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February 03, 2003
Designer Vaginas
Andrew and I were discussing role-playing games when the words "Now: Designer Vaginas" came up on BBC 4 on the TV. "Does that say what I think it says?" I asked, staring at the screen. He turned to look at the screen and read it out loud. "Designer vaginas." And for the next fourty-five minutes, neither of us even thought about role-playing games. Instead, we absorbed much information about the pros and cons of vaginal reconstructive surgery. Apparently there are two kinds: Labiaplasty, which trims and reshapes the labia, and Vaginal Rejuvenation, which narrows the canal and tightens the muscles (As Erin pointed out, isn't that what kegle exercises are for?). Along the way, we met two blondes who looked great and were in great shape but insisted that their lives were terrible till they vaginal rejuvenation; a single mother from England who flew to (where else) Los Angeles, the only place in the world to offer this kind of surgery, to have vaginal surgery and left her baby for a week; David Matlock, MD, MBA, who runs the Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation Institute of Los Angeles and dresses like he's worth a million dollars (and probably is); A former porn star turned sex educator; A plastic surgeon who looked straight out of central casting (tall, tanned, middle aged, white, silver hair, glasses, impeccably groomed suit and so on); A Professor of urogynacology who had too much blue eyeliner and a collection of disturbing sculptures decorating her office along the wall behind her; A bikini waxer to the stars who claims to have seen more vaginas than any gynacologist; A black woman who had her surgery for entirely cosmetic reasons and claims that it changed her sex life for the better; and an extremely overweight lady who was the main focus of the show- they actually showed her before, after, and most significantly, had a close-up of her vagina during surgery, where Dr. Matlock pointed out how she had significant deficiencies, including collapsed muscles and hernias, poking, prodding and stretching with large instruments. We then saw brief shots of the surgery itself, with knives cutting and blood flowing. (Rich couldn't bear to look at this point and turned away from the TV). It seems that there are certainly cases where such surgery will indeed help a woman and repair her body. However, for most of the women interviewed, I was left with the impression that the improvement in their lives is 95% mental- they described feelings of confidence, new-found assertiveness, and happiness and self-belief that they had lacked previously. Andrew argued that if they had been hypnotised into believing they had such surgery the effect would have been identical, and I agree. It appears that some people are so image obsessed that they will pursue the quest to have a perfect body to unreasonable lengths, even to areas where only they themselves see (Men don't count here. Trust me on this ladies, if a man gets that far, he is an imbecile if he starts criticising). These women brought in shots of Playboy models, an unreasonable standard of beauty if there is one (the pictures are all, for one thing, airbrushed). What I do applaud is BBC's willingness to air a documentary such as this, which gives a decently balanced view of the pros and cons of vaginal reconstruction and is very frank about the matter. I came away from the show feeling like I had learned something not just about the subject, but about people, modern society, and a culture that worships perfection. It's no wonder that women in Britain, and in Europe, seem so much more comfortable and confident about their bodies and themselves if national media is not afriad to shirk from discussing it. Posted by pj at 12:29 AM
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What cracked me up about the women who were getting these procedures was how fixated they were on the appearance of a body part that: (1) VERY few people will see (in almost all cases), and (2) isn't supposed to be particularly lovely in the first place!
I mean, sure, the vagina is an important part, but it's really more for function than attractiveness. I had no idea women even cared how theirs looked. I have ugly hands, but you don't see me going to LA to get hand rejuvination surgery! Sheesh, people!
Honestly, the women they spoke to who were getting the procedure done for cosmetic reasons really needed a reality check. The main woman they talked to was overweight and had broken front teeth, yet she was completely obsessed with how her naughty bits looked. Sure, if you have gynecological problems or are disfigured, you might really need this, but having your cha cha operated on just because it doesn't look like that woman in last month's Hustler is a serious problem - and it's your HEAD you need examined.
MrsHughey spoke on February 3, 2003 02:27 PMthis is utterly, one-hundred percent w-a-c-k. I can understand when figure-altering techniques are used for individuals such as the fatally-obese but only for health reasons and only for such matters.
However, I feel sorry for these females who are not confident about their physical appearances. Firstly, they are not as strong, mentally, to ward off all those pressures that society places on women. Has anyone ever seen a fat model on the cover of a US magazine? Negative. Secondly, because of all this pressure, it's not their fault. Not entirely. It's difficult to place the blame on something that nobody can solely control.
Growing up is hard for a little girl these days. I've been through the "I wish I was prettier in [some alteration/way]" phase, and although I look back and scold myself for even thinking that way, I also realise that most girls, at that age, want to be pretty and popular. These females who are going for such physical alterations simply haven't moved beyond that stage and still fail to realise that looks aren't everything...
I could go on and on, but i think i should leave it for later ^.^
last note: there was an ad somewhere for a weight that supposedly exercises the vaginal wall, promoted by an OBGYN. No joke. So, how's that for fitness?
the girlfriend spoke on February 5, 2003 04:52 AMI dont know what that first guy is talking about. Women show me their labias all the time; in the office, on the beach, at home, at the mall, behind the dumpster at the Quikie-Mart, just about everywhere. And, YES, vaginas are supposed to be beautiful! And 95% of the time, they are very beautiful. It's that 5% that gets ya.
As a man, I have to tell you: There is nothing worse than seeing a woman with some skanked-out labia. I usually tell them "yeah, I'll still go down on you, but you're gonna have do something really awesome in return, like give me a rim-job then do me with a strap-on."
Just like everything else in life, compromises can be reached.
jason spoke on July 12, 2003 09:16 AMMY GIRLFRIEND IS INTERESTED BECAUSE HER LABIA HANG DOWN
WHEN WE ARE WITH FRIENDS, THE OTHERS SOMETIMES STARE AND ASK IF SHE HAS INTENTIONALLY STRETCHED THEM
While the idea of vaginal rejuvination seems strange to the average person, there are some real problems that this type of surgery may help.
I am a 33 year old woman with 3 children who had a full hysterectomy about a year ago because of cancer and endometriosis. I am now on hormones and the sex drive has increased since the surgery but I noticed that, during intimacy with my husband, something had seriously changed. As the old saying goes "It takes all night long to do something that I used to do all night long." During intimacy, neither of us were feeling the same, or even close to the same, physical responses. I asked my husband if anything had changed, like how "tight" my vaginal walls are, and, after a lot of embarrassment on both of our parts, he admitted that I was not "tight" at all anymore and that this correllated completely with the hysterectomy. There is something to be said for having a cervix. I do not regret having the hysterectomy because the situation was life threatening but things like this are something I'd have like to have known before I made my final decision about the surgery. Therefore, I am looking into this vaginal rejuvination surgery. My husband is very adamant that this is not needed. That we will work our sex life out anyway we can and that the hysterectomy was the right decision because he wants me alive and well but I am still interested in the surgery. It really stinks to think that, to save my life, my husband and myself had to give up a great sex life. So, before you make any judgement on this type of surgery, think of how you would feel in you were in this type of situation.
All I can say is WOW, my heart goes out to the women who feel they need help. I'm a 49 yr old female, I had 2 children (easily) And my men friends still say wow, when they enter me and feel the wrath of my cervix. Ladies-Girls.. DO your kegals!!
Dolly Gee spoke on May 2, 2005 03:31 PM