Vulva and penis surgery expands to reach the canon of genital beauty

Obsession canon of beauty It came to the genitals: a third of women and half of men are dissatisfied with either their appearance or size, which is expressed in an increase in intimate cosmetic surgeries.

“This congress is not complete without reports on genital aestheticsboth male and female, and there are already courses in this specialty. genitals they are a consumer product,” explains Miren Larrasabal, psychologist and sexologist, EFE.

It also highlights the inconsistency of the fact that there is a commitment to diversity behind the scenes; and privately, for a single ideal of beauty.

It is an operation for both detractors who think “it’s outrageous” and proponents who feel “it’s a form of empowerment and self-respect”: if there are nose surgeries, why not? genitals.

Ascending surgery in Spain

In Spain the number genital surgery it has increased exponentially in just a few years; According to the latest report “The Reality of Cosmetic Surgery in Spain” by the Spanish Society for Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (SECPRE), between 2013 and 2014 there were 975 interventions up to 7200 in 2017-2018.

Given this rise in intimate operations, and after the publication of several reports of dissatisfaction with their vulva between 30 and 50% of women, a group from the Doce de Octubre Hospital in Madrid launched a study to outline educational measures that could try to counteract or stop this phenomenon.

“At the very least, avoid surgery because of misinformation,” emphasizes one of the study’s authors, gynecologist Alba Bartolome, noting that “most women who seek labioplasty, surgery of the labia minora, are between the ages of 15 and 20.” .

not real perception

Women want to improve the symmetry of the labia and make them smaller, especially the inner ones, because “the canon of youthful beauty, almost girlish and with a certain coloration” prevails, according to Larrazabal, who warns that “there are so many forms of the vulva, such as noses or mouths “.

Bartolome also cautions that “there are no strict criteria to determine what is normal and what is not,” and emphasizes that many of the patients they consult have “even small lips.”

The same thing happens to men, as urologist and prostate specialist François Peynado confirms: “There is a misconception about length. Many people think that it should be 18 centimeters, while the average is 9.5 in flaccidity and about 13, I tell most of my patients that they have penises are normal and do not require surgery.

In this sense, the Chilean surgeon-urologist Carlos Nazir clarifies that these operations are equally in demand by both heterosexuals and homosexuals.

“We are all different, and we must intervene in the anatomical and physiological limitations of each person,” he recommends.

And he emphasizes that it is important to contact specialists, although this is not always done, because there is a factor of shame and they are looking for a “hairdresser or tattoo artist.” He emphasizes that “disasters that cause poorly placed things like hyaluronic acid or centrifuged fat are worse because they cause deformities and problems with urination.

Pornography. Origin of the genital complex?

Behind this dissatisfaction may be a comparison with images of ideal genitals or with an unusual length that show social networks, or, above all, with pornography.

But Alba Bartolome doesn’t think pornography is the only reason, because “it also reflects diversity,” and Raquel Oliva of the Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO) also talks about the impact of hair removal.

“Before, hair was not removed, but a few years ago it became fashionable to remove everything in a row. Now sagging is more noticeable in shaved women,” he says. (EFE – Olivia Alonso and Lucia Serrano)