Though not new, labiaplasty and vaginal rejuvenation have seen a surge in popularity, reflecting broader cosmetic surgery trends and increased online awareness. Naples medical professionals are noting this uptick.

“Labiaplasty has been being done for many years. I think that it’s probably been a bit more prevalent with patients seeking out labiaplasty because there’s a lot more information online about it,” said Dr. Kiran Gill, board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Naples Aesthetic Institute. “In the last 5 to 10 years, we’ve been doing it more and more.”

The procedure, which reduces either the labia minora or majora, is sought by Gill’s patients— typically in their 20s to 40s—for both functionality, such as alleviating discomfort during sex and exercise, and aesthetic reasons.

“Most of the women that come and see me have redundant labia, so in a beach town like Naples, when you’re going to the beach or working out, now it becomes an issue because you can see it,” she said.

Non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures, which are not offered at Naples Aesthetic Institute, address other vaginal-area concerns. “It has to do with the vaginal wall,” Gill said, mentioning benefits for post-menopausal issues, decreased lubrication, urinary incontinence and vaginal itching.

A 70-year-old patient of Amanda Walczak, registered nurse and aesthetic procedures specialist at Kent V. Hasen, MD: Aesthetic Plastic Surgery & Med Spa of Naples, asked for help when she had so much vaginal irritation and dryness that she couldn’t even have a gynecological exam. After just one of three recommended vaginal rejuvenation treatments via a multi-functional platform called EmpowerRF by In-Mode, she went back to the gynecologist and “couldn’t believe the difference,” Walczak said.

The Naples-based office began offering EmpowerRF two years ago, and Votiva, one of the modalities in the EmpowerRF, years prior. Patients from 18 to 88 come to Walczak for bladder issues, vaginal dryness and itching, painful intercourse or low libido, loose vaginal walls and appearance concerns when they aren’t ready for a labiaplasty, which the facility also offers.

One patient flies in from up north for regular treatments of the Mopheus 8V, offered through the EmpowerRF platform. “It’s micro- needling with radiofrequency, treating the … area inside and outside the vaginal area, which sounds horrendous, right?” Walczak joked.

However, Walczak’s patient said she felt “nothing” from the minimally invasive procedure that includes numbing, and “she’s gone back and told her doctors and really encouraged them to start using Morpheus 8V,” Walczak said.

While other providers in Naples also use EmpowerRF’s vaginal rejuvenation toolkit, Walczak said, “Dr. Hasen tends to be a pioneer in non-surgical tools. For many of the machines we have, he was one of the first in the country to receive it.”

The increasing number of prospective patients— there was a 64% increase in labiaplasty procedures from 2020 to 2021, according to 2022 data from American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and a similar upward trend observed for non-surgical vaginal rejuvenation treatments—should anticipate recovery time. Walczak often recommends 24 to 48 hours of recovery with no sexual intercourse for non-surgical procedures. For labiaplasty, Gill typically advises rest with feet elevated for 72 hours and no exercise for two to four weeks, gradually resuming activities at six weeks.

Of course, complications from medical treatments can always occur—however, “I always tell my patients, this area was made with tissue that is very strong,” Gill said. “So most women do well. Most women can do it under local anesthesia. I don’t even have to put them to sleep for it.”