Board-Certified Cosmetic Gynecology in Chicago

Large, Long, or Uneven Labia? Your Options in Chicago

Labia come in every size and shape, and no shape is abnormal. It becomes a concern when the tissue rubs, pinches, gets in the way of leggings or a swimsuit, or simply bothers you every time you notice it. Dr. Sue Kafali, a board-certified OB/GYN with specialized training in cosmetic gynecology, hears this almost every day. This page walks through every option, from doing nothing to surgery, with the honest limit of each.

Talk It Through With Dr. Kafali

In-person and virtual consultations in a private, judgment-free environment. Your consultation fee is applied toward your treatment cost.
Call or text (312) 809-9983

Dr. Sue Kafali Board-Certified OB/GYN

Cosmetic Gynecology Specialized Training

★★★★★ 4.9 137 Google Reviews

Medically reviewed by Dr. Sue Kafali and Dr. Anh-Tuan Truong, MD, FACS. Last reviewed September 2026.

What Our Patients Say

“I just got my labiaplasty at the end of January so still in the recovery process. The staff there was very kind. They made me feel as comfortable as one could be going into a surgery. It went very well and smooth, have more healing to do but so far already happy about it!”

Google Review · Labiaplasty Patient

You are not the first to ask

Is it normal for labia to be long, large, or uneven? Yes. Labia vary enormously from one woman to the next, and one side is very often longer or fuller than the other.

The inner labia are frequently longer than the outer labia, and that is normal too. Size and shape also change over a lifetime, with puberty, pregnancy and childbirth, weight change, and menopause. The medical term for inner labia that extend past the outer labia is labial hypertrophy, and it is a difference in anatomy, not a disorder.

It becomes a concern when the tissue rubs, twists, or pinches during exercise or sex, makes leggings or a swimsuit uncomfortable, or is on your mind more than you would like. Any of those is reason enough to ask. Sources: ACOG, Vulvovaginal Health and Cleveland Clinic, Labial Hypertrophy.

Your Options

Every Option, Least to Most Involved

Doing nothing is a real option, and plenty of women choose it once they hear that nothing is wrong. The rest of the list is for when the tissue is bothering you. Each row names what it is for, what recovery asks of you, and where it falls short, so you can walk into a consultation already knowing the landscape of choices. Each name links to its full page.

Recovery figures come from each procedure’s own page and vary by patient.
Option	Best when	What recovery asks	Honest limit
When there is too much: long, large, or protruding inner labia
Non-surgical labiaplasty (Aviva radiofrequency)	Modest excess, and you want to avoid surgery	Back to driving and work right away. No intercourse or tampons for at least two weeks. Full result over three to six months.	Not for everyone. Very large labia may still need surgical labiaplasty.
Labiaplasty	Rubbing, pinching, or visible excess that bothers you daily	Most patients take one week off work. No tampons or intercourse for four to six weeks. Full recovery six to eight weeks.	It is surgery. Mild swelling can linger for months in some patients.
Clitoral hood reduction	Extra skin around the clitoris is part of the picture	Back to work in one to two days. Exercise at two to three weeks. Intimacy paused up to six weeks.	Often done alongside labiaplasty rather than on its own.
When there is too little: deflated, saggy, or wrinkled outer labia (including after weight loss)
Labial puff with filler	You want volume back without an operating room	In-office. Avoid hot water, intercourse, cycling, and riding for about a week.	Temporary. Typically lasts six months to a year, then repeated. Does not change sensation.
Labial puff with fat transfer	You want a longer-lasting result and have fat to transfer	Back to work in under a week. Exercise at two to three weeks. Intimacy paused six weeks. Final result at about three months.	Done in the operating room. Needs donor fat, which can be scarce after significant weight loss.
Labia majoraplasty	The outer labia are loose or heavy, not just deflated	Back to work in two to three days. No intercourse, cycling, or riding for six weeks.	Surgery for loose or excess skin. Volume loss alone is usually a puff instead.
Mons pubis reduction	The concern is the mound above the labia, not the labia	Desk work in one to two weeks. No strenuous activity for four to six weeks.	Reshapes the mons only. It does not change the labia.
When a previous surgery is the problem
Revision labiaplasty	A prior labiaplasty left asymmetry, discomfort, or a result you did not want	Same as labiaplasty, one week off and six to eight weeks total. Wait at least six months after the first procedure.	Not everyone is a candidate.

Pricing lives on each procedure page and on the price list. Financing is available for qualified applicants.

FemSculpt

Find Out Which Option Fits

You bring the concern. Dr. Kafali tells you what she sees and what she would recommend, including when the answer is nothing at all.

Book My Private Consultation

Call or text (312) 809-9983

Consultation fee applies as credit toward your procedure. No pressure, completely confidential.

How to Choose

Who Fits Which Option, and Who Should Wait

Start with the symptom

Rubbing, pinching, or tucking points to the inner labia, and to labiaplasty or its non-surgical version. A deflated or wrinkled look points to the outer labia, and to a puff or a majoraplasty. A visible mound in leggings points to the mons. Many women have two of these at once, and Dr. Kafali often addresses them in the same visit.

Sensation comes first

A lot of women worry that any surgery here means losing sensation. That is the first thing Dr. Kafali plans around, not an afterthought. Her OB/GYN training is in the anatomy and nerve pathways of this area, and every technique she chooses is designed to preserve the natural edge and protect sensation.

Who should wait

If you are planning a pregnancy soon, an active infection or skin condition is flaring, or you are under 18, the conversation usually starts with waiting. Dr. Kafali follows ACOG guidance on labial surgery, which is cautious about surgery in adolescents and clear that labia measured across all ages fall within a wide range of normal.

What the consultation looks like

You describe what bothers you, in your own words. Dr. Kafali examines you and tells you what she finds, including whether it is simply normal variation. She walks through the options that fit, with recovery and pricing for each. You leave with a plan, and nothing to decide that day. Nervous about the photos? The consultation photo guide explains what to expect.

After Weight Loss

Changes After GLP-1 Weight Loss, the “Ozempic Labia”

Rapid weight loss on a GLP-1 medication takes fat from everywhere, and the outer labia and the mons are no exception. Skin that used to be filled out can look deflated, wrinkled, or loose, and the inner labia can look more prominent by comparison. Patients have started calling it the “Ozempic labia,” and it is a real change, not imagination.

This is a normal result of losing fat, not a problem with the medication, and it is the same change that follows any significant weight loss. The options are the volume ones in the table above: a labial puff with filler for a first, reversible step, a fat-transfer puff when there is enough donor fat, and a majoraplasty when loose skin is the main issue. Some women also notice dryness after rapid weight loss; that concern has its own page, vaginal dryness.

FemSculpt prescribes and manages GLP-1 medication as well, so Dr. Kafali can look at the weight loss and the change it left behind in the same visit. If your weight is still changing, she will usually ask you to let it settle first, so the result is planned for the body you are going to keep.

Meet Your Surgeons

Dr. Sue Kafali

Board Certified OB/GYN, Cosmetic Gynecologist & Wellness Doctor

Dr. Sue Kafali, MD, FACOG is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and the Medical Director of FemSculpt Cosmetic Gynecology in Chicago. She focuses on comfort and function first, offering both non-surgical and surgical options to help women feel better in their bodies and daily lives.

American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Specialized Training in Cosmetic Gynecology
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists

Meet Dr. Kafali

Dr. Anh-Tuan Truong

Triple Board-Certified Cosmetic Surgeon

Dr. Anh-Tuan Truong, MD, FACS, FAACS is a triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon with over 20 years of experience in the field of cosmetic medicine, and has performed thousands of cosmetic surgery procedures. His approach is to provide effortless, natural changes by minimizing scars, preserving anatomy, and working in harmony with the body. He and the team at FemSculpt provide the highest level of aesthetic treatment for every woman under their care.

American Board of Surgery
American Board of Cosmetic Surgery
American Board of Facial Cosmetic Surgery
American College of Surgeons
American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

Meet Dr. Truong

Also Common, and Worth Asking About

Most women come in with more than one concern. These are the others Dr. Kafali hears most, and the reading that helps before a visit.

Feeling Loose After Childbirthexplore Vaginal Dryness and Irritationexplore Decreased Sensationexplore Am I a Candidate for Labiaplasty?read Labiaplasty Cost in Chicagoread Does Insurance Ever Cover It?read

Labia Size and Shape

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal to have large or long labia?

Yes. Labia vary widely in length, width, and color, and the inner labia extending past the outer labia is common. There is no single normal look, and no shape is abnormal. Size becomes a medical concern only when it causes symptoms, such as rubbing during exercise, pinching during sex, irritation, or trouble with clothing or tampons. If the appearance bothers you without those symptoms, that is still a valid reason to ask. Dr. Kafali will tell you honestly whether what you have is variation, whether it is causing a problem, and what, if anything, she would recommend.

Why do my labia minora stick out or hang lower than they used to?

Most often because they always did, and you are noticing now. Inner labia that extend past the outer labia are a common variation, and for many women it was present from puberty. Change over time is also normal: pregnancy and childbirth stretch the tissue, weight loss deflates the outer labia so the inner labia look more prominent, and menopause thins the skin. Hormone changes can play a part as well. None of that means something went wrong. If the tissue now rubs, twists, or catches, labiaplasty and its non-surgical version are the options that address it.

Can one labia be bigger than the other?

Yes, and it is the rule rather than the exception. Most women have some asymmetry between the two sides, in length, thickness, or both, the same way faces and breasts are rarely mirror images. It only needs attention when the longer side causes rubbing or discomfort, or when the difference bothers you. When it does, labiaplasty can be done on one side only, or on both sides to bring them closer together. Dr. Kafali plans that in the consultation, based on your anatomy rather than a template.

Why do my labia majora look deflated after weight loss?

Because the outer labia are mostly fat, and losing weight takes fat from there too. After significant weight loss, whether on a GLP-1 medication or any other way, the outer labia can look flat, wrinkled, or loose, and the inner labia can appear more prominent by comparison. It is a normal consequence of the weight loss. The options are the volume ones: a labial puff with filler, which is temporary and repeatable, a fat-transfer puff when you have donor fat, or a labia majoraplasty when loose skin is the main issue. If your weight is still changing, waiting until it settles is usually the right first step.

Can large labia cause irritation or infections?

They can. Inner labia that extend well past the outer labia are more exposed to friction, so chafing, irritation, and pinching during exercise, sex, or in tight clothing are the most common complaints. The extra folds can also make the area harder to keep clean, which for some women means more frequent irritation or urinary tract infections. If you get recurring irritation in one spot, it is worth an exam rather than living around it. Dr. Kafali can tell you whether the labia are contributing and whether reducing them is likely to help.

Can labia be reduced without surgery?

Sometimes. Non-surgical labiaplasty uses radiofrequency energy to shrink labial tissue without incisions, and it can be a good fit for modest excess when you want to avoid surgery. It is not for everyone. Women with very large labia may still need surgical labiaplasty for a meaningful change, and full results from the non-surgical version take three to six months. Doing nothing is also a legitimate choice once you know nothing is wrong. Dr. Kafali offers both and will tell you plainly which one fits your anatomy.

What happens at a consultation for this?

You talk, then she examines, then you decide nothing that day. You describe what bothers you in your own words; there is no wrong way to say it. Dr. Kafali examines you and tells you what she sees, including whether it is normal variation. If a procedure fits, she explains the technique she would use, how it protects sensation, what recovery asks, and what it costs. You leave with a plan. Consultations are in person ($250) or virtual ($150), and the fee is applied toward your treatment if you go ahead.

Talk It Through With Dr. Kafali

FemSculpt is a Chicago cosmetic gynecology practice focused on Vaginal Rejuvenation & Intimate Wellness. We offer in-person consultations ($250) and virtual consultations ($150). Request a consultation and you will receive a call and email from our patient coordinator to schedule an appointment. Patients travel from NYC, LA, and across the U.S. If you move forward with a procedure, your consultation fee is applied toward your treatment cost.

Prefer to schedule right away? Call or text (312) 809-9983

Request Your Consultation

The information on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results may vary. Consult with Dr. Kafali to determine whether any procedure is appropriate for you.

Call (312) 809-9983 Book Consultation