A labiaplasty or labia minora reduction is designed to decrease the size of the labia minora, or ‘inner lips’ of the vagina
Call us in confidence on 0131 346 0020 to discuss the options
Labiaplasty can be an embarrassing topic to discuss. However, there is greater awareness about the potential benefits of the procedure, and it is known to have a high satisfaction rate. Labiaplasty can be combined with clitoral hood reduction when needed.
Find out more about our labiaplasty procedure below…
You may be thinking about having a labiaplasty for several reasons:
You may be self-conscious about the appearance of your labia minora, and this may have been the case for some time.
Your labia may have enlarged after childbirth or with the natural ageing process.
You may experience discomfort with certain sporting activities or when wearing tighter clothing.
The cosmetic appearance of your labia minora is affecting your sexual confidence.
What is normal and why the controversy?
Labia minoras come in all shapes and sizes, and there is no definition of what is “normal” or “abnormal”.
Useful further information on vulval anatomy.
There is some controversy around labiaplasty, and it can be referred to as “designer vagina” surgery. We have a useful section exploring the main issues around this type of surgery. Please see section on common issues surrounding labiaplasty below.
The procedure itself
Labia minora reduction is a surgical procedure. We use the wedge excision method which avoids leaving scars over the outer edge of the labia. Most of the sensitive labial tissue is left behind, and it is the extra, loose skin, which is removed.
Surgery is carried out under local or general anaesthetic as a day procedure. There is some discomfort for a few days after the surgery and swelling is expected to last no more than 7-10 days.
We do not post before and after images of labiaplasty on our website. You will be shown several before and after images including images immediately after surgery during your consultation.
Your care
Please be assured that we will treat you with a level of professionalism, discretion and sensitivity expected of UK trained (FRCS Plast) NHS plastic surgeons practising at reputable, accredited private hospitals in Edinburgh. We all have expertise in gynaecological reconstructive plastic surgery. Please take the time to read more about the process below…
Surgery can be carried out either under local anaesthetic or general anaesthetic. Most patients opt for local anaesthesia as the recovery is quicker. Local anaesthesia involves injections to numb the area, and most patients tolerate this well.
The risks of labiaplasty include:
Bleeding – Minor spotting is common after the procedure. Rarely bleeding may occur that causes pain and swelling and may require a return to theatre to stop the bleeding/ remove the clot that has formed.
Swelling – To be expected over the first few days and varies significantly between patients. Usually settles by ten days.
Infection – Relatively uncommon and may require treatment with antibiotics.
Delayed wound healing – Again uncommon but can result in the wound opening and not healing correctly. This can cause notching at the rim of the labia or a hole through the middle of it.
Scars – All scars are permanent. The scars using the “wedge technique” are relatively hidden and tend to settle well. Rarely scars can be sensitive and painful, but this usually improves with time. It is crucial that you massage your scars firmly for several weeks after surgery.
Undercorrection – Not removing enough tissue and Overcorrection – Removing too much tissue.
Asymmetry – Minor degrees of asymmetry are to be expected – this is normal.
Revision – A small number of patients (less than 5%) may require further surgery to correct residual problems.
You will be up and about straight after your surgery, but it will be a week or two before you are entirely up to speed.
Your mood may fluctuate after surgery – this is normal. A small amount of blood staining on the inside of your dressings is typical during the first few days.
Discomfort/ Pain
Discomfort is typical in the first few days and is to be expected.
Bruising/ swelling
Swelling is to be expected and can be quite severe. It may get worse before it gets better and usually has improved significantly by 7-10 days.
Appearance
The appearance of your labia minora will look very different immediately after surgery compared to what it will look like after a few weeks. This is mainly due to swelling.
Most of the swelling will subside in 1-2 weeks. A small amount of swelling may persist for up to 3 months.
Scars may be red and inflamed for the first few weeks. In time, these usually soften and fade.
Long term outcomes
There is a very high satisfaction rate with labiaplasty and revision rates are very low (less than 1 in 30 patients).

Quaba Labiaplasty Aftercare…
If you have had a labiaplasty with us or are considering it – please find some detailed instructions and advice on aftercare following your procedure.
Local anaesthesia £2750
General anaesthesia £3100
Consultation £150
All-inclusive costs for one year following surgery
Integrity and attention to detail are our key elements for the provision of successful cosmetic surgery
Your care is led by Consultant Plastic Surgeons and is Hospital-Based.
Call us in confidence on 0131 342 0020 to discuss the options
What our patients have to say...
Feedback is from external review sites such as Google and RealSelf
Labiaplasty – Changed my Life! Happy Tears
I have suffered with a large labia since my teens (now 24 yrs old) which caused a lot of pain and discomfort and sometimes bleeding. I couldn’t wear certain clothing as it pinched. I seen 3 different NHS doctors and all said it was cosmetic and said nothing could be done. I decided to go down the private route and found mr Quaba through recommendation. On consultation he made me feel 100% comfortable, explained the procedure in great detail & showed me before & after pictures.
I arrived at the hospital on my own and the nurses made me feel so comfortable despite being on my own and very nervous. I opted for staying awake through surgery with a local anaesthetic, I will not lie the anaesthetic injections weren’t the most comfortable but mr Quaba stopped as and when I needed. They played music and spoke to me throughout and if I wanted mr Quaba would explain what he was doing as and when (I didn’t want to know what was going on down there!) surgery took about an hour/hour and a half (the stitches took the most time).
After surgery back to the hospital room and after some while after the pain did kick in.. the nurse came in & gave me things for the pain and checked my wounds. The nurse came every half hour to check on me. There was a little bit of spotting but not a huge amount of blood like I imagined. I went home that night as I didn’t want to stay in hospital. Stocked up with plenty meds & dressings I had a week off work to recover. Walking and sitting were hard the first couple of days, everything was very numb. By day 2 the bruising started and everything very swollen which is scary to see but I trusted what he had told me and by the end of the week everything had calmed down.
I went back for my follow up appointment with the nurse and then another follow up appointment a few months after with mr Quaba. Each appointment everyone was very thorough and made me feel at ease considering it was a private area and had to get my pants off in front of strangers. This has ultimately changed my life and worth every single penny. I am no longer self conscious, I don’t need to “tuck” anything in, I’m no longer in pain. I cried when I got home and had a proper look at the finished piece I really wish I had it done sooner.
Anyone considering this surgery with mr Quaba you will not look back, I had no complications and couldn’t fault mr Quaba, his team and the hospital. 5 star surgery & service thank you once again.
Labiaplasty – After much deliberation I decided to undergo a…
After much deliberation, I decided to undergo a labiaplasty procedure as large labia were causing me much discomfort in activities such as cycling and working out. The situation also caused distress and affected my life in other ways such as in my sexual life – in other words, I had to do something about it! After trying creams prescribed by my doctor to reduce discomfort, which did not do a huge amount, I decided to undergo labiaplasty and through thorough research into clinics which offer labiaplasty across the UK, I decided that Dr Quaba was an excellent choice.
I was very nervous about the whole thing and considering my young age was not sure how everything would go down during my consultation. Dr Quaba was very welcoming and reassuring however and explained everything – pre, during, and post-procedure details – thoroughly, which put my mind at ease. He also explained the ‘wedge method’ which he uses rather than the trim method. He also put much emphasis upon the gravity of such a decision and gave a 2 week-long thinking period after consultation for me to think everything over again before making a final decision.
During procedure, Dr Quaba was everything that one would look for in a surgeon and his team were very sweet and chatted throughout the procedure, which took around 1 hour. I was quite nervous before and during but the atmosphere in the operating room was very reassuring and the hilarious stories told by the nurses were a good distraction!
The post-operative care was wonderful, with 2 post-operative consultations and an offer of further costless touch-ups if I was not 100% happy with the results.
This was not required however as the result was exactly what I wanted and 6 months after surgery I am very pleased with the result. Everything was pretty much back to normal in fact after around 5 weeks which is when I could properly evaluate the result. My life is much improved after undergoing labiaplasty and I would hugely recommend Dr Quaba’s as the clinic to go with for this procedure.
Also, as a side note, I did not tell my family that I was undergoing labiaplasty, which Dr Quaba and his team were very good about and made sure that I felt extra safe and comfortable in everything and provided all the support needed!
Labiaplasty – Great service
Mr Quaba is very kind and friendly while still professional and thorough. All my needs before, during and after the procedure were met. I am very happy with the service and the outcome and would highly recommend Quaba plastic surgery.
Labiaplasty – My Experience Was Good
I can not recommend Mr Quaba enough, from my very first consultation, right through my procedure and my final review he made me feel so at ease. A few times I felt slightly scared but he made sure I was alright.
Quaba appear regularly in Tatler Magazine’s list of best surgeons for facelift surgery.

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