Labiaplasty · Treatment
Hoodectomy in Seoul: What It Means and When It Is Needed
Hoodectomy is another name for clitoral hood reduction: removing excess folds of the skin that covers the clitoris so the hood lies flat and in proportion with the labia. It does not involve the clitoris itself. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon performs it conservatively, usually with labia minora reduction, under local anesthesia with same-day discharge. It is needed when hood excess is real, not as a remedy for low desire.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, Somssi Women's Clinic · Last updated October 2026
At a glance
Key facts
The essentials, based on how Somssi Women's Clinic performs this procedure or answers this question. Your plan is confirmed at consultation.
- Also called: Clitoral hood reduction, hood exposure, clitoral unhooding
- Procedure time: Within the 40–60 minute labiaplasty session
- Anesthesia: Local (long-acting); sedation optional
- Hospital stay: None; home the same day
- Sutures: Fine absorbable micro-sutures
- Healing: About 2 weeks; intercourse after 2–3 weeks
- Who it suits: Women with genuine hood excess, usually alongside enlarged labia minora
Hoodectomy at a glance
Another name for clitoral hood reduction: excess hood folds removed, the clitoris itself untouched.
- hoodectomy
- clitoral hood reduction Korea
- clitoral unhooding
- hood exposure surgery
- labiaplasty hood Seoul
- excess clitoral hood
- Within 40–60 minLabiaplasty session
- Long-acting localAnesthesia
- Same dayDischarge
- After 2–3 weeksIntercourse
- Confirm true excessHood judged together with the labia.
- Mark the foldsOnly redundant skin.
- Remove and closeAbsorbable micro-sutures.
- HealAbout 2 weeks.
Illustration: Somssi Women's Clinic, Seoul. Schematic, not to scale; your plan is set by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo after examination.
What does hoodectomy mean?
Hoodectomy is a surgical term for reducing the clitoral hood, the fold of skin (prepuce) that covers the clitoral glans. The suffix "-ectomy" suggests removal, but in practice the operation removes only excess folds of hood skin; the clitoris, its glans and its nerves are left untouched. You will also see the same procedure called clitoral hood reduction, hood exposure, clitoral unhooding or clitoropexy in some clinics, although clitoropexy strictly refers to repositioning rather than skin reduction.
At Somssi Women's Clinic we use the plainer term clitoral hood reduction, and that page describes the technique in full. This page explains the terminology and, more importantly, when the procedure is genuinely needed. Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD.
Why the name causes confusion
Patients searching online meet several terms for one operation and some terms that sound similar but mean something else. A short glossary helps:
- Hoodectomy / clitoral hood reduction / hood exposure: reducing excess hood skin. Same procedure.
- Clitoral unhooding: a marketing term for the same procedure.
- Clitoropexy: suturing a prominent clitoris into a slightly higher or deeper position; a different, less common operation.
- Labiaplasty: reshaping the labia; hood reduction is often included within a labiaplasty.
- Female genital mutilation: entirely unrelated. Hoodectomy for a consenting adult with hood excess removes skin folds only and never involves the clitoris.
When is a hoodectomy needed?
The honest answer is: less often than the internet suggests. A hood that covers the clitoris is normal anatomy, and most hoods need no treatment. Hood reduction is worth considering in these situations:
- With labia minora reduction. This is by far the most common reason. When enlarged labia minora continue upward into thick hood folds, reducing the labia alone leaves a top-heavy, unbalanced result. Treating the hood in the same session keeps the proportions natural.
- Redundant lateral folds. Extra skin on either side of the hood that looks heavy, folds over on itself, or traps moisture and causes irritation.
- After a previous labiaplasty. When a first surgeon reduced the labia but left the hood untreated. This is a common reason for labiaplasty revision.
- Marked asymmetry of the hood that bothers you.
- A very long hood that completely covers the glans and that you feel interferes with stimulation.
When it is not the answer
Hoodectomy is not a treatment for low sexual desire, difficulty reaching orgasm, or pain with intercourse in a woman whose hood is normal. These problems have many causes, from hormones and relationships to pelvic floor and vaginal changes after childbirth, and surgery on a normal hood will not solve them. Dr. Yoon has published research on female sexual desire and sexual function after genital surgery, and will say plainly when hood surgery is unlikely to help. In that case a sexual-health consultation, or a look at other issues such as vaginal laxity, may be more useful.
Hoodectomy and labiaplasty: what each addresses
| Hoodectomy (hood reduction) | Labia minora reduction | |
|---|---|---|
| Tissue treated | Skin folds beside and over the clitoris | Inner labia |
| Main goal | Flatter, proportionate upper vulva | Smaller, even labia that do not protrude or rub |
| Done alone? | Rarely | Often |
| Effect on sensation | None intended; clitoris untouched | None intended; nerves preserved |
| Healing | About 2 weeks | About 2 weeks |
In practice the two are planned as one design: the line of the reduced hood flows into the new labial edge so there is no step between them. Treating one without the other, when both are enlarged, is the usual reason a result looks unbalanced.
How to tell whether hood excess is real
A simple check at home: standing in front of a mirror, look at whether the folds beside the hood overlap or hang below the level of the clitoris, and whether they continue into the labia minora as one thick fold. Skin that lies flat and only covers the glans is normal. Trapped moisture, irritation or a bulky look next to the labia point toward genuine excess.
None of this replaces an examination. At consultation Dr. Yoon looks at the hood lying and standing, together with the labia, and tells you whether reduction would change anything visible. Some women are reassured that nothing needs doing.
How Somssi performs a hoodectomy
The procedure is planned together with the labia so the lines flow continuously. Narrow strips of excess skin are removed from the lateral folds beside the hood, leaving the central hood over the glans intact; over-exposure causes constant rubbing and is avoided by design. Cutting is done with a laser for a clean edge, and closure uses fine absorbable micro-sutures hidden within the natural folds, so nothing needs removing.
Anesthesia is long-acting local, with sedation available. When done with labiaplasty, the whole operation takes 40–60 minutes. There is no hospital stay; you go home once you have urinated.
Recovery at a glance
- Day 0: Shower, go home, start the clinic ointment about four times a day and use an ice pack for three days.
- Days 1–3: Swelling may make the clitoris look more exposed than it will be; this is temporary.
- Weeks 1–2: Swelling settles, sutures dissolve, wound heals. Avoid friction, cycling and tight trousers.
- Weeks 2–3: Intercourse may resume when the area is fully closed and comfortable.
- About 3 months: Final appearance.
The shared recovery schedule is described in How long does labia minora reduction recovery take?
Results, risks and realistic expectations
A conservative hoodectomy gives a flatter, more balanced upper vulva with the clitoris visible but protected. Results vary: some women notice easier stimulation, many notice no change in sensation, and we do not promise either. Photographs taken before and after surgery let you judge the change objectively rather than from memory.
Risks include bleeding, infection, wound separation, asymmetry, visible scarring, over-exposure with persistent hypersensitivity, altered sensation and anesthesia risks. The safeguard that matters most is restraint: skin that has been removed cannot be put back, so the reduction is kept modest and lateral. See Is labia minora reduction safe? for a fuller discussion of safety in the combined procedure.
Why international patients choose Somssi
You consult directly with Dr. Yoon in English, surgery can often be scheduled within a day or two, and same-day discharge with dissolvable sutures means a short stay in Seoul with follow-up from home. The clinic is 100 m from Gangnam Station Exit 1 and is registered with the Ministry of Health and Welfare for foreign patients. Read the international patients page or contact us if you are unsure whether hood reduction is right for you.
Private consultation
Talk it through with Dr. Yoon's team
English-speaking coordinators, a written treatment plan and a clear quote after your consultation. Same-day discharge for most procedures.
Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 09:30–18:00 (KST). Closed Thu, Sun and holidays. 7F Sangkyung Building, 120 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD
OB/GYN specialist, Catholic University of Korea. Founder of Somssi Women's Clinic (2000). Published on female sexual function after reconstructive vaginal surgery; speaker at ESSM, ISSWSH, WAS and SMSNA.
Questions patients ask
Frequently asked questions
Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.
Is hoodectomy a form of female circumcision?
No. Female circumcision, or female genital mutilation, removes or damages healthy genital tissue, often in children, with no medical purpose. Hoodectomy is an elective procedure for a consenting adult that removes only excess folds of hood skin and never touches the clitoris. The hood over the glans is preserved. The two are unrelated in intent, technique and effect.
How do I know if my hood is too big?
Most hoods are normal and need nothing. Signs of genuine excess include side folds that overlap or trap moisture, a hood that looks bulky compared with the labia, or a hood that continues into enlarged labia minora as one thick fold. The only reliable way to know is an examination, where Dr. Yoon will tell you honestly whether reduction would change anything.
Can hoodectomy be done on its own, without labiaplasty?
It can, but it is uncommon. Hood excess usually goes along with enlarged labia minora, and treating both at once gives a balanced result with a single recovery. If your labia are already small and only the hood bothers you, a hood-only procedure is possible and is shorter than a full labiaplasty.
Will hoodectomy make orgasm easier?
Sometimes, when a very long hood has covered the glans completely, but it is not a treatment for orgasm difficulty in general. Problems with desire or orgasm have many causes that surgery on a normal hood will not address. We would rather discuss those causes with you than operate on tissue that is not the problem.
How long does healing take after hoodectomy?
About two weeks for the wound, with swelling settling over the first week or two and the final appearance at around three months. When combined with labiaplasty the timeline is the same: ointment four times a day, ice for three days, no friction or cycling for about two weeks, and intercourse after two to three weeks.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
- Do I Need Labia Minora Reduction? — the same honest decision framework applied to the labia
- Does Labia Minora Reduction Affect Sensation or Sexual Function? — what surgery can and cannot do for sensation
- How Long Does Labia Minora Reduction Recovery Take? — the recovery schedule shared with hood surgery
- Clitoral Hood Reduction — the full technique page for this procedure
- Labiaplasty (Labia Reshaping Surgery) — the operation hoodectomy is usually part of
- Dr. Yoon Ho-joo — research on female sexual desire and genital surgery
Sources and medical review
- Yoon HJ et al. Characteristics of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in Korean women attending a community gynecology clinic. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. 2018. DOI 10.1080/01443615.2017.1389866.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — elective female genital cosmetic surgery
- World Health Organization (WHO) — definition of female genital mutilation (for contrast with elective adult surgery)
Next step
A consultation first. A decision only when you are ready.
Tell us what you are experiencing and what you hope to change. Dr. Yoon examines, measures and explains the options, including when no surgery is the right answer. International patients can start with an online consultation before travelling to Seoul.
