inner labia," said Nicolas Berreni, co-founder, European Society of Aesthetic Gynecology (ESAG) also told AFP.

Experts vouch that the surgery by no means does any favour to the vaginal health and brings along with it a plethora of medical problems. So, why do women fall prey to such fads? The answer is simple. To fit into the conformed notions of beauty--sexual or otherwise.

However, in a bid to do so they often neglect the long-term problems associated with such risky surgeries. Apart from the fact that they will make you wince in pain, these procedures cost a bomb.

"In India, labiaplasty is slowly gaining momentum; with many women opting for the surgery to get rid of their enlarged labias. If you wish to opt for one, it will cost you Rs 50,000," said Dr. Shobha Jindal, New Delhi.

But the question really is: it is worth all the pain and moolah? We definitely don't think so.

Firstly: You are not aware of the consequences you might have to suffer. The chances of catching an infection after a surgery like this are way too high. Secondly: Unlike lip fillers, designer vaginas are not on display--are they? Who cares you spent a bomb or have a pretty vag. NO ONE, but yourself, of course.

Then why put yourself in danger for something that doesn't make sense--neither to the sane minded nor the experts.