Social media pressure increases demand for vaginal surgeries

The growing demand for vaginal surgery (labiaplasty) from teenagers and young women may be due to pressure from partners, social media and pornographic films, psychologists who advocate monitoring before these procedures told Lusa.

In an interview with Lusa, psychologist Ana Paulino, who works in the field of pain, admitted that she is concerned about the mental health of girls and adolescents who undergo vaginal labiaplasty solely for aesthetic reasons.

The psychologist believes that the main reasons for the increase in demand are social networks, easily accessible pornography and the boom in recent years in the number of aesthetic and dermatological clinics performing this type of surgery.

“From a mental health perspective, I’m concerned about what’s behind this decision and this choice. I’m also concerned about possible misinformation, the possible influence of the media and these types of clinics that make people with low self-esteem believe that the body is not what it should be,” he argued.

The psychologist noticed the paradox of living in a time when people have become “freer in choosing their bodies,” but at the same time, the world of the aesthetic industry has become “a kind of prison of self-esteem.”

The psychologist also warned of the “emotional risks associated” with these interventions.

“Before proceeding with this type of surgery, it would be wise and prudent to assess whether this person is aware of the enormous and natural variety in the aesthetic aspects of the vulva in terms of color, size, shape, hairiness and the like,” the psychologist warned.

Ana Paulino argued that procedures of this type should always be performed in good faith and “informed, comfortable and consensual” in accordance with the “needs, desires, values ​​or feelings of those seeking them.”

According to Raquel Barbosa, a psychologist and professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences at the University of Porto, these operations can often hide problems of low self-esteem and deeper problems of lack of self-esteem in young women and adolescents.

Raquel Barbosa argued that all clinics that carry out such operations should carry out mental health monitoring and psychological assessment of young women wishing to undergo this intervention to signal the presence of mental problems.

The psychologist and researcher from the University of Porto cited data from the American Society of Plastic Surgery, which analyzed several studies on these surgeries and concluded that of all women seeking this type of surgery, less than half are satisfied with the results.

Essentially, the psychologist said, it’s an acknowledgment that there are “mental health, self-esteem and self-worth issues that cannot be solved by cosmetic surgery.”

Easier access to these surgeries, combined with social media, increases “the spread of these beauty ideals, often completely idealistic and manipulated,” noted psychologist Raquel Barbosa.

“Self-esteem comes from home. Self-esteem comes from the cradle,” the psychologist said, noting that children need to be valued as people, regardless of their body type.