Labia Majora · Treatment
Labia Majora Reduction in Seoul: Surgery for Sagging Outer Labia
Labia majora reduction is a surgical procedure that removes excess, sagging skin from the outer labia so they sit flatter, smoother and more evenly. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, the surgery takes about one hour under sedation or local anesthesia, you go home the same day, healing takes about three weeks, and intercourse can usually resume after about four weeks.
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.
- Procedure time: about 1 hour
- Anesthesia: sedation ("sleep") plus long-acting local, or local only
- Hospital stay: none; same-day discharge
- Back to work: desk work within a few days; healing about 3 weeks
- Intercourse: after about 4 weeks
- Sutures: absorbable, no removal visit needed
- Performed by: Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist
Labia majora reduction at a glance
Removes excess, sagging outer-labia skin so the labia sit flatter and smoother, in about an hour.
- labia majora reduction
- outer labia surgery Korea
- sagging labia
- labia majora lift
- majoraplasty Seoul
- loose outer labia
- About 1 hourProcedure time
- Sedation + localAnesthesia
- Same dayDischarge
- About 4 weeksIntercourse
- Assess skin and volumeLaxity versus volume loss.
- Mark the excessIncision placed in the natural crease.
- Remove and closeAbsorbable sutures.
- HealAbout 3 weeks.
Illustration: Somssi Women's Clinic, Seoul. Schematic, not to scale; your plan is set by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo after examination.
What is labia majora reduction?
Labia majora reduction is a surgical procedure that removes excess, loose skin from the outer labia (labia majora) so they sit flatter, smoother and more symmetrically. The labia majora are the two outer folds of skin and fatty tissue that frame the vulva. With childbirth, weight change and age, the fat inside them can shrink while the skin stretches, leaving folds that hang, wrinkle or rub.
Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, an OB/GYN specialist who has published research on genital surgery and female sexual function. Labia majora surgery is one of the clinic's core intimate procedures. It takes about one hour and you go home the same day.
Reduction is one of two directions for labia majora surgery. When the problem is lost volume rather than excess skin, the answer is usually labia augmentation with your own fat or a filler instead. Many women need a little of both, and the consultation sorts out which.
Who is a good candidate?
You may be a good candidate for labia majora reduction if you have:
- Sagging outer labia with deep wrinkling or folds that have lost their elasticity
- Darkened, dull skin on the labia majora caused by years of friction
- Asymmetry, with one side noticeably larger, longer or lower than the other
- Chafing, itching or odor because loose folds trap moisture and rub against clothing
- A visible bulge or contour in swimwear, leggings or underwear that makes you self-conscious
- Changes that appeared after significant weight loss, pregnancy or menopause
Good candidates are in stable general health, are not pregnant and have realistic expectations. If the labia look deflated and flat rather than loose, excision alone can make them look thinner, so we may suggest adding volume at the same time. For a fuller checklist, read What Is Labia Majora Reduction and Who Is It For?
How Somssi performs labia majora reduction
Design before excision
Dr. Yoon begins by marking the skin to be removed while you are both standing and lying down, because the labia majora change shape with position. The aim is to take out only the excess, keep the natural curve of the fold, and place the incision where it will be hidden in the crease between the outer and inner labia.
Excision for severe laxity
For skin with severe wrinkling and low elasticity, the clinic uses excision surgery. A crescent-shaped strip of redundant skin is removed from the inner aspect of each labium and the edges are closed with fine absorbable sutures. Both sides are measured against each other during surgery so the result is balanced, which matters most for women whose main complaint is asymmetry.
Restoring volume when it is needed
If the fold is loose partly because it has lost its fat pad, Dr. Yoon may combine reduction with volume restoration. The clinic offers your own fat (fat transfer), filler, or a plasma-based injection intended to improve elasticity. Whether this helps you is decided case by case at consultation, never as an automatic add-on.
Combining with labia minora surgery
Women in their 40s and 50s often ask to treat the inner and outer labia together. Labiaplasty of the labia minora can be done in the same session, which means one anesthesia and one recovery.
Anesthesia, duration and hospital stay
Labia majora reduction takes about one hour. It is performed under sedation ("sleep") anesthesia combined with a long-acting local anesthetic, or under local anesthesia alone if you prefer to stay awake. The clinic's approach to anesthesia is to prevent any painful memory of the surgery and to keep the area numb well into the evening.
Immediately after surgery a non-narcotic anti-inflammatory is injected at the site to limit early pain. There is no hospital stay. You rest briefly, and once you have urinated and feel steady you are discharged the same day. You can shower that evening.
Recovery timeline
| When | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Day of surgery | Go home, shower, walk around the house. Use an ice pack in short intervals and wear loose cotton underwear. |
| Days 1 to 3 | Light daily activity and work from home. Continue the ice pack and apply the clinic's ointment with a cotton swab about four times a day. Take the prescribed medication, usually for about five days. |
| Week 1 | Most swelling settles. Return to office work. Avoid cycling, squats and tight jeans. |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Sutures dissolve on their own. Healing is largely complete at about three weeks. Resume gentle exercise such as walking. |
| Week 4 | Intercourse can usually resume once the incisions have fully closed and feel comfortable. |
| Weeks 4 to 6 | Return to vigorous lower-body exercise, tub bathing, swimming and sauna when the skin is fully healed. |
| Months 3 to 6 | Scar lines fade and soften. The final contour is visible. |
A more detailed week-by-week guide is in How Long Does Labia Majora Reduction Recovery Take?
Results and what to expect
Most women see a flatter, smoother outer contour as soon as the swelling resolves, usually within two to three weeks, with the final shape settling over a few months. Because the incision sits in the natural crease, it is rarely noticeable once healed. Results vary with skin quality, age and whether volume was added.
It is also worth knowing what surgery does not do. It does not permanently lighten pigmentation on its own, although removing the darkened, friction-damaged skin often improves the color. It does not change the labia minora unless combined with labiaplasty. And it cannot stop future aging or weight change from altering the area, so a stable weight before surgery gives the most durable result.
Risks and how we reduce them
Labia majora reduction is a minor operation, but it is still surgery in a sensitive area. Real risks include:
- Bleeding or a collection of blood (hematoma) under the skin
- Infection, more likely in a warm, moist area that is hard to keep dry
- Wound separation, especially if you return to friction-heavy activity too early
- Asymmetry that needs a small touch-up
- Over-correction, which can leave the labia looking flat or feel tight when you spread your legs, or under-correction
- Visible, thickened or tender scars
- Temporary numbness or altered sensation of the skin
- Pain with intercourse while the area heals
- Reactions to anesthesia
We reduce these risks with conservative markings that preserve the fold, incisions placed in the crease, careful control of bleeding, layered closure with absorbable sutures, and sedation combined with long-acting local anesthetic rather than deeper general anesthesia. You receive written aftercare instructions, and overseas patients can send photos for review rather than returning for visits.
Why international patients choose Somssi
- Consultation in English, with real-time translated consultation also available
- Registered with the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare as an institution for foreign patients (2011) and selected as a Seoul Medical Tourism cooperation clinic (2016)
- Same-day discharge and absorbable sutures, so no suture-removal visit is needed before you fly
- Follow-up from abroad by message and photo
- Location 100 meters from Gangnam Station Exit 1, in the heart of Seoul
- A single surgeon, Dr. Yoon, operating since 2000, with peer-reviewed research on female sexual function after genital surgery
To plan a visit, see our page for international patients or contact the clinic for a written estimate after consultation.
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.
Will labia majora reduction make my labia look unnatural or too flat?
Not when the excision is conservative. The aim is to remove only the redundant skin and keep the natural soft contour of the outer labia. Over-resection is a real risk, which is why Dr. Yoon marks the skin in two positions and measures both sides before cutting. If your labia are already deflated, we may recommend adding volume rather than removing more skin.
How painful is recovery?
Most women describe soreness and swelling rather than sharp pain, strongest in the first two to three days. Sedation with a long-acting local anesthetic means you wake without a painful memory of the surgery, and an anti-inflammatory injection at the site covers the first hours. Ice packs, loose clothing and the prescribed medication manage the rest. Walking is encouraged from the first day.
Can I have labia majora reduction and labiaplasty at the same time?
Yes. Treating the inner and outer labia in one session is common, especially for women in their 40s and 50s who notice both stretched labia minora and sagging labia majora. The combined operation still fits within a single morning or afternoon, and you recover from both at once. Dr. Yoon will tell you if your case is better staged.
When can I fly home after surgery?
Because the sutures are absorbable and there is no hospital stay, most international patients are able to travel within the first week once Dr. Yoon has checked the wound. You will be given a written aftercare plan and can send photos from home for follow-up. Avoid long periods of pressure on the area and keep moving during the flight.
Will the darkened skin become lighter?
Often, yes, because the loose, friction-damaged skin that has darkened over the years is part of what is removed. Surgery does not bleach the remaining skin, however, and pigmentation varies naturally between women. If color is your main concern, be clear about that in consultation so expectations are set honestly.
Does the surgery affect sexual sensation?
Labia majora reduction works on skin and fat on the outer folds and does not involve the clitoris, the labia minora or the vaginal canal, so sexual sensation is not expected to change. Some women report temporary numbness along the incision that fades over weeks to months. Women who had pain from thin, rubbing folds often find intercourse more comfortable once healed.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
- What Is Labia Majora Reduction and Who Is It For? — a plain-language candidacy guide
- How Much Does Labia Majora Reduction Cost in Korea? — what shapes the quote and what is included
- How Long Does Labia Majora Reduction Recovery Take? — week-by-week recovery
- Labia Majora Reduction in Korea for Foreigners: Complete Guide — travel and planning for international patients
- Labia Augmentation — when volume, not skin, is the problem
- Labiaplasty (Labia Reshaping Surgery) — the inner-labia procedure often combined with this one
- Dr. Yoon Ho-joo — the surgeon's training, research and memberships
Sources and medical review
- Yoon HJ. Perineal plastic surgery (colpoperineoplasty) and female sexual function. Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;48(6).
- 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.
- Te Linde's Operative Gynecology (textbook), chapters on vulvar and perineal surgery.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), guidance on elective female genital cosmetic 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.
