01Labiaplasty 101
What is labiaplasty, and how is it done?
Women ask for it because the lips rub, twist or pull during exercise, cycling or sex, or because of how they look.
- The trim
- The edge of the lip is removed along its length. It is the most common method, and recovery is generally quicker.
- The wedge
- A V-shaped piece is removed and the natural edge is kept. The wound is more likely to reopen with this method.
- Clitoral hood reduction
- Extra folds of skin over the clitoris can be reduced in the same operation if you choose. It has its own price and its own risks, nerve damage among them.
Keep in mind
What to know first.
Results differ from person to person. Dr. Rockhead talks you through what to expect for you before anything is booked.
The most common complication is taking away too much, which can leave lasting dryness or pain during sex. So less is safer than more. And discomfort may have a treatable cause, which is one reason a doctor examines you first.
02Medical Leadership
Who is your consultation with?
Dr. Charles Rockhead, a gynaecologist, in person at 9 Devon Road in Kingston. He examines you and sets out your options, including not having surgery. He performs the operation himself.
Dr. Charles Rockhead, Medical Director — Oshun Cosmetic Services, Kingston.
Dr. Charles Rockhead
Medical Director · Board-Certified OB/GYN · 30+ years of practice
Dr. Charles Rockhead is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with more than thirty years of practice in Kingston. He is the Medical Director of Oshun Cosmetic Services and the founding physician of Amadeo Medical Group, the parent clinical practice.
Read the clinic story · View Dr. Rockhead's LinkedIn
03Your surgery
What happens before and during a labiaplasty?
i.
Consultation
Nothing is booked at this visit. Take your written plan home and decide in your own time.
ii.
Before surgery
Stop smoking: smokers have more wound infections and more blood clots. Tell us every medicine you take, especially any that thin the blood, and we'll tell you which to pause, and when. Don't stop one on your own. We ask you not to shave or wax the area for a week before.
iii.
The operation
It is done under a local anaesthetic with sedation (numbed and drowsy) or a general anaesthetic (fully asleep), and takes about one to two hours. The tissue is removed and the edges are closed with fine stitches that dissolve.
iv.
Going home
You may be able to go home the same day. Someone should drive you, and after a general anaesthetic an adult should stay with you for at least 24 hours.
04Recovery & aftercare
How long is recovery after labiaplasty?
Plan for up to two weeks off work. Sex, tampons and exercise wait four to six weeks, and we ask you not to swim for that time. The worst swelling has gone by six weeks. The last of it can take six months, which is when you see the final result.
- The first two weeks
- The area is sore, bruised and swollen, and passing urine and sitting can be uncomfortable. Keep the area clean, wear loose underwear and clothes so nothing rubs, use ice packs on and off, and take the painkillers you are given.
- Your visits at Oshun
- We see you at one week, two weeks, six weeks and three months.
- When to call us
- Call (876) 676-6297 straight away for bleeding that will not stop, a wound that opens, pus or a bad smell, a fever or chills, redness or heat, or pain that is getting worse. If we're closed or you can't reach us, see a doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
- When to go to emergency
- Go to the nearest emergency department at once, and do not drive yourself, for pain and swelling in one leg, chest pain or breathlessness. These can be signs of a blood clot, which can happen weeks after surgery.
05Is labiaplasty right for you
Who should not have a labiaplasty, and what are the risks?
- Who should not have it
- Anyone under 18, because the labia go on developing into early adulthood. Anyone doing it to please someone else. And anyone counting on surgery to change how they feel about their body.
- Who should wait
- We don't operate during pregnancy, over an infection in the area such as a yeast infection or a herpes outbreak, with a bleeding disorder, or while diabetes is not under control. If worry about how you look takes over your days, it may be body dysmorphic disorder, which is treated with talking therapy or medicine, and we would not operate until a mental health specialist has cleared you.
- Risks
- Bleeding, infection, scarring and reduced feeling in the area can occasionally follow. Other risks: a collection of blood under the skin, an uneven result and a wound that reopens. We may advise a second operation to refine the result. As with any operation there is a small risk of a blood clot in a vein and of an allergic reaction to the anaesthetic.
If any of this gives you pause, raise it at your consultation, or ask us on WhatsApp first.
06Cost & booking
How much does labiaplasty cost in Jamaica?
- What it costs
- Labiaplasty at Oshun is estimated at US$3,500 to US$6,500. Your own figure depends on the method, the anaesthetic and whether anything else is done, and you get it in writing at your consultation.
- With a hood reduction
- A clitoral hood reduction is estimated at US$1,500 to US$3,000 more. The two together are quoted as one package.
- What the quote covers
- The surgical fee, the anaesthetic, the facility and your follow-up visits. Ask whether the consultation fee is included.
- Consultation fee
- Consultations start at J$11,000.
- Paying
- Cash, debit card, credit card or approved financing. Health insurance does not usually pay for cosmetic surgery, so check with your own insurer.
If this sounds right
The next step is a conversation, not a commitment.
Bring your questions. If you go ahead, it is after you have had time to think.
No obligation · Every consultation is in-person with Dr. Rockhead.
