Labia Majora · Treatment
Vaginal Fat Transfer in Seoul: Fat Grafting for Labia Majora and Mons
Vaginal fat transfer is autologous fat grafting to the external genital area: a small amount of your own fat is taken from the abdomen or thigh and injected into the labia majora or mons pubis to restore lost volume and softness. The fat is not injected into the vaginal canal. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon performs it under sedation or local anesthesia with same-day discharge.
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.
- What it is: grafting your own fat into the labia majora or mons pubis
- What it is not: fat is never injected into the vaginal canal
- Anesthesia: sedation plus long-acting local, or local only
- Hospital stay: none; same-day discharge
- Healing: about 3 weeks; final volume settles over about 3 months
- Intercourse: after about 4 weeks
- Performed by: Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist
Vaginal fat transfer at a glance
Your own fat grafted into the labia majora or mons pubis; it is never injected into the vaginal canal.
- vaginal fat transfer
- fat grafting labia
- mons fat transfer
- autologous fat Korea
- labia majora volume
- fat injection Seoul
- Your own fatMaterial
- Sedation + localAnesthesia
- Same dayDischarge
- About 3 monthsFinal volume
- HarvestA small amount from abdomen or thigh.
- PurifyFat prepared for grafting.
- GraftLabia majora or mons, never the canal.
- SettleVolume stabilizes over about 3 months.
Illustration: Somssi Women's Clinic, Seoul. Schematic, not to scale; your plan is set by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo after examination.
What is vaginal fat transfer?
"Vaginal fat transfer" is the everyday name for autologous fat grafting to the vulva. A small amount of your own fat is harvested from somewhere you can spare it, typically the lower abdomen or inner thigh, processed to remove fluid and oil, and injected in fine layers into the labia majora, the mons pubis, or both. The purpose is to restore the soft volume these areas lose with age, menopause, weight loss and childbirth.
One point needs to be clear from the start: despite the name, fat is not injected into the vaginal canal. The vaginal wall is thin, delicate and richly supplied with nerves and vessels, and it is not a safe or useful place for volume. At Somssi Women's Clinic, a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, fat grafting is used only for the external labia majora and mons. Concerns inside the vagina, such as laxity or prolapse, are treated surgically with the patient's own tissue, as described on the vaginoplasty page.
Fat transfer is one of three volume options the clinic offers for the labia majora, alongside filler and a plasma-based injection. It is the one the clinic turns to when a lasting, natural result without foreign material is the priority.
Who is a good candidate?
- Women whose labia majora have become thin, flat or deflated, with wrinkled skin that lacks support
- Women with a flattened mons pubis after weight loss or with age
- Women who have pain or soreness during intercourse because the vulva has lost its fatty cushioning
- Women who want a permanent material rather than a temporary filler
- Women who want to avoid any foreign substance in the genital area
- Women who have enough donor fat on the abdomen or thighs, which almost everyone does
Fat transfer is not the right choice when the main problem is loose skin rather than lost volume; in that case labia majora reduction is needed, sometimes with fat added at the same time. It is also not suitable during pregnancy, with an active infection, or if you expect a large weight change soon, because grafted fat follows your body weight.
How Somssi performs vaginal fat transfer
Planning
Dr. Yoon examines the labia majora and mons, assesses skin quality and volume loss on each side, and decides whether fat alone is enough or whether excess skin must also be removed. Photographs are taken before surgery so the change can be reviewed objectively afterwards.
Harvesting the fat
Through a tiny incision, a fine cannula gently removes a small amount of fat from the lower abdomen or inner thigh under local anesthesia. Only a modest volume is needed, so this is not body-contouring liposuction, although the donor site may look slightly slimmer.
Preparing the graft
The harvested fat is separated from blood, fluid and free oil so that only healthy fat cells are transferred. Clean, intact fat cells are the ones most likely to establish a blood supply in their new location.
Injecting in layers
Using a small blunt cannula, the fat is placed in multiple thin passes within each labium majus and, if planned, the mons. Layering matters: fat placed in small amounts in contact with living tissue survives; a single large pocket of fat does not. Both sides are compared during the procedure so volume is balanced.
Combining with other procedures
Fat transfer is frequently combined with labia majora reduction for women who have both lost volume and gained loose skin, and it can be scheduled with labiaplasty of the inner labia. The clinic's approach to volume options is summarized on the labia augmentation page.
Anesthesia, duration and hospital stay
The procedure is done under sedation ("sleep") anesthesia with a long-acting local anesthetic, or under local anesthesia alone if you prefer to be awake. Labia majora procedures at the clinic take about one hour; fat harvesting adds a little time at the donor site. A non-narcotic anti-inflammatory injection at the end of surgery helps with early discomfort.
There is no overnight stay. You rest, pass urine, and go home the same day. Showering is allowed that evening, keeping both the donor site and the labia clean and dry afterwards.
Recovery timeline
| When | What you can do |
|---|---|
| Day of surgery | Return home. Expect the labia to look fuller than the final result and to be swollen and bruised. Rest with legs slightly apart; ice in short intervals; loose underwear. |
| Days 1 to 3 | Light activity and work from home. Take the prescribed medication. Do not press, massage or sit for long periods directly on the area, so the grafted fat is not displaced. |
| Week 1 | Donor-site bruising and labial swelling begin to fade. Office work is fine. No cycling, squats or tight jeans. |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Healing is largely complete at about three weeks. Walking and gentle exercise. |
| Week 4 | Intercourse can usually resume once Dr. Yoon confirms healing. |
| Months 1 to 3 | Non-surviving fat is absorbed and swelling resolves. The volume you see at about three months is close to your lasting result. |
Results and what to expect
Fat grafting gives a soft, natural result because the material is your own living tissue. The labia majora look fuller and smoother and the mons regains a gentle, youthful curve. The fat that survives the first few months is permanent in the sense that it stays as long as your weight stays stable; it will shrink or grow with significant weight change.
Be prepared for some loss of volume. A portion of grafted fat does not survive, and the percentage varies from person to person. Dr. Yoon will tell you whether a second session may be worthwhile rather than over-filling in one go. Results vary, and the clinic does not promise a particular survival rate.
Risks and how we reduce them
- Swelling and bruising at the labia and donor site, usually lasting one to two weeks
- Infection at either site
- Asymmetry or uneven volume
- Partial fat resorption, so the result is smaller than hoped
- Oil cysts, small firm lumps or calcification where fat does not take
- Contour irregularity at the donor site
- Temporary numbness of the labial skin
- Reactions to anesthesia
Serious complications of fat grafting are rare in the vulva because the volumes are small and the injection is superficial and away from major vessels. We lower the risks further by using fine blunt cannulas, by placing small amounts in many layers, by keeping injections strictly in the labia majora and mons, and by reviewing the result before any second session. Any lumps that persist can usually be treated; discuss them with the clinic rather than waiting.
Why international patients choose Somssi
- Consultation in English, with real-time translated consultation available
- Ministry of Health and Welfare registered institution for foreign patients (2011); Seoul Medical Tourism cooperation clinic (2016)
- No hospital stay, absorbable sutures and follow-up from abroad by photo and message
- A gynecologic surgeon, Dr. Yoon, operating in Gangnam since 2000, with published research on sexual function after genital surgery
- A philosophy of using the patient's own tissue wherever possible
- Located 100 meters from Gangnam Station Exit 1
See our international patients page for planning, or contact the clinic for a 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.
Is fat ever injected inside the vagina?
No. At Somssi, fat grafting is performed only in the labia majora and mons pubis, which are external structures with a natural fat layer. The vaginal wall is thin and not suitable for volume injection, and the clinic treats internal laxity or prolapse surgically with the patient's own tissue instead. If another provider has offered to inject fat or filler into the vaginal canal, ask carefully about the evidence and the risks.
How much of the fat survives?
It varies between women and the clinic does not promise a percentage. Some of the grafted fat is always absorbed in the first three months; what remains is long-lasting. Layered placement of small amounts gives the fat the best chance to take. If volume is still short at three months, a second, smaller session can be planned.
Does vaginal fat transfer improve sexual sensation?
Its purpose is volume and comfort, not sensation. Women who had soreness from flat, unprotected labia often find intercourse more comfortable once the cushioning is restored. The procedure does not touch the clitoris, the labia minora or the vaginal canal, so sexual sensation is not expected to change either way.
Will I have scars?
The harvest incision is a few millimeters long and hidden in a skin fold or the bikini line. The injection points on the labia are needle-sized and usually invisible once healed. If fat transfer is combined with skin reduction, that incision sits in the crease between the outer and inner labia; see Does Labia Majora Reduction Leave Scars?
Can I do this if I plan to lose weight?
It is better to reach a stable weight first. Grafted fat behaves like the fat it came from, so significant weight loss after surgery can shrink the result, and large gain can enlarge it. Dr. Yoon will ask about your weight history at consultation.
Fat transfer or filler: which lasts longer?
Surviving fat lasts for years, while fillers are absorbed over months and must be repeated. Filler has the advantage of no donor site and an immediate, adjustable result. Both are offered at the clinic, and the labia augmentation page compares them in more detail.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
- Labia Majora Reduction vs Augmentation: Which Do I Need? — decide whether you need volume, skin removal or both
- How Long Does Labia Majora Reduction Recovery Take? — recovery for labia majora procedures
- Is Labia Majora Reduction Safe? — risks across labia majora procedures
- Labia Majora Reduction in Korea for Foreigners: Complete Guide — travel and follow-up from abroad
- Labia Augmentation — all volume options compared
- Mons Pubis Liposuction — the opposite problem: too much fat on the mons
- Dr. Yoon Ho-joo — surgeon profile and research
Sources and medical review
- Yoon HJ. Perineal plastic surgery (colpoperineoplasty) and female sexual function. Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;48(6).
- US Food and Drug Administration, safety communications on injectable fillers and injection into unapproved sites.
- 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.
