Labial Puffing

Labial puffing is a procedure that adds and/or restores volume to the labia and surrounding tissues. This volume contributes to a rejuvenated, soft appearance and has the potential to improve comfort in the area. Like many other parts of the body, the labia can be significantly impacted by natural changes that occur over time and are signs of natural aging. Hyaluronic acid, which hydrates the skin and keeps it supple, diminishes over time, leading to dryness and irritation. Similarly, these tissues can be impacted by the loss of collagen and general fat volume. All of these factors can result in thin, sagging, or wrinkly labia. To improve these problems, which can have other causes aside from aging, labial puffing–using either fat transfer or hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers–can provide needed volume and hydration, resulting in substantial benefits to both the body and mind. ⁽¹⁾

At Beleza Plastic Surgery, founded by board-certified plastic surgeon and intimate wellness specialist Dr. Anna Wooten, we offer labial puffing with HA fillers and different kinds of fat transfers. To meet the skilled team at Beleza and to learn more about these procedures, call either one of our conveniently located offices to schedule an appointment:

You are also welcome to fill out our contact form and request an appointment at a time that works for you.

About Labial Puffing

Women who want to add fullness to the labia may do so because they feel that the area is too bare or bony. While this is often caused by the processes of aging, some women may experience this in earlier stages of life. In any case, when these issues arise, the labial tissues may become inflamed or irritated. Many women may experience this after going through menopause. ⁽¹⁾ These occurrences can impact a woman’s everyday life, causing pain during sexual intercourse or self-consciousness. However, this can sometimes be resolved with labial puffing.

Dr. Anna Wooten can achieve labial puffing with filler injections, autologous fat grafting, or fat grafting with Renuva. Each is a safe, comfortable, in-office procedure that is done under local anesthetic at Beleza’s main office by board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Anna Wooten and her qualified clinical team. Beleza patients like being able to have minor corrective procedures done in the office under local anesthetic because it ensures their privacy, keeps their costs low, and minimizes the amount of “down-time” they will spend in recovery from the procedure.

Hyaluronic Acid Filler Injections

Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are well-known for their use in the face and hands, where they can reduce wrinkles and restore fullness. However, they are also useful for adding volume to the labia. ⁽¹⁾ As previously mentioned, HA is a substance that is naturally occurring in the body but can decrease in production over time. By reintroducing this hydrating substance into the labial skin, the substance can bind to water, thus bringing back the volume that the labia needs to appear and feel more youthful. Dermal filler is injected directly into the skin of the labia and will dissolve over time.

Fat Grafting with Your Own Fat (Autologous Fat Grafting)

Dr. Wooten can utilize patients’ own excess body fat for a more natural approach to labial enhancement. Also known as autologous fat transfer, this approach can produce results that last longer than those of HA fillers. ⁽¹⁾ Additionally, fat grafting with a patient’s own fat can come with the added benefit of body contouring, as we will use liposuction to extract fat tissue from an area of the body that has excess fat deposits. These areas commonly include the abdomen or the inner and outer thighs. Fat grafting can be especially helpful for women who have experienced over-excision in a previous labiaplasty; with fat, Dr. Wooten can bring back the natural appearance of fullness in cases where too much of the labia has been removed.

Fat Grafting with Renuva

Dr. Wooten offers fat grafting with Renuva as a third option for labial puffing. Renuva is a purified fat treatment that can be injected into the labia in a manner similar to autologous fat grafting, but without the need for liposuction beforehand. Renuva is a great option for patients who may not have sufficient fat deposits, which are needed to perform liposuction. Other patients would simply rather avoid a liposuction procedure for personal reasons. Like an autologous fat transfer, Renuva is a long-lasting solution to add and restore volume to the labial area.

Benefits

Patients who receive labial puffing may enjoy the following benefits:

Candidates

We recommend labial puffing procedures not only for women who are experiencing age-related issues but for all patients who experience discomfort or aesthetic issues as a result of volume loss in the labia. While the procedures are simple and generally non-demanding, we do recommend that our patients be in good health at the time of their treatment. It is also good to have realistic expectations, the parameters of which we will explain to you during your personal consultation. Thanks to our diverse treatment options, there is most likely something for every kind of candidate. If you are unsure about whether or not you would make a good candidate for labial puffing, you can give us a call so we can help you set up an appointment where we can discuss your options further.

Personal Consultation

During your consultation, Dr. Wooten will assess your current concerns and offer information about your best solutions. Once you have discussed your options, you can choose to move forward with the labial rejuvenation treatment that suits you best. If you want something more temporary, we may recommend HA fillers. For patients who are looking for a more long-term solution, we can discuss one of our fat grafting procedures. We will want to discuss your medical history at this time, as well as your motivating factors for seeking out a labial puffing procedure. It is important that you voice all of your aesthetic goals so we can design a treatment plan that will give you results that align with these goals.

The first step in labial rejuvenation is scheduling a personal consultation at one of Beleza’s office locations. You can initiate this process by calling the location that is most convenient for you or by filling out our contact form.

Preparation

At the time of your personal consultation, our medical staff will make sure you know what to do to prepare for a labial puffing procedure. These guidelines may look a little different across the different avenues of treatment. However, there are some general guidelines we ask our patients to follow, regardless of whether they are receiving HA fillers or a fat transfer. We may recommend that you:

You will be provided with paper and digital copies of Beleza’s detailed post-operative care instructions to review and sign off on. Any questions or concerns are encouraged to be addressed in advance.

Procedure

Each of the labial puffing procedures looks slightly different. However, all of them are done in the Beleza office with the use of local anesthetic. Procedures for labial puffing are generally quick, but autologous fat grafting may take a little longer because Dr. Wooten must perform liposuction, which is a procedure in itself, before administering the processed fat injection. With HA fillers, the procedure will take around 30 minutes, while fat grafting with your own fat will take closer to 1-2 hours. While patients are numbed with the local anesthetic, they also have the option to use ProNox, a nitrous/oxide blend, which can help reduce anxiety. This can make these injections more comfortable.

For patients who are receiving HA fillers, Dr. Wooten administers the HA substance with pre-filled syringes. Dr. Wooten will carefully select the injection locations that will provide the most optimal volume distribution. ⁽²⁾

As previously mentioned, fat grafting with your own fat will begin with liposuction. Dr. Wooten extracts fat with small suction tubes also known as cannulas. This fat can be taken from any area that has enough fat to spare, such as the abdomen, thighs, or other areas we may recommend. After gathering a sufficient amount of fat, Dr. Wooten will process and purify it so that it is ready for reintroduction into the labial tissues. Lastly, she injects this purified fat into the labia to provide natural-looking volume. ⁽¹⁾ The procedure for fat grafting with Renuva follows a similar injection process, only without liposuction as a first step.

Recovery

The Labial Puffing recovery process is simple. If you underwent fat grafting with your own fat, your recovery time may be a little longer to account for the recovery of the donor site where the fat was taken from. You may experience swelling, bruising, or tenderness in the treatment areas. Any discomfort will mostly resolve after just a few days. ⁽¹⁾ In fact, unless your job is more physically demanding, you should be able to return to work in about 3 days. However, swelling may linger for longer. We will help you schedule follow-up appointments so that we can check on your progress and answer any questions you have.

Results

After a labial puffing procedure, patients can enjoy lasting results. The labial structures will have more volume and hydration, which can have positive effects on a patient’s quality of life and state-of-mind. ⁽²⁾ Labial puffing can result in fuller, more youthful-looking labia, as well as provide more comfort in physical and sexual situations. The duration of results can vary across the different types of labial puffing. With HA filler treatments, patients may seek touch-ups after 2-4 months. Meanwhile, with fat transfers, patients should wait to do touch-up treatments until 4-6 months after the procedure. ⁽¹⁾ Once patients are satisfied with results, fat cells transferred to the area are permanent, while injected fillers will fade over time and require yearly re-injection.

Cost of Labial Puffing in Pittsburgh

The cost of your labial puffing procedure will be determined by the individual details of your treatment plan. To determine which technique will work most efficiently for your situation, we recommend attending a personal consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Anna Wooten. Please fill out our online form or give us a call so that we can set up an appointment for you:

References

1. Jabbour S, Kechichian E, Hersant B, et al. Labia Majora Augmentation: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2017;37(10):1157-1164. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx056
2. Fasola E, Gazzola R. Labia Majora Augmentation with Hyaluronic Acid Filler: Technique and Results. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2016;36(10):1155-1163. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjw083