The preponderance of procedures such as breast augmentation, and certainly minimally invasive processes like Botox, have helped erase the previous stigma surrounding cosmetic improvements.
However, even today, some increasingly popular cosmetic procedures don’t exactly lend themselves to dinner table talk at many homes. And discrete procedures not readily visible to the eye aren’t just for women.
Laser assisted surgery could likely be the impetus for the increase in popularity of vaginal rejuvenation, or vaginoplasty. Vaginoplasty is a surgical procedure to tighten the vaginal muscles, resulting in improved appearance and size of the vaginal opening. Often women seek the procedure following childbirth, which frequently causes stretched musculature. Age can lead to the same conditions, and many women consider the procedure a way to enhance or renew their sex lives. In the cases of many other women, the procedure is a means to address incontinence. The procedure itself consists of removing excess vaginal tissue and strengthening vaginal muscles. The laser surgical procedure takes an hour or two, and vaginal tissue will be painful afterward. Full healing takes six to eight weeks with checkups from the surgeon, although women can go back to work after just a few days. As of approximately 2010, the national average cost of vaginoplasty ranged from $3,500 to $8,000.
Women aren’t alone in increasingly seeking out sculpting parts of their body unseen to most others. Over time and with the effects of gravity, men’s scrotums can become elongated. The condition can also occur due to a varicocoele (enlarged veins around the testicle) or due to a hydrocoele (fluid around the testicle). The varicocoele should be corrected prior to the scrotal reduction. While primarily a cosmetic issue, some men do have problems with chafing or discomfort in some clothing as a result. A reduction, or “lift,” entails reducing the size of the scrotum while maintaining the correct shape. Generally, the procedure is done on an outpatient basis, takes less than two hours and despite some discomfort over a period of healing, the patient is generally able to return to work in just 4-5 days.
Both of these procedures have gained in popularity in recent years, and while both can address medical and quality of life needs, on many occasions they address strictly aesthetic desires and subsequently lead to enhanced self-esteem and comfort – benefits of cosmetic procedures not to be overlooked.
