I began reading an article on the blog Anne of Carversville regarding the use of the term "vajayjay" vs. "vagina." Which I suppose could be a debate for a later time. But as you might expect, the article points out the fact that North American woman are still not comfortable discussing the subject and have adopted the term vajayjay from the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Further along in the article it mentioned a topic I didn't even know existed. I guess I'll have to renew my subscription to Cosmo so I am more informed on these matters. The topic was Labiaplasty. Which is the practice of performing cosmetic surgery on the labia majora/minora. Some of these surgeries are being performed on woman for reconstructive or corrective reasons. However, the article indicates that this surgery has become more popular in the last 30 months and most of the procedures are being performed for cosmetic or aesthetic reasons. What does a labiaplasty look like you ask? Here is a link to a clinical franchise that specializes in the procedure and has 18 locations in 12 states in the U.S. There are 16 surgeons on this page, each with their own before & after photos, just like a line-up at Jenny Craig. The obvious irony here is that although American woman apparently cannot bring themselves to use the word "vagina," there is enough of a demand for these cosmetic procedures to justify this one company to have an 18 location franchise across the entire country.
I'm a glamour photographer and a man. Which means I work in a world that is synonymous with aesthetics and vanity, and probably shouldn't be talking about vagina's or vajayjay's for that matter for fear of not only being called a hypocrite but having a bunch of feminists jump down my throat. I am neither condemning nor exonerating this practice. I only present it here for your consideration. But as with many types of cosmetic surgery, I have to wonder who these procedures are really being performed for? Are they for the woman themselves to improve their self esteem, or is it the pressure of the beauty conscious world we live in to have a perfect body? I suppose it really shouldn't be all that surprising. First it was faces, then breasts, you can get butt or ab implants, and now you can have a perfect pussy too. Oops, I mean vagina.
Hi Adam,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you stepping out to write about this topic. I consult women considering labia reduction (and vaginal rejuvenation).
In my experience, about half of the women having labiaplasty are doing it for purely cosmetic reasons and the other half also have some type of pain or discomfort from their labia.
Unlike, breasts or noses, the vagina is not regularly on display for others to see. Women getting a labia reduction are almost always doing it for themselves, and have been unhappy with the way they feel for years before they get the surgery. Most men could care less what the labia look like!
There is certainly a lean with labiplasty towards younger women. This would make sense, as they want to feel sexually attractive, and if they are not happy with their labia, that would be a big hindrance.
Take Care, Vanessa
And P.S. The site you reference is not a franchise. Those are individual doctors advertising on that site.
Hi Vanessa,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for responding to my post. It's great to get some feedback from someone who is directly involved with the procedure.
I would have to agree that most men probably don't care about the appearance aspect. And I think that's probably a good thing. I'd hate to think that any number of these procedures where being performed in an attempt to appease so sort of distorted "male" view of how women should look.
My blog is fairly new and I don't have much of a reader base, but when I came across the topic, I found it interesting and though I would share the information.
I stand corrected on the franchise aspect of the clinics. Thanks for correcting me on that. I still do find it interesting that there are that many specialists preforming these services in a culture that is somewhat phobic on the topic. Although having just discovered the concept, I will also admit to my own ignorance on the matter.
Have a great 2011. :)
Adam