Enlarged or uneven labia minora can chafe, hurt when cycling, and make certain clothes uncomfortable. A labiaplasty shortens the tissue and reshapes the edge — while leaving sensation and the protective function intact.
Please note: A medical consultation is a chargeable service under the German physicians’ fee schedule (GOÄ). Online bookings are binding; the practice team will explain the expected consultation fee when arranging your appointment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. med. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. med. Stephan Frantzen · Board-certified plastic surgeons · Last reviewed:
A labiaplasty is an operation in which enlarged or asymmetric tissue of the labia minora is shortened and the edge reshaped. The incision is planned so that sensation is preserved.
It makes sense when enlarged or uneven tissue is a burden in everyday life. The reasons are highly individual and not always medically compelling — but they are real, and we take them seriously.
Enlarged labia minora may be congenital or may change over a lifetime, through hormonal influences, pregnancies or age-related changes in the tissue. The reasons women give us most often are:
Alongside the physical side there is usually an emotional one. Marked embarrassment, insecurity, or simply wanting the area to feel settled can affect quality of life considerably. These feelings are widespread and a legitimate reason to look into the subject. The decision is always individual and should be well considered.
A detailed personal consultation comes first. We go through your anatomy, what you want, and what is medically sensible. The aim is always a natural result that works aesthetically and functionally.
The operation itself is performed as day surgery under local anaesthetic. Excess tissue of the labia minora is removed carefully and the contours reshaped. Throughout, the natural protective function and the sensitivity of the area are preserved — the labia shield the urethra and the vaginal entrance from ascending infection.
Actual operating time is usually 45 to 60 minutes. We use only fine, self-dissolving sutures, so nothing has to be pulled out afterwards.
Swelling, light bruising or a feeling of tightness are normal in the first days and settle within a week or so. Mild pain responds well to ordinary painkillers.
Movement. No bed rest is needed – walking and gentle stretching are allowed from day one. Lighter exercise is usually possible after two to three weeks. Allow six weeks before anything that loads the area directly, such as cycling or horse riding, and before anything involving moisture – swimming, hot tubs and heavy sweating in a sauna. Dr. Finke follows your healing and discusses with you how to support it so that you can get back to your routine as soon as sensibly possible.
Periods, tampons and sex. For your first period after surgery, use plastic-free pads; from the second period you can use tampons again. For sex there is no fixed date: you will be given tips on how to prepare, and most women feel for themselves when they are ready – usually after about eight weeks.
Care. Keep the area dry and use no aggressive soaps. Dr. Finke recommends cotton pads without a plastic layer to avoid sweating, and a short rinse after each visit to the toilet, then air-drying.
Check-ups. Regular follow-up keeps the healing on track — usually after one week, two weeks, six to eight weeks and six months, with a final examination after one year.
Dr. Juliane C. Finke is a board-certified plastic surgeon with many years of experience in labiaplasty. Her patients value the empathetic, respectful way she works — from woman to woman.
She sets great store by a thorough personal consultation: understanding what you want and expect, and tailoring the treatment to you. In a confidential appointment she answers every question and explains exactly how the operation runs and what result you can expect.
Discretion is part of the treatment here, from the way appointments are scheduled to the way we write to you. Let us find out together whether a labia minora reduction is the right answer for you.
Possible complications include bleeding, infection, wound separation, delayed healing, asymmetry, conspicuous scars, altered or reduced sensation, persistent pain, pain during intercourse, over- or under-correction and revision surgery. No operation can guarantee a particular appearance, sensation or sexual outcome.
| How long | 45–60 minutes – actual operating time, planned individually |
|---|---|
| Anaesthetic | Local anaesthetic – you are awake |
| Stay | Day surgery – home the same day |
| Back to normal | 1–2 days; light exercise after 2–3 weeks |
| Afterwards | Walking from day one; cycling, riding, swimming, hot tub and sauna after 6 weeks; tampons from your second period; sex usually after about 8 weeks |
| Sutures | Fine self-dissolving sutures – nothing has to be removed |
| Follow-up | After 1 week, 2 weeks, 6–8 weeks, 6 months, final check after 1 year |
| Result | Long-lasting anatomical change; ageing, hormones and individual healing continue |
| Where | Day surgery at our practice, Heinrich-Roller-Straße 15, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg |
| Paid by | Private fee – statutory cover only where a medical indication is recognised |
What does a labiaplasty cost? There is no flat rate. Time in theatre, technique, anaesthetic and the extent of the procedure differ from person to person. You get a binding quote at the end of your consultation — in writing, with nothing hidden.
Will insurance pay? As a rule, no: purely aesthetic procedures are paid privately. German statutory insurers only contribute where a medical indication is recognised; private insurers and international policies decide case by case. We will tell you honestly whether you have any prospect of cover. And the consultation itself? Medical advice is a treatment in its own right and is invoiced under the German scale of medical fees (GOÄ) — including when you decide against a procedure afterwards. We tell you what to expect when the appointment is made.
These points apply generally. What applies in your case – with existing conditions or regular medication – we go through at your pre-operative consultation. That conversation is what counts.
Not every complaint in this area needs an operation. In the consultation we look first at whether something smaller will do. We look first at whether something smaller would do the job – and we will say so if none of these procedures fits your finding.
Board-certified plastic surgeon (plastic &
aesthetic surgery), Fellow of EBOPRAS
Dr. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. Stephan Frantzen are full members of the German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (DGPRÄC) and the German Society of Senology (DGS). Dr. Finke is also a Fellow of EBOPRAS and passed the European board examination in 2010; Dr. Frantzen operates on a voluntary basis for INTERPLAST in South America. The jameda seals lead to the independent physician profiles with patient reviews of Dr. Finke and Dr. Frantzen.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Juliane C. Finke and Dr. Stephan Frantzen
This is the question we are asked most, and it is the reason the incision is planned the way it is. The nerve supply to the labia runs in a known pattern and the cut is placed to spare it. Lasting loss of sensation is not something we see. Temporary numbness in the first weeks is normal and settles as the swelling does.
The local anaesthetic stings for a few seconds. After that you feel pressure and movement rather than pain. Afterwards, ordinary painkillers are enough for almost everyone; most women describe it as sore rather than painful, and only for a few days.
No. We use fine self-dissolving sutures throughout. They disappear on their own over two to three weeks.
There is no fixed date. Most women feel for themselves when they are ready – usually after about eight weeks – and you will get tips on how to prepare. Sport is different: walking from day one, lighter exercise after two to three weeks, cycling, riding and swimming after six weeks. Tampons are fine again from your second period.
One to two days for most desk-based work. If your job involves a lot of sitting, cycling or physical effort, plan for a little longer.
Yes. Tissue that has been removed does not grow back. Pregnancy and substantial weight change can alter the area again, as they do everywhere else.
As a rule no — this is a privately paid procedure. Where there is a genuine functional complaint, such as pain during sport or intercourse, an application to a German statutory insurer is possible; the insurer decides. We document the finding for you.
Dr. Juliane C. Finke, personally and in every case — consultation, operation and every follow-up appointment.
Book a consultation with Dr. Finke — in German, English or Spanish. We take our time, and nothing is decided at that first appointment.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Juliane C. Finke, board-certified plastic surgeon (plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery), and Dr. Stephan Frantzen, board-certified plastic surgeon and board-certified general surgeon.
Last medically reviewed:
The content of this page is for general information and does not replace medical advice. A binding assessment is only possible after a personal examination.
Independent information: The German Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons provides patient information on choosing a specialist, consent, limitations and possible complications. The German Medical Association explains the GOÄ fee schedule. These German-language sources supplement, but do not replace, an individual medical examination.
