Labia Majora · Patient guide

What Is Labia Majora Reduction and Who Is It For?

Labia majora reduction is a minor surgery that removes excess, sagging skin from the outer labia so they sit flatter, smoother and more evenly. It is for women whose outer labia have stretched, wrinkled, darkened or become asymmetric with age, childbirth or weight loss, and who have chafing, hygiene problems or self-consciousness as a result. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, it takes about an hour 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: excision of loose skin from the outer labia (labia majora)
• Main indications: sagging with wrinkling, friction-darkened skin, asymmetry, chafing, itching or odor
• Not for: labia that are flat or deflated, which need volume instead
• Procedure time: about 1 hour, sedation or local anesthesia
• Recovery: about 3 weeks; intercourse after about 4 weeks
• Performed by: Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist

Labia majora reduction is a short surgical procedure that removes excess, loose skin from the outer labia so they look smoother, sit flatter and match each other. It is designed for women whose labia majora have sagged, wrinkled or stretched, usually with age, after childbirth or after losing weight, and who find the change uncomfortable, unhygienic or distressing.

What the labia majora are and why they change

The labia majora are the two outer folds of the vulva. Unlike the inner labia (labia minora), which are thin folds of mucosa-like skin, the labia majora are made of ordinary skin over a cushion of fat. That fat gives them their plump, closed shape in youth and protects the inner structures.

Three things change the labia majora over time. The fat pad shrinks, often with menopause or weight loss. The skin stretches and loses elasticity, with pregnancy, friction and age. And years of rubbing against clothing darken and thicken the skin. The result is folds that hang, wrinkle, look uneven, and no longer close over the labia minora.

What labia majora reduction does

Reduction treats the skin problem. A crescent of redundant skin is removed from the inner side of each labium majus, where the incision can hide in the crease next to the labia minora, and the edges are closed with fine absorbable sutures. The fold becomes smaller, smoother and flatter, and the two sides are matched to each other.

Somssi Women's Clinic, a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, describes the aim as restoring a natural, plump and balanced appearance to labia that have sagged or lost their shape. The clinic uses excision for severe wrinkling and low elasticity, and adds volume with fat, filler or a plasma-based injection when the labia are also deflated. The technique is described step by step in How Is Labia Majora Reduction Surgery Performed?

Who is it for?

The clinic lists five typical reasons women seek labia majora surgery. You are likely to be a good candidate if one or more of these describes you:

• Sagging with severe wrinkles. The outer labia hang lower than they used to, with loose, crepey skin that does not spring back.
• Dark, dull skin from friction. Years of rubbing against underwear, trousers or during exercise have thickened and darkened the skin on the folds.
• Asymmetry or a shape that worries you. One labium is larger, longer or lower than the other, or the overall shape has changed after childbirth.
• Loss of volume causing pain during intercourse. Here the primary fix is usually volume, but loose skin is often removed at the same time.
• Itching or odor. Loose folds trap sweat and moisture, which can cause recurrent irritation and smell despite good hygiene.

Patients who ask the clinic about this surgery include women in their 40s and 50s who notice heavy, protruding labia majora with age, women whose sagging outer labia are wrinkled and who also want their labia minora treated, and women who simply want one side to match the other.

Who is it not for?

Reduction is the wrong operation when the real problem is lost volume. If your labia majora look flat, thin and "empty" rather than loose, removing skin would make them look thinner still. In that case labia augmentation with your own fat or a filler is the better choice, and the two can be combined. The guide Labia Majora Reduction vs Augmentation explains how to tell which you need.

It is also not the right procedure if your concern is the inner labia, the clitoral hood, or looseness inside the vagina. Those are addressed by labiaplasty and by vaginal tightening surgery respectively. And it should wait if you are pregnant, planning to lose a lot of weight, or have an active skin infection in the area.

What to expect at Somssi

At consultation Dr. Yoon examines the labia majora standing and lying down, assesses skin elasticity, volume and symmetry, and discusses whether you need reduction, volume, or both. Surgery takes about one hour under sedation with a long-acting local anesthetic, or local anesthesia alone if you prefer. There is no hospital stay. Recovery takes about three weeks, and intercourse can usually resume after about four weeks.

Because the clinic is a gynecology practice rather than a general cosmetic surgery center, the consultation also covers your overall gynecological health. Many women discover related concerns, such as perineal scarring from childbirth, that can be treated at the same time.

When to see a doctor

See a gynecologist promptly, rather than waiting for a cosmetic consultation, if you have a new lump in the labia, persistent itching that does not respond to hygiene changes, a sore that does not heal, or a sudden change in the color or texture of one side only. These can have medical causes that need to be checked before any elective surgery. A consultation at Somssi includes that assessment.

Next steps

If you recognize yourself in the indications above, the next step is a consultation. You can read about costs in How Much Does Labia Majora Reduction Cost in Korea?, and international patients can plan a visit with our complete guide for foreigners or by contacting the clinic through the contact page.

Bottom line

Labia majora reduction is for women whose outer labia have become loose, wrinkled, darkened or uneven and who want them smoother, flatter and balanced. It is a one-hour procedure with same-day discharge and about three weeks of healing. If your labia are deflated rather than loose, volume restoration, alone or combined with reduction, is the better answer, and an honest consultation will tell you which.

Questions patients ask

Frequently asked questions

Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.

See the full FAQ →

Is labia majora reduction the same as labiaplasty?

No. Labiaplasty usually means surgery on the labia minora, the thin inner folds. Labia majora reduction treats the outer folds of skin and fat. The two are often confused and often combined, but they treat different structures, use different techniques and heal a little differently. Our comparison guide covers the differences in detail.

At what age do women have this surgery?

Most patients are in their 40s to 60s, when age, menopause and past pregnancies have changed the outer labia. Younger women occasionally seek it after major weight loss or for congenital asymmetry. There is no upper age limit as long as you are healthy enough for a minor procedure under sedation or local anesthesia.

Can it fix only one side?

Yes. When one labium is clearly larger or lower than the other, Dr. Yoon can treat that side alone or adjust both to match. Asymmetry is one of the most common reasons women ask about the procedure, and matching the two sides is a core part of the surgical design.

Will it make the labia majora smaller or just tighter?

Both, in a sense. Removing a strip of skin makes the fold smaller in surface area and pulls the remaining skin smooth, so it looks tighter and flatter. It does not add volume, so if the fold is also empty it may look thinner afterwards unless volume is added.

Does the surgery help with odor and itching?

When the odor and itching come from moisture trapped in loose folds, reducing the folds often helps. If the cause is an infection, dermatitis or a vaginal condition, surgery will not solve it, which is why a gynecological examination is part of the first visit.

Is there a non-surgical alternative?

For loose skin, no reliable non-surgical option exists. For deflated labia, filler or a plasma-based injection can add volume without surgery, and the clinic offers both. For darkened skin alone, some women try topical treatments, but results are modest and the darkened skin is often best removed with the excess fold.

Keep reading

Related treatments and guides

• Labia Majora Reduction — the full treatment page with technique, recovery and risks
• Labia Majora Reduction vs Augmentation: Which Do I Need? — decide between skin removal and volume
• How Is Labia Majora Reduction Surgery Performed? — the surgical steps
• Can Labia Majora Reduction Help After Weight Loss, Aging or Childbirth? — the causes behind the change
• Is Labia Majora Reduction Safe? — risks and how they are managed
• Do I Need Labia Minora Reduction? — the equivalent guide for the inner labia

Sources and medical review

• Te Linde's Operative Gynecology (textbook), chapters on vulvar surgery.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), guidance on elective female genital cosmetic surgery.
• Yoon HJ. Perineal plastic surgery (colpoperineoplasty) and female sexual function. Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;48(6).

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.