Introduction
Clitoral hood reduction is a cosmetic procedure done to correct the length of the hood covering the clitoral area. Although the reasons for performing this surgery can be many, the two significant reasons for performing this surgery are to increase clitoral pleasure and to decrease the irritation caused by wearing tight clothes. Also, performing this surgery makes the clitoris more prone to any touch or sensitivity. One of the main indications to be kept in mind before this surgery is that the purpose of it is to create a more aesthetically appealing clitoris.
What Is a Clitoral Hood?
The clitoral hood is the foreskin covering the clitoris like a hood. Clinically, it appears as a skin fold that acts as a shield protecting the clitoral glans. The glans clitoris present in the vaginal region comprises almost around eight thousand nerve stimuli and is more prone to any pain, injury, or overstimulation, and the clitoral hood here covers the clitoris with external tissues making the touch or stimulus rather enjoyable, preventing it from pain. Clitoral hood also prevents inflammation of the nerve ending due to tight or ill-fitting clothes or underwear. When a person is aroused, the clitoris naturally swells up due to the pooling of blood in that area, pushing the hood and covering it aside. Although this varies from person to person, the size of the clitoral hood is also significant, as a smaller hood can make a person feel more sensitive to touch, friction, or when stroked directly.
What Are the Types of Clitoral Hood Surgery?
Clitoral hood plasty, or the surgery done to alter the shape of the clitoral hood, can be of two types, and they are:
- Reductive Hoodoplasty - Here, reductive hoodoplasty is a procedure done to reduce the length of the clitoral tissue or to reduce the thickness in case of unevenness.
- Restorative Hoodoplasty - This procedure is done to restore the clitoral hood that has been damaged due to the presence of any skin conditions.
What Is the Significance of Reducing the Clitoral Hood?
Clitoral hoodectomy is a surgical procedure used to reduce the length of the skin or the hood covering the clitoris. Reducing the length of the clitoris is predominantly a cosmetic procedure, as the excess skin present may not be appealing to some people. However, in some cases, the presence of excess skin covering the clitoris may also create sexual discomfort or problems. The cosmetic correction of female genital areas is called feminizing genitoplasty.
The reasons for which women choose clitoral hood reduction are to improve the appearance of a person's genitals, to enhance the sensuality of the clitoris, make it more accessible for pleasuring, as a congenital (from birth) correction, to reduce inflammation and irritation of the clitoral hood against clothing, as a clitoral reconstruction to rehabilitate the sagging appearance of the clitoral hood.
What Are the Diagnostic Procedures Performed for Clitoralhood Reduction?
It is necessary to perform certain diagnostic procedures before performing the clitoral hood reduction are:
- Clinical Examination: Clinically examining the patient gives the surgeon the physical structure of the clitoral hood, its appearance, and its length. It is also important to collect the patient's medical history before performing the procedure.
- Pelvic Examination: It is necessary to perform a pelvic examination before the procedure to rule out the presence of any pathology. Both physical and pelvic ultrasounds are done during these examinations.
- Laboratory Culture: Both urine and blood cultures are done as a primary and basic examination test to rule out any infection.
How Is Clitoral Hood Reduced?
Reduction of a clitoral hood is a multispecialty procedure that is often carried out by a team of specialists like plastic surgeons, gynecologists, and cosmetic surgeons. This is because each of these specialists is associated with different skills in managing the site, improvising the outcome.
Although reduction of the clitoral hood is a surgical procedure, it is often done as an outpatient treatment and does not require admission or an overnight stay. The procedure is mostly done by numbing the area using local anesthetics. The use of anesthetizing the area locally makes the patient awake during the entire procedure, except at the operating site. Surgical reduction of the clitoral hood can be made using multiple techniques, like conventional methods of using specialized methods like lasers or radiofrequency lights, used for cutting. The excess tissue is cut by making small incisions and carefully removing the tissues. This exposes the covered clitoral area. The area is sutured up (stitched) using absorbable sutures as normal sutures or silk suture thread can be irritating to the skin.
What Are the Post-operative Care Requirements Following Clitoral Hood Reduction Surgery?
Providing post-operative care after clitoral surgery, be it any surgery is a very crucial part as the site of surgery should be kept safe and undisturbed during the healing period. The indications to be followed post clitoral hood reduction surgery are:
- Avoid using soaps directly at the site of surgery during the first week.
- It is necessary to apply an antibiotic cream as prescribed by the physician for the first few weeks.
- Patients are asked to avoid wearing tight clothes, take steam baths, go swimming, or dive for the first week of surgery.
- It is also recommended to avoid lifting heavy weights as it can create too much pressure on the surgical site, loosening the sutures.
- Patients are asked to consume lots of fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Undergarments like tight thongs are contraindicated for around two weeks post-surgery.
- After the suppression of the initial swelling and healing, visible results are seen only after four to six months post-surgery.
Conclusion
The clitoral hood reduction can be considered a cosmetic surgery, but in many cases, the presence of a clitoral hood reduces the ability of a person to experience sexual pleasure during intercourse or from experiencing orgasms. These conditions create a mental suppression in the person's mind making them feel low and uninterested in sex. Although, in some cases, the reason may be recurrent infection or irritation while wearing tight clothes, the ratio is still less. Hence, to overcome this scenario, women choose to undergo clitoral hood reduction; this, in turn, exposes the clitoris making it more vulnerable to touch and sensitive. Although the development of surgical procedures in vaginal health has been consistently booming, it is important to show proper care and to get the necessary tests done before performing this procedure. Also, following all the post-operative regulations is highly recommended for a successful outcome.
