What types of labia are there? External female genitalia: vulva

The types of labia are completely different. This is due to the different anatomical development of the female reproductive organs. Moreover, throughout the entire life cycle, the genitourinary system undergoes many changes, both internal and external.

In the anatomical structure of the female genitourinary system, there are 2 types of labia: the labia minora and labia majora. The small ones perform the function of a tight grip around the penis during coitus. But the large lips of the female reproductive system perform a protective function, the result of which is to protect the vagina from the penetration of foreign objects and various infections.

The labia majora is a common longitudinal fold of skin, the color of which depends on individual characteristics. female body. Doctors classify them only by external signs as follows:

lips of normal length and thickness;
asymmetrical folds;
underdeveloped organs.

The structure of the labia minora has much more differences. In normal condition, their thickness should not exceed 5-6 mm. In this case, the longitudinal folds of the female genital organs should immediately pass into the mucous membrane. In the clitoral area, the skin folds of the female genital organs are divided into lateral and medial crura. These legs extend into the upper and lower parts of the genitourinary system. They end at the very beginning of the vagina and at the lower commissure.

The labia minora can have completely different shapes and are divided according to the type of change that occurs to them. Among such changes, doctors distinguish elongation, protrusion, scalloping and hypertrophy of the genital folds.

Elongation is characterized by a large stretching of the skin ridges, which can exceed 60-70 mm. In normal condition, their size should be 20-30 mm. With protrusion, a rather strong protrusion of the internal folds is observed. In this condition, the labia majora are not able to fully protect the female genitourinary system.

Scalloping is observed only at the edges of the lips and is characterized by a change in their color and shape. If such changes are observed for a fairly long period of time, then the patient may experience hypertrophy of the skin ridges. As a result, large wrinkles will appear on the internal organs, and pigmentation of the skin will occur.

Reasons for changing forms

As noted above, each woman’s genitals have a completely individual shape. At the same time, doctors have not established fairly clear criteria that determine their color and shape. Although an experienced gynecologist, upon visual examination, can detect abnormal changes occurring in the vaginal organs.

Most often, such changes are the result of a hormonal imbalance in the body, resulting in an increase in the level of androgen (male sex hormone). A similar phenomenon causes polycystic ovary syndrome, increased hair growth on the extremities (arms, legs) and infertility.

Also among the reasons influencing changes in the shape of the vagina are mechanical damage (tight underwear) and heavy physical activity that affects the groin area. In addition, frequent and prolonged masturbation not only causes changes in the shape of internal organs, but also leads to other dangerous diseases.

It is impossible not to note the various diets that the female sex quite often adheres to. An incorrectly selected diet can lead to a sharp change not only in the patient’s weight, but also cause damage to his internal organs.

At the same time, young girls whose age does not exceed 25 years are most at risk. This is due to the fact that the anatomical formation of their body has not yet been completely completed.

As a rule, any changes in the vaginal organs lead to problems in intimate life.

If such problems occur, you should not despair. Modern medicine allows us to solve problems with changes in the shape of skin folds using medication or plastic surgery.

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Drug treatment allows you to cope with diseases only in the initial stages of their manifestations. For this, antihistamines and antiseptics (Fluconazole, Metronidazole, Doxycycline, Acyclovir, Diflucan) are used, which eliminate itching and various pain sensations. In addition, the body's hormonal levels should be restored.

This can be done with the help of a special diet, which should be rich in mint, vegetable oil and white yeast bread. In the case where the problem cannot be eliminated with medications, they resort to surgical elimination of the disease.

Labia (labia) are a pair of female reproductive organs, which are divided into small (internal, pudendal) and large (external or external). Each of these organs has an individual structure and function. Together with the vagina and clitoris, they form the vulva.

Although in fact these are just small folds of skin, their importance for the normal functioning of the female body is great. The labia minora cover the vagina, protecting it from infections, maintaining a certain temperature and normal humidity. Too large or, conversely, small sizes of these protective folds can cause diseases of the genital organs, discomfort, and dry mucous membranes. Therefore, the aesthetics of the external genitals for every woman is no less important than the beauty of the face and figure.

External labia

The outer labia (also called “labia majora”) are two folds of skin located on the sides of the genital slit. Their main function is to protect the vagina from pathogenic factors. environment, as well as maintaining the required temperature in the female reproductive organs. Since they contain a minimal number of nerve endings, they are not an erogenous zone. In the thickness of the external labia there are Bartholin glands, adipose tissue and venous plexuses. On the outside there is pronounced hair. Very often their skin is subject to increased pigmentation. During sexual stimulation, the labia majora, along with the vaginal walls and clitoris, become engorged with blood. When stimulated, the Bartholin's glands (located near the vaginal opening) secrete fluid that provides lubrication for sexual intercourse.

The area between the vaginal opening and the anus, below the labia majora, is called the perineum. It ranges in length from 2 to 5 centimeters.

According to reviews from women and gynecologists, the labia change during pregnancy. This is considered a natural and normal process that is associated with changes in hormonal levels. Thus, when carrying a child, blood circulation in all pelvic organs increases, which leads to an enlargement of both the labia minora and the outer labia. Swelling of the external genitalia and discoloration are one of the likely symptoms of impending conception. About seven days after fertilization, the lips swell and become juicy and elastic. During pregnancy, varicose veins and various seals, which usually disappear before childbirth.

Labia minora

Labia minora is part of the female reproductive system and consists of two “lips” or folds of skin on the outside of the vaginal opening. Each labia minora has two legs - outer and inner. The outer legs are attached to the back of the clitoris, and the inner legs are attached to the head of the clitoris (at the back). The main role of these small folds is to protect the clitoris, urethra and vulva.

APPEARANCE

Healthy women have labia minora that are light to dark pink, and sometimes brown or purple. A woman's overall skin tone does not always match the color of her private lips. So some women who have a dark brown complexion have light pink folds, while some women with a very fair complexion have private skin that is dark brown or purple. Pretty much any combination is considered normal, but if the area becomes dull or begins to change colors, it could indicate a skin disease or rare cancer. After pregnancy and childbirth, surgical operations, infectious diseases that cause tissue changes, their size usually increases.

Average statistical norms for the structure of the labia

Their physiological structure is the same in women, but the anatomical features are individual in each specific case. The types of labia are different: in some women they are large and thick, in others, on the contrary, they are thin and stretched. The appearance of the labia minora depends on factors such as:

genetics;
ethnicity;
body weight;
age;
features of intrauterine development;
presence of vaginal diseases;
the presence of mechanical influences;
traumatic injuries;
surgical interventions;
religious beliefs (circumcision);
hormone imbalance.

According to research, in 80% of cases, the anatomy and structure of a woman’s labia depends on genetic factors. The narrow and short labia minora often predominates among the French, Italians, and Greeks. Small sizes are also observed among Germans and Spaniards. Women living throughout the African or American continent often have narrow vaginas with long labia.

FUNCTION OF THE LAVADIA

These folds protect some of the most sensitive parts of the female genital anatomy. They cover the clitoris, which contains many sexual nerve endings, and are the shield of the vestibule of the vulva, which contains the openings of the urethra and vagina. The anatomical function is to seal the vaginal opening and protect the vagina from foreign bodies, drying out and the penetration of microbes. In addition, together with the fat pads of the outer labia, they provide mechanical protection.

In women, the opening of the urethra (urethra) is located at the top, between the labia, and they can act as a kind of regulator, directing the flow of urine in a certain direction and acting as a barrier, preventing urine from entering the vaginal cavity. However, with the excessive length of the labia minor and its deformations, emptying the bladder is accompanied by a random scattering of urine in the most unexpected directions.

During vaginal intercourse, the labia minora can help stimulate the entire vulva, clitoris, and vagina area of the woman and her partner's penis. Stimulation of the clitoris can occur through the tension of its frenulum when pulling the inner labia with fingers or during friction.

SYMMETRY AND DIMENSIONS

The labia minora are often asymmetrical, which in practical terms means that they are usually slightly different sizes or lengths and one side may hang lower than the other. In most cases, this does not indicate any problems, and is in fact considered “normal” for most women. During puberty, a woman experiences many hormonal and subsequent changes in appearance. One of these changes occurs due to increased levels of estrogen in the body - an increase in the labia minora. In some cases this is genetically determined. Due to injury, constant friction, or in the case of chronic infections, Labia minora may increase in size. Pregnancy is a new, wonderful stage in a woman’s life, in which a rush of blood to the genital area can lead to a subsequent increase in the length and width of the labia minora.

INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION

For many women, the initial symptoms of sexually transmitted infections, especially itching, burning, swelling, discomfort, begin with irritation here and then spread to the vulva and vagina. Other symptoms that may occur are pain in the lower abdomen, burning when urinating, increased vaginal discharge that is thick, yellow, green, etc. The most common causes of inflammation of the labia minora are STDs, thrush and bacterial vaginosis.

Being very sensitive in their structure to any irritation and everything with a location in the area of natural excretion (vagina, urethra, anus), where traces of urine, vaginal discharge, smegma and even feces may be present, the labia minora can suffer from inflammatory processes such as vulvitis It often begins in these folds of skin because... they are often wet and subject to constant mechanical stress. The likelihood of inflammation can be reduced by proper regular hygienic cleansing of the external genitalia, using water and proven products designed for women's delicate areas. It may also be interesting to sometimes carry out such a procedure as “vaginal cleaning” - general cleaning of an intimate area.

The vigorous rubbing of little girls' labia while cleaning themselves, coupled with a lack of estrogen in children's bodies, can lead to a condition known as "fused labia minora" or synechiae. They interfere with the normal process of urination, and urine can accumulate, causing pain and inflammation.

LABIA MAJOR AND GYNECOLOGIST

Many girls who are about to be examined by a gynecologist (at school, a clinic, during a medical examination at a antenatal clinic, etc.) are concerned about how the doctor will react to enlarged (long, dark, different sizes) labia? Is this defect recorded in the medical record, and are parents informed about the discovery? As for gynecologists, during medical examinations in one day they see dozens of variants of the structure of female intimate organs. Moreover, according to statistics, approximately 30% of all girls have enlarged labia minora. The gynecologist is not interested or concerned about this at all, since this is not a disease, but a variant of a normal structure, unless, of course, we take clinical cases of obvious hypertrophy. During a medical examination, the doctor has the task of identifying signs of various types of infections, the state of development of the reproductive tract, etc. And which labia the gynecologist usually does not note in the medical documentation. So there is no reason to worry.

CAUSES OF DEVIATIONS AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES

For many women, unsightly anatomical variations in the genitals are a source of significant distress. Hormonal influences, tissue weakness, genetic factors or age-related changes can cause these changes in appearance. Enlarged labia minora and sagging external lips are perceived as especially undesirable. Inconveniences such as pain when wearing tight clothing during sports activities (horse riding, jogging, cycling), intussusception (recession) of the labia during sexual intercourse, as well as hygienic difficulties, can stimulate women to correct them. The strongest motivation is sometimes the psychological suffering experienced, which can affect sex life.

Modern women focus all their efforts on maintaining a beautiful appearance, and sometimes the aesthetic appearance of the intimate area worries them more than the condition of their hair, skin or physique. A common cause of concern is sagging labia. It is believed that the labia majora should cover the labia minora so that they do not protrude forward.

There are cases when the labia minora stick out very strongly. This phenomenon, in which external organs have a size beyond the normal range, is called hypertrophy. A woman has an asymmetrical structure of her organs; areas of skin in the “bikini zone” are stretched and become longer. For this reason, the labia minora hang outward beyond the anatomical boundaries. The deformation can cause discoloration of the intimate organs.

Labia defects

Statistics show that one third of women in the world have enlarged labia minora. Experts believe that it is normal to peek out 5 cm. If the size of the intimate organs is more than 6 cm, the girl may need to consult a gynecologist. The problem is solved through surgery. However, many girls believe that the labia majora and minora, which protrude more than 1 cm, look ugly.

It is important to understand: hypertrophy of the labia is not a disease, but an individual feature of the female body. Medical intervention is required if such a condition interferes with sex life, limits physical activity or causes other discomfort.

In addition, women often face a problem when they have: folds of skin folded unevenly and often have different lengths. It is noted that this particular problem causes more concern among women.

The only treatment method is surgery, but it is not always safe for health. Before taking any measures, it is important to find out why the deformation occurred and whether correction will harm the body.

Despite the fact that some stages and types of deformation do not cause harm, women strive to ensure that the organ looks normal. Large labia minora make it impossible to wear small, elegant underwear and cause complexes that prevent a girl from going to the beach or pool. Hypertrophy causes problems in sexual life.

Types of hypertrophy

In medicine, there are four stages of hypertrophy:

The labia minora protrude no more than 2 cm.
Protrude by 4 cm. At this stage, a woman may experience discomfort while walking or.
The skin is stretched up to 4 cm, the skin is loose, discomfort occurs when riding a bicycle or sitting.
The external organs have increased by more than 6 cm. At the last stage, the woman begins to experience very strong irritation in the intimate area while moving.

There are three types of deformation that are not considered normal for the female body:

change in shape that interferes with sexual life and intimate hygiene;
a significant increase or decrease in the size of the organ, disrupting the normal structure of the external genitalia;
blue discoloration of the skin of the labia.

Causes of hypertrophy

Sagging labia can be caused by a sharp decrease in body weight or the onset of adulthood. Over the years, the skin in the perineum loses its elasticity. Wrinkling or stretching often occurs after childbirth. Women of climatic age are most susceptible to an increase in the volume of the labia: the skin loses its brightness, its edges become flabby and uneven.

Adolescents and nulliparous girls rarely experience genital deformity. However, even in young people, wrinkling of the skin in an intimate place occurs: the sagging is less pronounced and is not noticeable.

Hypertrophy in infants is explained by problems that could arise during intrauterine development of the fetus, or by prematurity.

Heredity often causes skin deformation. To find out whether hypertrophy is caused by a genetic factor, it is enough to find out from close relatives whether their labia were stretched or different sizes. The deformity caused by heredity is formed during adolescence or after the onset of sexual life.

External organs become enlarged due to aggressive or prolonged sex. Injuries, piercings in the intimate area and surgery can also increase the size of the skin. In this case, cyanosis may be observed.

Among the diseases that can most often stretch the labia inflammatory processes. The skin in the “bikini zone” turns blue.

They may become deformed due to the high content of male hormones in the body.

Treatment

Labiaplasty is the only way to correct sagging skin. This type of surgical intervention has already proven itself well in women. Correction of the labia is safe for health if you follow the doctor’s instructions, since labiaplasty has a list of contraindications, namely:

inflammatory processes in the genitals;
infectious diseases;
oncology;
mental disorders;
preparation for childbirth;
minority.

If the patient has one of the contraindications, she should not undergo surgery. In addition to consulting with a specialist, a woman needs to undergo an examination. Doctors require blood tests to detect hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and take a smear for flora.

The private area must be shaved for the operation. At the patient’s request, the doctor can take a photo of the lips before the correction begins, so that she can compare the result with the previous state of the “bikini zone”.

Labiaplasty is performed using local anesthesia and a mild sedative. The operation lasts less than an hour: all this time the patient is in a supine position. The legs are spread wide and fixed. The protruding lips are treated with an antiseptic, and a disinfected cloth is placed on the skin around them. Excess skin is trimmed and the operation ends.

After childbirth, women may experience changes in the size and shape of the labia majora. In this case, the correction is carried out by a plastic surgeon. The loose tissue is trimmed and the wounds are closed with sutures using dissolving threads.

Side effects

A woman may experience pain in the intimate area after cutting off excess tissue. The symptoms disappear within a week, and the patient begins to feel normal. A month later, the woman returns to sexual life without any problems. It is better to postpone sports for a while and return to them, subject to approval from the doctor.

What complications occur after labiaplasty? Welts, scars, bleeding may appear on the labia, and the skin will become bluish. Sometimes sensitivity decreases, which deprives a woman of the opportunity to receive pleasure during intimacy with a man. Inflammation and infection can develop after labiaplasty.

Complications are rare, more than 90% of patients were completely satisfied with the result.

What the labia should look like is up to the woman to decide for herself. If the condition of the organs satisfies her and her partner and does not cause harm to health, there is no need for surgery.

Every girl has many secrets that attract men. But there are also mysteries that the girls themselves want to solve. They often ask themselves this question: what do the labia look like? It is necessary to understand this issue in more detail.

Labia majora and labia minora

It should immediately be noted that the labia majora and minora. The visible ones include the labia majora, which look like two folds of skin. They are distributed from top to bottom: from the pubic area to the anus. The labia majora are covered with hair. Most often, girls are bothered by the appearance of the labia minora, which are located inside the labia majora, so they are difficult to see. They are also folds of skin that run parallel to the labia majora. There is no hair on the labia minora.

Shape, size and color

Women are unique - this fact should be taken into account when considering such parameters as the shape, color and size of the labia minora. The female labia are: smooth, jagged, short, long, thin, thick, slightly wrinkled and wrinkled. Moreover, all these forms are normal from a medical point of view. This is female nature - uniqueness is manifested in everything.

The size of skin folds is also different for all women. A certain standard of normal length is 5 cm with lateral extension. If the length exceeds 5 centimeters, then the labia are considered long.

It's not so simple with color either. Each person has a different skin color, so the color of the labia minora is difficult to compare with any color standard. It all depends on the pigmentation. It has been noted more than once that the lips on girls’ faces are not always pink. They can be red, brown. The same goes for the color of the labia - each has its own color.

So what should the labia look like? It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Only certain factors or symptoms can help identify a pathology or disease.

Pathology, disease or normal

Quite often, girls tend to think that long, asymmetrical lips are some kind of pathology. This is not entirely correct. The human body itself is asymmetrical, therefore the labia cannot be perfectly symmetrical either. And elongated labia are recognized as a defect, but certainly not a developmental pathology. This intimate problem can be solved through surgery.

You need to sound the alarm if you experience pain, itching or swelling in the labia area. There are a lot of diseases that can attack this sensitive area. This can be vulvovaginitis (inflammation), candidiasis (burning and itching), vulvodynia (burning and discomfort), and bartholinitis (swelling and pain).

Does age affect the labia?

What do the labia minora look like in women of different ages? With age, the labia also change. In little girls, the development and formation of the labia occurs. During girlhood, the “flower opening” phase begins - the lips acquire their unique shape and size. After childbirth or upon reaching adulthood, atrophy of the labia is possible.

It's amazing how the labia can look completely different and still be healthy. We just need to remind you that any discomfort in this area should not be ignored. You should immediately contact a specialist.